Mueller wanted Comey memos to stay private, over fears witnesses might change their stories


In January 2018, Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team fought to keep memos written by former FBI Director James Comey private, over concerns that President Trump and other witnesses would read them and change their stories, according to a court transcript released Tuesday.
In the memos, Comey wrote about Trump asking him for his loyalty and to end the FBI probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Several media outlets sued the Justice Department to make the memos public, but prosecutor Michael Dreeban argued during the closed-door hearing that "in any investigation of this kind, the recollections of one witness, if disclosed to another potential witness, have the potential to influencing, advertently or inadvertently, the recollections of that witness."
The hearing took place at the same time the special counsel's office was trying to schedule an interview with Trump at Camp David, which ultimately fell through, CNN reports. In April 2018, redacted versions of Comey's memos were made public, after copies were sent to Congress.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
3 varied alternatives to X for when you simply cannot with the new iteration of Twitter
The Explainer These competing microblogging sites have struggled to catch up to Elon Musk's market behemoth
-
Google's new AI Mode feature hints at the next era of search
In the Spotlight The search giant is going all in on AI, much to the chagrin of the rest of the web
-
Strike a pose at these 7 fashionable hotels
The Week Recommends Make these hotels in Macau, Italy and Washington, D.C., your personal runway
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read