[h=1]'I'm being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director!' Trump confirms that he IS subject of obstruction probe and turns on his own Deputy AG[/h]
President Donald Trump unloaded Friday on Twitter on deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein
He complained that he was being investigated 'by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director!'
Rosenstein tapped former FBI Director Robert Mueller to head a probe of Russian election interference
There is now a report that Rosenstein acknowledged he might have to recuse himself from overseeing the investigation because he could be a witness
The Washington Post this week reported that Mueller was also probing obstruction of justice – something Trump appeared to confirm
Mueller has asked Trump transition officials to preserve documents that might be of interest to Russia investigators
Documents related to Trump-linked figures Paul Manafort, Mike Flynn, Carter Page, and Roger Stone sought
Donald Trump confirmed for the first time that he is directly under investigation over obstruction of justice in a Tweet Friday. Trump lashed out in all directions at those probing his administration – going after his own deputy attorney general, an FBI Russia probe, and congressional overseers. But his tweet also showed that he is in fact the focus of the investigation, something which had been reported from anonymous sources but never officially confirmed. 'I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt,' Trump Tweeted Friday morning, in an unprecedented shot at deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, who was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate this year, issued an unusual statement Thursday night, following reports that special counsel Robert Mueller was probing possible obstruction of justice in the wake of Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey.
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Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein was the subject of the latest Trump attack linked to the Russia probe
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President Trump brought congressional committees into his attack, saying they have found no 'proof' of collusion with the Russians
Public attack: President Trump, who was in Miami speaking on Cuba later Friday, opened the day with a salvo on Twitter which revealed he was under investigation
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Eye of the storm: Trump went after his own deputy attorney general, Rod Rosentein. But the number two in the Justice Department might have to recuse himself from overseeing Mueller because he could be a witness himself
With Attorney General Jeff Sessions having recused himself from Russia following disclosures of his own Russia contacts, Rosenstein is acting as the top Justice Department official for the investigation. But he might have to recuse himself too and has privately spoken to colleagues about that possibility, ABC News reported. The issue for Rosenstein is that he is potentially a key witness because he drew up the memo on James Comey which was at first said to be the reason the FBI Director was fired. His Thursday night statement will only add to concerns that he is now dragged into the investigation, instead of overseeing its progress. 'Americans should exercise caution before accepting as true any stories attributed to anonymous ‘officials,’ particularly when they do not identify the country — let alone the branch or agency of government — with which the alleged sources supposedly are affiliated,' said the Rosenstein statement issued Thursday night. Rosenstein has urged lawmakers to have faith in the existing structure of the special counsel, saying he has the sole authority to fire Mueller.
A longtime career Justice Department official, Rosenstein wrote a letter bashing Comey's conduct during the Clinton email scandal. Trump cited that letter as his original justification for firing Comey – though he later said in an interview that the Russia investigation was on his mind when he did it. Trump's Tweet that he was being investigated over Comey's firing appeared to confirm a report that Mueller was also probing the president over possible obstruction of justice. Trump has gone after the array of investigations probing Russian election interference, saying they haven't been able to find any proof of 'collusion.' Trump sent out the initial tweet early Friday morning, after a period when special counsel Robert Mueller's probe showed it was picking up steam – issuing requests to preserve documents, casting a wide net among Trump associates, and even looking at finances of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. 'After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my "collusion with the Russians," nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!' Trump wrote Friday. The FBI probe only recently came under the control of Mueller. A Senate intelligence committee has held a number of hearings, but a House panel conducting its own probe got delayed by the recusal of chairman Rep. Devin Nunes following his trips to the White House amid a dispute over unmasking of officials. Although his language wasn't as strong as a Thursday shot branding the FBI's probe a 'witch hunt,' his latest attack also includes a range of bipartisan congressional investigations. Just Thursday, a letter from Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Charles Grassley of Iowa indicated his panel would be looking at possible obstruction of justice issues – along with former attorney general Loretta Lynch's conduct in relation to the Clinton email investigation.
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Jared Kushner business dealings and finances are being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller (pictured) as part of his probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election
Special counsel Robert Mueller's office has ordered Trump transition team officials to preserve documents and other materials, in the latest sign of an expansive probe that President Donald Trump has branded a 'witch hunt.' Mueller's office has informed a range of officials they 'have a duty to preserve any physical and electronic records that may be related in any way to the subject matter of the pending investigations,' the New York Times reported, quoting from a memo from the transition team counsel's office. The request for records involves an array of Trump-linked figures, some of whom have popped up in a spate of Russia stories. Among the communications sought are those involving Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman whose work for a pro-Moscow Ukrainian political party drew scrutiny during the campaign, and Carter Page, a campaign advisor who took a trip to Moscow during the campaign, as well as fired national security advisor Mike Flynn. The memo reported on by the times also names Roger Stone, an informal Trump advisor who made cryptic online comments about Hillary Clinton's emails during the campaign, as well as Rick Gates, a business partner of Manafort's. The Thursday document request came on a day when Trump unloaded on a probe he branded a 'witch hunt.'
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Kushner and other Trump business associates are being looked at in the investigation, according to a new report. Kushner is pictured in the White House on June 12
Mueller's office is also probing Jared Kushner's business dealings and finances are as part of his probe into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, the Washington Post reports. Carr spokesman Peter Carr says the investigatory panel has 'stringent controls to prohibit unauthorized disclosures that deal severely with any member who engages in this conduct.' Washington has been rocked by a series of leaks pertaining to the panel's work, including the revelations about a focus on potential obstruction of justice and Kushner's finances. Mueller has been assembling a legal dream team of investigators. The number has now reached a dozen, with more on the way, Carr told the Times. Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and one of his favored advisers, as well as other business associates close to the president and his campaign are being looked into by Mueller, anonymous sources told the newspaper. The Post reports the other members include: 'former national security adviser Michael Flynn, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Carter Page, who was listed as a foreign-policy adviser for the campaign.' Allegations Kushner's finances are being studied as part of the investigation come after it was reported last month the team behind the probe were examining meetings he had with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and a Russian banking executive late last year during the presidential transition. That news was also reported by the Washington Post. The newspaper reported people close to the investigation said Kushner was: 'being investigated because of the extent and nature of his interactions with the Russians'. Kushner's lawyer denied the latest allegations on Thursday in a statement. 'We do not know what this report refers to,' Jamie Gorelick said. 'It would be standard practice for the Special Counsel to examine financial records to look for anything related to Russia. 'Mr. Kushner previously volunteered to share with Congress what he knows about Russia-related matters. 'He will do the same if he is contacted in connection with any other inquiry.'
