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The special counsel overseeing the probe into Russia's alleged meddling in the US election is now looking at whether President Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing unnamed officials.
In a pivotal shift in the investigation that has riveted Americans like no other for decades, senior intelligence officials have agreed to be interviewed by investigators working for the special counsel, Robert Mueller, the Post said.
It quoted five people briefed on the requests and said those who have agreed to be interviewed are Daniel Coats, the director of national intelligence, Admiral Mike Rogers, the head of the National Security Agency, and his recently departed deputy, Richard Ledgett.
File photo of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Robert Mueller.
The interviews could come as early as this week, the Post said.
The shift toward investigating the president himself began days after Trump fired James Comey as FBI director on May 9, the Post said.
Quoting officials, the Post said one event of interest to Mueller is an exchange on March 22, when Coats told associates that Trump had asked him to intervene with Comey to get him to back off the focus on Trump's former national security adviser Mike Flynn as part of the FBI probe of the Russia affair.
Trump denies any collusion between himself or any of his associates and Russia.
Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Russian Interference in the 2016 Election in Washington, USA on June 8, 2017.
Several legal experts told Reuters that Comey's testimony last week that Trump expected loyalty and told Comey he hoped he could drop an investigation of a former top aide could bolster obstruction of justice allegations against Trump.
Comey would not say in his testimony last week whether he thought the president sought to obstruct justice, but added it would be up to special counsel Mueller "to sort that out."
While a sitting president is unlikely to face criminal prosecution, obstruction of justice could form the basis for impeachment. Any such step would face a steep hurdle as it would require approval by the US House of Representatives, which is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans.
(AFP, REUTERS)
