Former Robert Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann is refuting claims made by the New York Times that the DOJ limited the Russia probe.
According to Fox News:
Also erroneous is NYT claim "Rosenstein concluded the F.B.I. lacked sufficient reason to conduct an investigation into the president’s links to a foreign adversary.” See DOJ Special Counsel Appointment Order, para. (b)(i). 2 of 2
— Andrew Weissmann (@AWeissmann_) August 31, 2020
A top prosecutor from Robert Mueller’s special counsel’s office disputed a New York Times report that said then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein limited Mueller’s investigation by keeping him from exploring President Trump‘s financial ties to Russia.
According to the Times, former law enforcement officials said Rosenstein secretly told Mueller not to take his Russia probe down that path without telling the FBI. After the report came out, prosecutor Andrew Weissmann disputed it.
Weissmann cited the Justice Department’s appointment order that named Mueller as special counsel, which said Mueller was authorized to investigate, among other things, “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.”
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The report noted that Russia “took advantage” of members of the Trump transition team and their “relative inexperience in government, opposition to Obama administration policies, and Trump’s desire to deepen ties with Russia to pursue unofficial channels through which Russia could conduct diplomacy.”
The attention has focused on the Russian collusion story after the Senate Intelligence Committee released its fifth and final report on Russian election interference.
