President Trump's legal team said Wednesday that it wants to narrow the focus of a future interview between the president and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, rejecting Mueller's latest offer, The New York Times reports.
Mueller's team, investigating the Trump campaign's potential involvement with Russian interference in the 2016 election, is negotiating with Trump's lawyers to establish a framework for the sit-down. Trump's lawyers reportedly don't want him to answer questions about obstruction of justice out of concern that he could perjure himself.
The president has disregarded recommendations that he decline to interview at all, instead tasking his legal team with eight months of negotiations over the terms. Attorney Rudy Giuliani expressed his frustration with the process, saying in a statement that it's "time for the Office of Special Counsel to conclude its inquiry without further delay," putting the onus on Mueller to make an interview offer that Trump's legal team can happily accept. However, the Times notes, continually pushing back on negotiations could make Team Trump look like they are purposefully prolonging the process, rather than acting in good faith to plan the meeting.
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Mueller has reportedly threatened to subpoena Trump if he does not agree to an interview. Giuliani has insisted that Trump could not be subpoenaed while in office. Read more at The New York Times.
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