Trump not under investigation in Russian interference in US election, says lawyer

Trump appointed Mueller as special counsel after sacking Comey who had been heading the Russia probe into Moscow's alleged interference in the US presidential election.

Washington, June 19: President Donald Trump is not under investigation for obstruction of justice, despite he apparently acknowledged on Twitter posts, said Trump's personal attorney.

"The President is not under investigation by the special counsel," Jay Sekulow said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press".

Efe news reported, Sekulow as saying that the President has not been and is not under investigation for obstruction of justice, he added, referring to press reports saying that special counsel Robert Mueller is also investigating Trump.

The Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, reported on Thursday that Mueller, who is investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 election and the contacts between Moscow and the Trump campaign team, had included in his probe the possibility that Trump could have attempted to obstruct justice.

After those reports, Trump himself had once again resorted to Twitter, where he posted an enigmatic message on Thursday in which he seemed to acknowledge that he was under investigation.

"I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt," Trump tweeted, referring to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who in early May had written a memo for Trump recommending that former FBI chief James Comey be fired.

Sekulow, however, emphasized that Trump was referring to the "fake" story in The Washington Post and denied that the tweet was an admission by the President that is being investigated.

Trump appointed Mueller as special counsel after sacking Comey who had been heading the Russia probe into Moscow's alleged interference in the US presidential election.

IANS