President Trump will not answer any more questions from Mueller - Giuliani

[webfact]

President Trump will not answer any more questions from Mueller - Giuliani

By Karen Freifeld

 

FILE PHOTO: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks at the 2018 Iran Freedom Convention in Washington, U.S., May 5, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

 

(Reuters) - Lawyers for U.S. President Donald Trump have told special counsel Robert Mueller that he will not answer any more questions in the probe of Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told Reuters on Wednesday.

 

Trump submitted written answers to questions from Mueller in late November. In an interview with Reuters, Giuliani said Mueller raised the possibility of follow-up questions but that the president's outside legal team told the special counsel before Christmas that Trump would not respond.

 

Trump's lawyers and Mueller's team have had no contact since then, Giuliani said.

 

"As far as we're concerned, everything is over," Giuliani told Reuters. "We weren't convinced they had any questions they don't know the answer to."

 

Giuliani said the ball was now in the special counsel's court. "They could try to subpoena him if they want," he said. "But they know we could fight that like hell."

 

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined to comment.

 

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to try to help Trump win.

 

Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow and Russia has said it did not meddle in the election.

 

Mueller was appointed in May 2017 to investigate the Russian interference and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. It is unclear when the probe, which has clouded Trump's first two years in office, will end.

 

Trump answered Mueller's campaign-related questions focused on Russia in November. However, Giuliani told Reuters at the time, he would not answer questions on whether he tried to obstruct the investigation once he won office, such as by firing former FBI Director James Comey.

 

In his latest interview, the president's lawyer said it was time for the special counsel to issue his report. "Put up or shut up," Giuliani said. "We challenge you to do it."

 

When Mueller ends his investigation, he will send a report on his findings to the Justice Department. It is unclear if the report will be made public.

 

Since at least last summer, Trump's legal team has been drafting a rebuttal in preparation for Mueller's report. Giuliani said the team also was ready to respond to legal issues raised by the hush money paid to an adult film star and a former Playboy playmate before the 2016 election.

 

Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen was sentenced last month to three years in prison for crimes including orchestrating the payments in violation of campaign finance laws. When he pleaded guilty, Cohen said he was directed by Trump.

 

"We have a memo from a number of campaign finance experts that paying what they call hush money, since it has a personal purpose, is not considered a campaign contribution," Giuliani said. "Therefore it's not a violation of the campaign finance law."

 

Giuliani said it is unclear to the legal team whether acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is now in charge of the investigation.

 

Rosenstein, who is preparing to leave his job soon after attorney general nominee William Barr takes office, has overseen the Mueller probe since former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself in 2017.

 

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-10

[TopDeadSenter]

 Sorry but after the Strzok and Page fiasco, and Mueller stacking his team with political extremists and still finding only unrelated minor crimes after 2 years, the only thing to do is bin the investigation and accept that Trump and Russia did not collude to lose Hillary her election. End of.

 This Giuliani is a breath of fresh air. He was a hero after 9/11 and he is one of the only guys covered in the media talking sense about this whole witch hunt. 

[Chomper Higgot]

Liar’s paid liar tells lie.

 

 

Individual-1 will have no choice in the matter, his paid liar is simply trying to avoid mentioning ‘the 5th Ammendment’

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 Sorry but after the Strzok and Page fiasco, and Mueller stacking his team with political extremists and still finding only unrelated minor crimes after 2 years, the only thing to do is bin the investigation and accept that Trump and Russia did not collude to lose Hillary her election. End of.

 This Giuliani is a breath of fresh air. He was a hero after 9/11 and he is one of the only guys covered in the media talking sense about this whole witch hunt. 

2019 is going to bring you a stark reminder of reality.

 

Enjoy.

 

I shall.

[stevenl]

Wise decision, the more he talks the more he lies. Shutting up is better.

[Hummin]

6 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

2019 is going to bring you a stark reminder of reality.

 

Enjoy.

 

I shall.

We can hope at least

[Lacessit]

8 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

 Sorry but after the Strzok and Page fiasco, and Mueller stacking his team with political extremists and still finding only unrelated minor crimes after 2 years, the only thing to do is bin the investigation and accept that Trump and Russia did not collude to lose Hillary her election. End of.

 This Giuliani is a breath of fresh air. He was a hero after 9/11 and he is one of the only guys covered in the media talking sense about this whole witch hunt. 

Mueller is quietly going about his business, and saying nothing. Trump and his apologists are lashing out publicly with increasingly outlandish statements - as yours is.

When the other shoe drops, IMHO there will be a lot of excrement hitting the fan.

[Boon Mee]

Good for him

This out of control Witch Hunt has gone on far too long. 

[keemapoot]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Wise decision, the more he talks the more he lies. Shutting up is better.

Yup, and as Rudi is his lawyer knows the more he talks, the more he perjures himself, the more he makes the prosecution's case for them.

 

In other words, an imprecise, ego-fueled jacka$$ Trump is a defense attorney's worst possible nightmare.

[riclag]

Rudy is my hero!  A true Patriot

[Credo]

Hopefully, he will soon be answering to a Judge.   

