Speed Reads

The plot thickens

Robert Mueller is now investigating whether the UAE attempted to influence Trump's administration

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian election meddling has expanded to include possible efforts by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to influence U.S. politics, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Mueller's team is investigating a Lebanese-American businessman, George Nader, who has served as an adviser to the UAE's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Nader had multiple meetings at the White House in 2017, speaking with President Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner as well as former chief strategist Stephen Bannon.

"The focus on Mr. Nader could also prompt an examination of how money from multiple countries has flowed through and influenced Washington during the Trump era," the New York Times story says. "How much this line of inquiry is connected to Mr. Mueller’s original task of investigating contacts between Mr. Trump's campaign and Russia is unclear."

Neither Nader nor the White House commented to the Times. Read the full report here.