Trump Campaign Chair Manafort Blocked Mueller from Obtaining Senate Intel Interview

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort blocked Russia probe special counsel Robert Mueller from obtaining the transcript of Manafort’s summer interview with Senate Intelligence committee, according to a new report from CNN.

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“Lawyers working with a team led by special counsel Robert Mueller approached the Senate intelligence committee this summer with a request: They wanted the transcript of an interview Senate staff had conducted with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort,” Manu Raju and Evan Perez reported Tuesday morning in a CNN report about the clashes between Mueller and the Hill over the Russia probe.

“But they were blocked,” the CNN report continued. “Manafort’s lawyers said they had not authorized Mueller’s legal team to access the interview transcript under the agreement with the committee, even though Mueller’s attorneys said they had been given permission. The matter is still under discussion, sources say.”

On July 26th, the FBI raided Paul Manafort’s residence, which suggested that they weren’t getting his full cooperation in spite of claims former Trump campaign spokesman Jason Maloni that Manafort was cooperating fully with probes of the Trump campaign’s dealings with Russia.

That raid is possibly related to Manafort’s lawyers refusing to give team Mueller access to the transcripts from the Senate staff interview.

Additionally, on August 29th, Mueller added to the pressure by subpoenaing Manafort’s former attorney and current spokesman to give grand jury testimony.

Robert Mueller’s Russia probe is tightening relentlessly around key players, so they’re doing everything they can to mitigate the damage, including trying to keep team Mueller from reading the transcript of Manafort’s interview with Senate staff.

Sarah Jones

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