 

[attrayant]

15 minutes ago, riclag said:

Rudy is my hero!  A true Patriot

 

He's lost his mind.  He has said things that are flatly untrue.  He has fumbled and contradicted Trump and had to backpedal his statements.  

 

You have strange role models.

[keemapoot]

6 minutes ago, Credo said:

Hopefully, he will soon be answering to a Judge.   

 

Oh boy, that will be a disaster for him. He is uncoachable, and defense attorneys spend hours coaching defendants how to precisely answer specific questions without commentary and without emotionally charged responses.

 

He would get torn apart, kind of like the guilty witness on the defense stand in the old Perry Mason shows who, overcome with emotion stupidly and inadvertently admits killing the widow.

[neeray]

26 minutes ago, riclag said:

Rudy is my hero!  A true Patriot

Rudy should have retired his shingle after 9/11 and kept his dignity. Instead, he stooped as low as Trump himself. Rudy may have "had it" at one time, but not anymore.

[neeray]

I don't think Mueller really cares if Trump answers any more questions or not. Mueller already has all he needs.

 

I hear today that the Mueller report will be released in February (yes, 2019). Bring it on !

[keemapoot]

Just now, neeray said:

Rudy should have retired his shingle after 9/11 and kept his dignity. Instead, he stooped as low as Trump himself. Rudy may have "had it" at one time, but not anymore.

Really true. Rudy was almost national hero status after his role in 9/11 and today is a sad caricature of himself. 

 

Kind of a like an all-pro quarterback playing past age 40. It rarely ends well for his legacy.

[Tug]

Mr muller doesent need to talk to Donald his big mouth and tiny thumbs talk plenty lol btw does Kellyanne Conway kinda look like a female version of hitlers propaganda minister

[Jimbo2014]

 

 

[Credo]

He is getting ready though:

 

A beefed-up White House legal team prepares aggressive defense of Trump’s executive privilege as investigations loom large

A beefed-up White House legal team is gearing up to prevent President Trump’s confidential discussions with top advisers from being disclosed to House Democratic investigators and revealed in the special counsel’s long-awaited report, setting the stage for a potential clash between the branches of government.

The strategy to strongly assert the president’s executive privilege on both fronts is being developed under newly arrived White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, who has hired 17 lawyers in recent weeks to help in the effort.

He is coordinating with White House lawyer Emmet Flood, who is leading the response to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report on his now-20-month-long investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-beefed-up-white-house-legal-team-prepares-aggressive-defense-of-trumps-executive-privilege-as-investigations-loom-large/2019/01/09/066b8618-1045-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html?fbclid=IwAR0x8iKuBl052Cv4ZhLLPCU-tkPplgyxNgO9s3uaCbFqkpC6JsHwe4-wT4o&utm_term=.0e0ea6758aa4

[klauskunkel]

Rudy Guiliani doing an impression of Trump not answering any questions:

 

[keemapoot]

Mueller is like the Shark in Jaws, and this is Rudy:

 

[Nyezhov]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Mueller is quietly going about his business, and saying nothing. Trump and his apologists are lashing out publicly with increasingly outlandish statements - as yours is.

When the other shoe drops, IMHO there will be a lot of excrement hitting the fan.

Or vice versa as the case may be.

 

There are basically three groups of Americans involved:

 

1. Hardcore Trump haters who spend their entire existence obsessing about Trump, call, him names, illegitimate, etc, who would go to any lengths to see him gone.

 

2. Hardcore Trump supporters who see the entire investigation as a witch hunt.

 

3. The vast bulk of people of who recognize Trump is an obnoxious sleaze, but worry about the tactics of the Government.

 

So if Muellar comes back with "something", group 2 will still argue "witch hunt". Group 3 will weigh what he has to say (or not say) and evaluate the evidence in light of the Government misconduct and decide at election time.

 

But if Muellar comes back with "nothing", what will group 1 do?

[Chomper Higgot]

10 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Or vice versa as the case may be.

 

There are basically three groups of Americans involved:

 

1. Hardcore Trump haters who spend their entire existence obsessing about Trump, call, him names, illegitimate, etc, who would go to any lengths to see him gone.

 

2. Hardcore Trump supporters who see the entire investigation as a witch hunt.

 

3. The vast bulk of people of who recognize Trump is an obnoxious sleaze, but worry about the tactics of the Government.

 

So if Muellar comes back with "something", group 2 will still argue "witch hunt". Group 3 will weigh what he has to say (or not say) and evaluate the evidence in light of the Government misconduct and decide at election time.

 

But if Muellar comes back with "nothing", what will group 1 do?

Hundreds of millions of people condensed to something within the limits of your imagination and the bounds of your comprehension.

 

Well done!

[attrayant]

15 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

But if Muellar comes back with "nothing", what will group 1 do?

 

It's to late for him to come back with "nothing".  Mueller has already justified his appointment based on the number of current indictments, guilty pleas and jailed criminals.  And Cohen has already implicated Trump as a co-conspirator.  So we are way past the "nothing" stage.

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, neeray said:

Rudy should have retired his shingle after 9/11 and kept his dignity. Instead, he stooped as low as Trump himself. Rudy may have "had it" at one time, but not anymore.

