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Robert Mueller’s investigators want to know what Sean Spicer knew when he said President Donald Trump had confidence in James Comey, the FBI director Trump fired just days after Spicer made the remarks in the White House press briefing room.
Special counsel Mueller’s team is asking for White House documents connected to the May 3 briefing during which Spicer said of Comey, “the president has confidence in the director,” in response to questions on the matter.
Reporters were scrambling to get clarity about Trump’s position on Comey after Trump said the day before that the FBI director had given Hillary Clinton a “free pass” in the investigation of her use of a private email server. Mueller’s team wants to know if Spicer knew of Trump’s plan to fire Comey, which happened days later, on May 9.
Spicer’s possible knowledge of discussions within the White House came into clearer focus on Thursday when it was revealed that he had taken copious notes during his time in the Trump administration.
The White House’s official statement said Comey’s firing was due to his handling of the Clinton email probe, but Trump would later admit that he had the Russia investigation in mind when he made his decision. Trump also said firing Comey had taken “great pressure” off of him in the Russia investigation.
Mueller was appointed to oversee the Russia inquiry on May 17 and the investigation has grown exponentially since then.
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