President Donald Trump called on U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to end the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election in a series of Twitter posts Wednesday.
“This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further,” Trump wrote. “Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!”
The president has frequently railed against the probe, which is headed by former FBI Director Robert Mueller, claiming it was sparked by Democrats frustrated by his win over his rival in the 2016 race for the White House, Hillary Clinton. He has said the investigation is based on an infamous and mostly unverified dossier that was funded in part by Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
Trump has denied allegations that he or his campaign officials worked with Russia to sway the election in his favor.
“Russian Collusion with the Trump Campaign, one of the most successful in history, is a TOTAL HOAX,” Trump wrote Wednesday.
The tweets came days after The New York Times reported that Mueller had opened an investigation into negative tweets posted by Trump about Jeff Sessions and former FBI Director James Comey to determine whether the president obstructed justice in the ongoing Russian interference.
Mueller is examining the tweets to determine whether the president intimidated witnesses and pressured top law enforcement officers to drop the investigation, the Times reported, citing three unidentified sources familiar with the matter.
Reports suggest Trump has considered dismissing Sessions several times due to his frustration over Sessions’ decision to recuse himself in the Russian election meddling probe.
The investigation has led to charges against 32 people accused of crimes ranging from money laundering and falsifying income tax returns to lying to FBI investigators. Five people, including former White House national security adviser Michael Flynn, have pleaded guilty to charges in the ongoing investigation.
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