I knew of Rudy even before 9/11, when he was the DA and going after the mob.  The guy was a stud.  But he's way past his prime.  Worse, by associating himself with serial liar Trump, Rudy has become a laughingstock.  Truly pathetic.  His previous accomplishments won't matter much when his legacy is "Truth isn't truth."  Sad! 

 

 

 

[Nyezhov]

2 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

It's to late for him to come back with "nothing".  Mueller has already justified his appointment based on the number of current indictments, guilty pleas and jailed criminals.  And Cohen has already implicated Trump as a co-conspirator.  So we are way past the "nothing" stage.

Im sorry to disabuse of your  notions you but to date, Mueller has shown us (Group 3) nothing. Indictments are accusations and the convictions he has gotten other than Manaforts pre Trump sleaze are "process" crimes. And looking at it objectively (Group 3), Cohen "implicating" Trump as a co- conspirator in a tenuously stretched violation of a campaign finance law does not a collusion make.

 

It isnt about Trumps sleaze, its about "collusion" with Russia. No one denies the fact he is a sleaze. Cant think of many Presidents who were Choir boys, except Jimmy C.

[attrayant]

4 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Indictments are accusations and the convictions he has gotten other than Manaforts pre Trump sleaze are "process" crimes.

 

By using this friendly, candy-coated phrasing, you sound like you are excusing these crimes.  They are crimes, are they not?  Until the report is released, this is all we're going to get.

 

6 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Cohen "implicating" Trump as a co- conspirator in a tenuously stretched violation of a campaign finance law does not a collusion make.

 

So unless Mueller comes back with a rock-solid conspiracy charge against trump, your position is that he will have completely struck-out?  Is that what you are saying?  Do you really think he has gone on this long and asked for a grand jury extension because he has nothing?  Well I'm sorry to disabuse of your notions you but your so-called "group 3" who, as even you admit, are "worr[ied] about the tactics of the Government", want justice done no matter what the crime is.

[bristolboy]

49 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Or vice versa as the case may be.

 

There are basically three groups of Americans involved:

 

1. Hardcore Trump haters who spend their entire existence obsessing about Trump, call, him names, illegitimate, etc, who would go to any lengths to see him gone.

 

2. Hardcore Trump supporters who see the entire investigation as a witch hunt.

 

3. The vast bulk of people of who recognize Trump is an obnoxious sleaze, but worry about the tactics of the Government.

 

So if Muellar comes back with "something", group 2 will still argue "witch hunt". Group 3 will weigh what he has to say (or not say) and evaluate the evidence in light of the Government misconduct and decide at election time.

 

But if Muellar comes back with "nothing", what will group 1 do?

You don't have much use for facts, do you? From the extremist Trumphaters at Fox News:

"A majority of registered voters approve of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia and possible obstruction of justice charges against President Trump and members of his administration, according to a Fox News poll released Wednesday.

The poll revealed that 59 percent of registered voters approve of Mueller’s investigation, marking an 11-point jump from respondents who said the same in a July Fox News poll. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they disapprove of Mueller's probe."

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/403161-poll-mueller-approval-rating-jumps-by-11-points

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-8-22

 

And by the way, this poll was at least partially taken before news about Manafort's conviction broke.

 

[sirineou]

14 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Im sorry to disabuse of your  notions you but to date, Mueller has shown us (Group 3) nothing. Indictments are accusations and the convictions he has gotten other than Manaforts pre Trump sleaze are "process" crimes. And looking at it objectively (Group 3), Cohen "implicating" Trump as a co- conspirator in a tenuously stretched violation of a campaign finance law does not a collusion make.

 

It isnt about Trumps sleaze, its about "collusion" with Russia. No one denies the fact he is a sleaze. Cant think of many Presidents who were Choir boys, except Jimmy C.

 Just because you see nothing it does not mean that there was nothing to be seen.

" On Tuesday we learned -- thanks to a redaction error in a filing in the special counsel's investigation into Russian interference -- that Paul Manafort met with a Russian-linked operative named Konstantin Kilimnik during the course of the 2016 campaign. And in that meeting, according to special counsel Robert Mueller's office, Manafort discussed policies related to the Russia-Ukraine relationship and shared polling data about the 2016 campaign with Kilimnik."

     Why is this big?

ask yourself the following. why would the Russians be interested about polling data from trump's campaign?  

[bristolboy]

30 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Im sorry to disabuse of your  notions you but to date, Mueller has shown us (Group 3) nothing. Indictments are accusations and the convictions he has gotten other than Manaforts pre Trump sleaze are "process" crimes. And looking at it objectively (Group 3), Cohen "implicating" Trump as a co- conspirator in a tenuously stretched violation of a campaign finance law does not a collusion make.

 

It isnt about Trumps sleaze, its about "collusion" with Russia. No one denies the fact he is a sleaze. Cant think of many Presidents who were Choir boys, except Jimmy C.

As any lawyer could tell you, it's not about "collusion" at all. Not even partially about collusion. Collusion in and of itself is not a criminal activity. It is partially about criminal conspiracy which is a form of collusion. But it's not solely about that either.