Details of Mueller’s Russian investigation leak, and two of his targets are named
The progress of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian collusion and interference was leaked to the media in two exclusives Friday night. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
In a pair of breaking news in mainstream media outlets Friday evening, details from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and alleged collusion were leaked to the press. And the targets of his investigation were revealed.
An NBC News exclusive reported that Mueller was seeking to have public relations executives who worked with former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort testify before a grand jury. This was the first indication of testimony being sought for the grand jury, if the report is true.
ABC spoke to one of the P.R. executives who provided details on the subpoena. “We think they are trying to figure out, was this a legitimate project?” the executive told them.
“From our perspective it was — we did a lot of work,” he said. “We took it seriously.”
He told them they were seeking details about an international project helmed by Manafort from 2012 to 2014 that included foreign lobbying.
Manafort’s home was the focus of an FBI raid recently, spurring many to speculate that the investigators believed he was not complying sufficiently with their requests. Others saw it as overreach by the FBI. Trump called the action “tough” during one of his press conferences.
The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reported Friday that Mueller was also investigating whether former Trump administration official General Michael Flynn had sought out Russian help in obtaining Hillary’s emails. The report indicated that they were also investigating whether his son, who had been his father’s chief of staff for a short period, had sought the same from the Russians.
Both Flynns and Mueller declined to comment on the Wall Street Journal’s reporting.
