Special counsel Robert Mueller
Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE has reportedly assembled a list of close to 50 questions he wants to ask President Trump
Donald John Trump Republican Philadelphia official responsible for vote counting says office getting death threats Biden will call governors, mayors about mask mandate Trump campaign voter fraud hotline flooded with prank calls MORE as part of his investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
The New York Times reported Monday that it obtained a list of the questions, which include inquiries related to Trump’s business dealings, his relationship with Russia and his communications with ex-staffers who have since been caught up in the probe.
The questions provide a window into what Mueller is interested in learning from Trump as the special counsel's probe nears the one-year mark.
A handful of the questions focus on communications between Trump or his campaign staffers and Russia.
Mueller prepared to ask Trump about the well-known meeting at Trump Tower that involved Donald Trump Jr.
Don John TrumpTrump has not prepared a concession speech: report Trump's company paid at least .5M by federal government: report Latest 'Borat' footage appears to show star at the White House, meeting Trump Jr. MORE and a Russian lawyer, as well as whether the president himself discussed sanctions on Russia or meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the campaign, the Times reported.
In addition, Mueller reportedly planned to ask, "What knowledge did you have of any outreach by your campaign, including by Paul Manafort
Paul John ManafortLike it or not, a Trump self-pardon may be coming soon DOJ veteran says he's quitting over Barr's 'slavish obedience' to Trump Bruce Ohr retires from DOJ MORE, to Russia about potential assistance to the campaign?”
Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman who is set to go on trial in the Mueller probe in the coming months, has not yet been linked publicly to any campaign outreach to Russia.
Another question focuses on what Trump knew, if anything, about Russian hacking during the presidential race. Trump during the 2016 campaign praised WikiLeaks for disseminating hacked emails from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonThe Memo: Trump lost but is not vanquished This election wasn't a zero-sum game, and it's going to be messy Trump gains with Latino voters driven by rural support MORE's campaign and called on Russia to find her deleted emails from her time as secretary of State.
Several of Mueller's reported questions also focus on Trump's decisions to fire former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former FBI Director James Comey
James Brien ComeyThe Memo: Trump retains narrow path to victory Analysis: Where the swing states stand in Trump-Biden battle Spies are trying to influence the election — US spies, that is MORE.
In both cases, Mueller appeared poised to ask when and why Trump decided to fire Comey and Flynn and who was involved in each decision.
Trump's explanation for why he fired each individual has appeared to change at times, stoking speculation that the president may have obstructed justice.
Mueller also planned to inquire about Trump's reported efforts to fire the special counsel.
"What discussions did you have regarding terminating the special counsel, and what did you do when that consideration was reported in January 2018?" the question states, according to The Times.
Trump reportedly sought to fire Mueller on two occasions, but was talked out of it in both instances.
The special counsel also showed interest in a variety of other associates and administration officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTuberville unseats Jones in Alabama Senate race GOP former US attorneys back Biden, say Trump 'threat to rule of law' Biden fact checks Trump on 545 families separated at border, calls policy 'criminal' MORE; Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney; Jared Kushner
Jared Corey KushnerWashington braces for unpredictable post-election period Kushner has approached Trump about concession: report Trump says Biden should not 'wrongfully' claim victory in presidential race MORE, Trump's son-in-law and a senior adviser; and former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus
Reinhold (Reince) Richard PriebusTrump adviser says president will give Biden 'a little bit more room to explain himself' at next debate Priebus expecting Trump win in election that will go 'down to the wire' Sunday shows preview: Coronavirus cases surge in the Midwest; Trump hits campaign trail after COVID-19 MORE, among others, according to the Times report.
Trump has repeatedly denied he or his campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. He has often called Mueller's investigation a “witch hunt” and a “hoax.”
The president has said on multiple occasions he’d be willing to speak with Mueller as part of the probe. However, he has reportedly cooled on the idea after FBI agents raided Cohen's home and office.
Former New York City Mayer Rudy Giuliani (R), whom Trump recently hired for his legal team, reportedly met with Mueller last week to discuss details of a possible interview with the president.
Giuliani, who served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in the 1980s, told The Washington Post that he joined Trump's legal team "because I hope we can negotiate an end to this for the good of the country and because I have high regard for the president and for Bob Mueller."
Mueller’s investigation has thus far led to guilty pleas or indictments against four former Trump associates, including Flynn and Manafort.
The special counsel also fired charges against 13 Russian nationals for their alleged attempts to interfere in the 2016 election.
Updated at 9:50 p.m.
