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US-POLITICS-INVESTIGATION-TRUMP
US lawmakers announce sweeping document requests in Trump probe
WASHINGTON, March 4, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – US lawmakers will demand documents
from Donald Trump’s eldest son and a lifelong business associate as part of a
wide-ranging investigation into claims of obstruction of justice and other
abuses by the president, a leading Democrat said Sunday.
US House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler told ABC political show
“This Week” that Donald Trump Jr. and Allen Weisselberg, the sole trustees of
The Trump Organization, were among 60 people and organizations being targeted
by the probe.
The New York congressman said the requests would go out on Monday “to begin
investigations to present the case to the American people about obstruction
of justice, corruption and abuse of power.”
Trump’s campaign is being investigated by Special Counsel Robert Mueller
for alleged collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 election, and for
possible obstruction of that probe.
Many observers believe, however, his biggest legal exposure will come with
the various federal and state-level investigations into his finances and the
running of his charity foundation and business.
Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified on Capitol Hill
Wednesday that authorities in New York were probing crimes allegedly
involving the president beyond those that have been made public.
Nadler said it was “very clear” that Trump had obstructed justice, by
repeatedly calling the Mueller probe a “witch hunt,” and by trying to halt an
investigation into his first national security advisor Mike Flynn, who
subsequently admitted lying to the FBI over Russian contacts.
Trump set off a political firestorm by firing FBI chief James Comey on May
27 — and then admitting to NBC he had taken the decision after becoming
frustrated with the Russia probe.
– ‘Proper investigations’ –
Nadler, like Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been reticent about
pushing for the president’s impeachment, and told ABC such action would be “a
long way down the road.”
Trump was implicated by Cohen in numerous crimes as the president’s former
fixer gave evidence to the House Oversight Committee Wednesday, accusing his
old boss of being “a racist,” “conman” and “cheat.”
Cohen, who has been convicted of lying to Congress, said Trump knew ahead
of time that WikiLeaks would release material damaging to election rival
Hillary Clinton, which turned out to be emails stolen by Russian spies.
He added that he believed Trump knew in advance about a June 9, 2016
meeting between campaign chiefs and a Russian lawyer touting dirt on Clinton.
Cohen pleaded guilty last year to violating campaign finance laws when he
paid off adult film star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet before the 2016
election about an affair Cohen said she had with Trump.
Cohen said Trump ordered the hush payment. He also alleged that the Trump
Organization regularly and illegally inflated the value of its assets to
obtain bank loans, and accused his former boss of misusing charity funds.
“What we learned from the Cohen testimony is that he directly implicated
the president in — in various crimes, both while seeking the office of
president and while in the White House,” Nadler said on “This Week.”
“We don’t have the facts yet. But we’re going to initiate proper
investigations.”
BSS/AFP/MSY/0853 hrs