Report: Mueller told attorneys Trump is a subject, not criminal target, of Russia probe

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last updated 4 April 2018

Last month, Special Counsel Robert Mueller told attorneys for President Trump that Trump is a subject of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, but not currently a criminal target, three people familiar with the conversation told The Washington Post.

A "subject" is someone whose conduct prosecutors are investigating but they don't have sufficient evidence to bring charges against. Mueller and Trump's attorneys were negotiating the terms of a possible presidential interview when he made the announcement, and Mueller said he wants to ask Trump about whether he tried to block the investigation so he can finish this part of the probe, the Post reports. Mueller also told Trump's attorneys he is working on a report about Trump's actions while in office and potential obstruction of justice, two people with knowledge of the matter told the Post.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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