In the latest sign that special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe is moving closer to President Donald Trump, the New York Times reported on Thursday that Mueller has subpoenaed the Trump Organization to turn over documents, some of which are related to Russia.
Citing anonymous officials, the Times notes that the subpoena was delivered “in recent weeks,” adding that “Mueller ordered the Trump Organization to hand over all documents related to Russia and other topics he is investigating.”
“It is the first known instance of the special counsel demanding documents directly related to President Trump’s businesses,” the Times reports. “The subpoena is the latest indication that the investigation, which Mr. Trump’s lawyers once regularly assured him would be completed by now, will drag on for at least several more months.”
Mueller search terms include “Russia,” and he appears to be looking for things related to Trump Tower Moscow https://t.co/dPm4fN9ysw
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 15, 2018
In an interview with the Times last year, Trump bristled at the notion that the Mueller probe could ultimately reach into his sprawling business empire.
“I think that’s a violation,” Trump said when Times reporter Michael Schmidt suggested that Mueller may be interested in his finances.
Asked if he would consider firing Mueller if he did begin to investigate his organization, Trump said: “I can’t answer that question because I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
As Common Dreams reported last year, polls have shown that the vast majority Americans disagree with the president and believe Mueller should have the ability to investigate the Trump family’s financial dealings.
According to one CNN poll, 70 percent of Americans think “Mueller should be able to investigate whether Donald Trump had any financial dealings with Russia.”