Trump said he had expected his top law enforcement official to

Obstruction inquiry shows Trump’s struggle to keep grip on Russia investigation

Schmidt, The New York Times Updated: January 4 Published January 4

President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions at an FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in Quantico, Va., Dec. 15, 2017. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times file)

canada goose clearance sale President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions at an FBI National Academy graduation ceremony in canada goose Quantico, Va., Dec. 15, 2017. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times file) canada goose clearance sale

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Canada Goose Jackets WASHINGTON President cheap Canada Goose Donald Trump gave firm instructions in March to the White House’s top lawyer: stop the attorney general, uk canada goose Jeff Sessions, from recusing himself in the Justice Department’s investigation into whether Trump’s associates had helped a Russian campaign to disrupt the 2016 canada goose uk black friday election. Canada Goose Jackets

canada goose deals Public pressure was building for Sessions, cheap canada goose uk who had been a senior member of the Trump campaign, to https://www.pick-canadagoose.com step aside. But the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, carried out the president’s orders and lobbied Sessions to remain in charge of the inquiry, according to two people with knowledge of the episode. canada goose deals

canada goose coats McGahn was unsuccessful, and the canada goose clearance sale president erupted in anger in front of numerous White House officials, saying he needed his attorney general to protect him. Trump said he had expected his top law enforcement official to safeguard him the way he believed Robert F. canada goose factory sale Kennedy, as attorney general, had Canada Goose Parka done for his brother John F. Kennedy and Eric H. Holder Jr. had for Barack Obama. canada goose coats

Trump then asked, “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” He was referring to his former personal lawyer and fixer, who had been Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy’s top aide during the investigations into communist activity in the 1950s and died in 1986.

canada goose clearance The lobbying of Sessions is one of several previously unreported episodes that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, has learned about as he investigates whether Trump obstructed the FBI’s Russia inquiry. The events occurred during canada goose uk outlet a two month period from when Sessions recused himself in March until the appointment of canadian goose jacket Mueller in May when Trump believed he was losing control over the investigation. canada goose clearance

Canada Goose sale Among the other episodes, Trump described the Russia investigation as “fabricated and politically Canada Goose Outlet motivated” in a letter that he intended to send to the FBI director at the time, James B. Comey, but that White House aides stopped him from sending. Mueller has canada goose store also canada goose clearance substantiated claims that Comey made in a buy canada goose jacket series of memos describing troubling Canada Goose Coats On Sale interactions with the president before he was fired in May. Canada Goose sale

[Trump lawyer seeks to block insider book on White House]

canada goose black friday sale The special counsel has received handwritten notes from Trump’s former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, showing that Trump talked to Priebus about how he had called Comey to urge canada goose uk shop him to say publicly that he was not under investigation. canada goose black friday sale

buy canada goose jacket The New York Times has also learned that four days before Comey was fired, one of Sessions’ aides asked a congressional staff member whether he had damaging information about Comey, part of an apparent effort to undermine the FBI director. It was Canada Goose Online not clear whether Mueller’s investigators knew about this incident. Elections” on Capitol Hill in Washington, on June canada goose outlet 8, 2017. Elections” on Capitol Hill in Washington, on June 8, 2017. (Jim Bourg / Reuters) buy canada goose jacket

Canada Goose Outlet Mueller has also been examining a false statement that the president dictated on Air Force One in July in response to an article in The Times about a meeting that Trump campaign officials had with Russians during the campaign. A new book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” by Michael Wolff, says the president’s lawyers believed that the statement was “an explicit attempt to throw sand into the investigation’s gears,” and that it led one of Trump’s spokesmen to quit because he believed uk canada goose outlet it constituted obstruction of Canada Goose online justice. Canada Goose Outlet

Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer dealing with the special counsel’s investigation, declined to comment.

Trump’s lawyers have said the president has fully cooperated with the investigation, and they have expressed confidence that the inquiry will canada goose black friday sale soon be coming to a close. They said that they believed the president would be exonerated, and that they hoped to have that conclusion made public.

canada goose store Legal experts said that of the two primary issues Mueller appears to be investigating whether Trump obstructed justice while in office and whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia there is a larger body of public evidence tying the president to a possible crime of obstruction. canada goose store

But the experts Canada Goose Jackets are divided about whether the Canada Goose sale accumulated evidence is enough for Mueller to bring an obstruction case. Some experts said the case would be stronger if there was evidence that the president had told witnesses to lie under oath.

cheap Canada Goose The accounts of the episodes are based on documents reviewed by The Times, as well canada goose coats on sale as interviews with White House officials and others briefed on the investigation. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation. cheap Canada Goose

canadian goose jacket Regardless of whether Mueller believes there is enough evidence to make a case against the president, Trump’s belief that his attorney general should protect him provides an important window into how he governs. Presidents buy canada goose jacket cheap have had close relationships with their attorneys general, but Trump’s obsession with loyalty is particularly unusual, especially given the Justice Department’s investigation into him and his associates canadian goose jacket.