WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump last June ordered Special Counsel Robert Mueller fired but backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than follow his directive, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing four people told of the matter.
White House lawyers and press officials did not immediately reply to Reuters requests for comment.
Mueller, who is investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, learned of the incident in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in an inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice, the Times reported.
Amid media reports that Mueller was looking into a possible obstruction case, Trump argued that the former Federal Bureau of Investigation director had three conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the probe, two of the people said, according to the Times report.
Trump denies report he ordered Mueller fired
Comey’s firing is central to whether Trump may have committed obstruction of justice.
Trump said on Wednesday he would be willing to be interviewed under oath by Mueller, and according to sources with knowledge of the investigation, Trump’s attorneys have been talking to Mueller’s team about an interview.
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