According to The Washington Post, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani, who just joined President Trump's legal team to deal with the Russia investigation, met with Special Counsel Robert Mueller Tuesday to talk about a potential presidential interview.
Giuliani, who joined Trump’s legal team last week, conveyed the ongoing resistance of Trump and his advisers to an interview with federal investigators, but did not rule out the possibility, the people said, adding that Giuliani pressed Mueller for clarity on when the probe is expected to end.
In response, Mueller reiterated that he would like a chance to ask Trump questions about steps he took during the transition and early months of his administration, the people said. The special counsel emphasized, as he did in conversations in March with Trump’s team, that an interview is essential for investigators to understand Trump’s intent in making key decisions as they seek to wrap up the portion of the probe focused on potential obstruction of justice.
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Giuliani, 73, a former New York mayor and U.S. attorney, has known Mueller for decades through their work in federal law enforcement. Both men were joined by members of their teams in the Tuesday sit-down meeting at Mueller’s office in southwest Washington.
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Still, Trump remains “extremely opposed” to granting Mueller an interview, according to one close adviser — setting up a potential high-stakes legal battle between the White House and the special counsel, who could ultimately seek to try to subpoena the president.
The presidential interview has long been a topic of hot debate on Trump's legal team. Earlier this year, John Dowd, the seasoned white-collar defense attorney who was leading Trump's negotiations with Mueller's office, resigned amid frustration that Trump was not following his advice to decline an interview.
But though the president was reportedly "champing at the bit" to sit down with Mueller, things screeched to a halt when it surfaced that the FBI raided the property of Trump's longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.
After learning of the raids, Trump is said to have become enraged and backed away from cooperating with Mueller.
NBC News reported on April 12th that talks between the two camps had crumbled in the wake of the FBI raid on Michael Cohen's office, home, and hotel room, but a week later, White House Special Counsel Ty Cobb told The Daily Beast negotiations still were ongoing.
Securing an interview with Trump is central to prosecutors being able to prove whether or not he had "corrupt intent" when he made the decisions he did with respect to the Russia probe.
Full story: Giuliani reopens negotiations about presidential interview with Mueller, but cautions special counsel that Trump remains resistant (The Washington Post)
A Trump-Mueller interview may be back on the table (Business Insider)