Trump lawyer Sekulow calls for pause in Mueller probe if Rosenstein exits
President Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow is calling for a pause in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation if deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein exits his post, according to ABC News.
Sekulow on Monday called for “a timeout” in Mueller’s ongoing investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
{mosads}”It clearly becomes necessary and appropriate … that there be a step back taken here, and a review,” Sekulow said, responding to reports Monday that Rosenstein may be poised to depart from his position as No. 2 at the Justice Department, ABC reported.
Rosenstein and Trump are scheduled to meet on Thursday following reports that the deputy attorney general is set to either resign or be fired.
Noel Francisco, the solicitor general, would take on oversight of Mueller’s probe if Rosenstein resigned.
Trump for months has threatened and insulted the embattled Rosenstein, and Trump’s supporters over the weekend claimed the Times report could provide the president with enough ammo to oust him.
The president on Monday declined to say if he is planning to fire Rosenstein during the Thursday meeting.
“We’ll be determining what’s going on,” Trump said to reporters from the U.N. General Assembly in New York, according to the Associated Press.
Sekulow and the rest of Trump’s legal team have attacked Rosenstein and the Mueller probe, encouraging the special counsel to wrap up his report as soon as possible. They have consistently denied allegations that the presidential campaign colluded with Russia in order to bolster Trump in 2016.
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