The Trump Organization, now headed by Don Jr. and Eric Trump, has been subpoenaed by Robert Mueller, special counsel, for records as part of the ongoing Russia Interference Investigation.
The subpoena being issued covers documents that are associated with Russia along with other subjects, as reported by the New York Times. The subpoena’s scope and how far it has extended pertaining to topics that are not relevant to Russia still remains a mystery. Mueller, instead of simply asking for the documents, chose to throw his weight around by subpoenaing the organization for the information he imagines they have.
“As we’ve maintained all along and as the president has said numerous times, there was no collusion between the campaign and Russia,” said Sarah Huckabee during her press briefing. “We’re going to continue to fully cooperate out of respect for the special counsel. We’re not going to comment for any specific questions about the Trump organization. I’d refer you there.”
The Trump Organization’s lawyer said that the administration has been cooperating all along and the subpoena reports are nothing but old news.
“Since July 2017, we have advised the public that the Trump Organization is fully cooperative with all investigations, including the Special Counsel, and is responding to their requests,” the company’s lawyer, Alan Futerfas, spoke in a statement. “This is old news and our assistance and cooperation with the various investigations remains the same today.” The special counsel has made a direct move to get the documents pertaining to the business empire of Trump by issuing the subpoena.
President Trump stated in an Interview with the Times that if the special counsel begins investigating the family’s offshore finances other than those in Russia, then Robert Mueller will be crossing the “red line”.
After the current reports that Robert Mueller’s team has interest in a United Arab Emirates advisor, the subpoena indicates that the investigation will continue to advance.
The possibility of connections between the Trump’s organization and campaign and the involvement of Moscow in the 2016 elections is being investigated by Mueller.
Mueller had leveled charges on 3 Russian organizations and 13 Russian nationals for interfering during the election through the use of false and fabricated social media campaigns and other strategically devised methods to get into the US affairs.
President Trump, on the other hand, has maintained that there was no collaboration or coordination between his campaign and Russia, calling the entire investigation a “witch hunt.”
It has been reported that Trump’s legal counsel and the special counsel have agreed to set up an interview with the President to resolve the matter.