Mueller reportedly investigating Trump's role in email leaks

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published 28 February 2018

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is trying to determine whether President Trump ever colluded with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign, NBC News reports. In July 2016, WikiLeaks published a trove of emails from the Democratic National Committee that U.S. intelligence agencies believe were obtained unlawfully by Russian hackers. Mueller is reportedly interested in what Trump knew about the emails, and when he knew it:

[Mueller's] team is asking witnesses pointed questions about whether [Trump] was aware that Democratic emails had been stolen before that was publicly known, and whether he was involved in their strategic release, according to multiple people familiar with the probe.

Mueller's investigators have asked witnesses whether Trump was aware of plans for WikiLeaks to publish the emails. [...]

The line of questioning suggests the special counsel, who is tasked with examining whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election, is looking into possible coordination between WikiLeaks and Trump associates in disseminating the emails, which U.S. intelligence officials say were stolen by Russia. [NBC News]

Mueller's team pointed to remarks Trump made at a press conference in July 2016, when he appealed directly to Russia. "Russia, if you're listening," he said, "I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing." Investigators reportedly want to know whether Trump made that comment because he already knew Russia had hacked the DNC.

Trump has consistently denied any allegations of collusion, and has insisted that he personally is not under investigation. Read more at NBC News.