House Democrats To Send Mueller Transcripts Of Trump Aides’ Testimonies For Perjury Investigation

Democrats are planning to send Special Counsel Robert Mueller testimony transcripts of many of President Donald Trump’s closest aides as part of their opening moves when they take over the House in January, according to three sources with knowledge of their plans.

The House Democrats want Mueller to analyze the transcripts, which were taken down during House Intelligence Committee hearings on possible collusion between Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Russian government, for evidence of perjury or falsehoods in connection to the special counsel’s Russia investigation.

The transcripts include testimonies from both current and former members of the president’s advisory team like his son-in-law Jared Kushner, son Donald Trump Jr., and former advisers Roger Stone and Corey Lewandowski.

Others said to be included on the list include President Trump’s personal aide Rhona Graff and former aides Hope Hicks and Keith Schiller.

Republican Representatives on the Intelligence Committee had blocked previous attempts from the Democrats to forward the content of the transcripts to Mueller’s team in September, though they did agree to send over 50 transcripts to the Director of National Intelligence to be eventually declassified and released.

A spokesman for the incoming chairman for the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California), told Reuters that his party may recommend the special counsel indict the people listed in the transcripts in the future.

“We do not foreclose the possibility of making a referral, but all we have decided is to provide the Special Counsel with the transcripts so that his team can evaluate them for evidence as well as potential perjury,” the spokesman said.

In particular, Schiff focused on Roger Stone, an adviser during Trump’s campaign who he believes may have intentionally mislead the House committee during its probe.

Article by Oresti Avlonitis