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U.S. NEWS Monday 29 January 2018

GOP senators: Trump needs to show restraint in Russia probe

Continued from Front vestigation, and so Demo-
crats will seek to add pro-
The New York Times and tections for Mueller in the
other outlets reported that ongoing budget negotia-
Trump backed off his at- tions."
tempt to fire Mueller last Defending the president,
June only after White House White House legislative di-
lawyer Don McGahn re- rector Marc Short said he
fused to relay his directive didn't know if Trump would
to the Justice Department sign legislation that would
and threatened to quit if make it harder to fire Muel-
Trump pressed the issue. ler.
According to the reports, But Short stressed that de-
Trump argued that Mueller spite media reports, he
could not be fair because was not aware of any con-
of a dispute over golf club versation in which Trump
fees that he said Muel- expressed a desire to fire
ler owed at a Trump golf Mueller.
club in Sterling, Virginia. "I know that the president
The president also believed has been frustrated by this
Mueller had a conflict of in- investigation," Short said.
terest because he worked "He feels like there's been
for the same law firm that millions of dollars of taxpay-
was representing Trump's ers' dollars spent and no Following a procedural vote aimed at reopening the government, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine,
son-in-law and adviser, Jar- evidence yet of collusion. center, was praised by her fellow lawmakers for leading the bipartisan effort, at the Capitol in
ed Kushner. ...The White House contin- Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
On Sunday, lawmakers ues to cooperate in every
praised Mueller's impartial- manner providing any doc-
ity and expressed confi- ument the special counsel
dence that he would be has asked for."
able to conduct a full, Short added that Trump fa-
wide-ranging investigation. vors releasing a classified
"I have complete confi- memo produced by the
dence in Mr. Mueller," Gra- House Intelligence Com-
ham said. "I haven't yet mittee that Republicans
seen any evidence of col- say alleges FBI misconduct.
lusion between President Trump's position is in con-
Trump and the Russians, trast to that of the Justice
but the investigation needs Department, which has
to go forward without po- warned that the memo's
litical interference, and I'm public release could be
sure it will." "extraordinarily reckless"
Senate Democratic leader and has asked to review it.
Chuck Schumer indicated Some lawmakers said the
that Democrats would try memo's review instead
to add legislation to pro- should be done by impar-
tect Mueller as part of an tial third parties "outside of
upcoming spending bill. the Republican-led Con-
"The most important thing gress."
Congress can do right now "I want somebody who is
is to ensure that special without a political bias to
counsel Mueller's investiga- come in and look at the al-
tion continues uninterrupt- legations that I have seen,"
ed and unimpeded," the Graham said.
New York senator said in a Graham spoke on ABC's
statement Sunday. "This Week," Collins ap-
"No one - whether it be peared on CNN's "State of
Administration officials, Re- the Union" and CBS' "Face
publicans or the president the Nation," and Short was
himself - should get in the on "Fox News Sunday" and
way and undermine the in- CBS. q