Special counsel Robert Mueller has informed President Donald Trump's attorneys that the president is not currently considered a criminal target in the Russia investigation, according to a person familiar with the conversation.

The person, who was not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations and demanded anonymity, said the president is considered a subject of Mueller's probe - not a target. A subject is typically someone whose conduct is of interest to investigators but prosecutors are not certain they've gathered enough evidence to bring charges.

The designation could change at any time, though. The development was first reported by The Washington Post.

Trump's designation as a subject came up as prosecutors and the president's legal team have been negotiating the terms of an interview with him. The president has said he wants to speak with Mueller's team, but his lawyers have not publicly committed to allowing him to be questioned.

Trump attorney Jay Sekulow declined to confirm or discuss the conversations with Mueller.

White House lawyer Ty Cobb also declined to comment.

Mueller's team has signaled that they're interested in discussing several key episodes in the early parts of the Trump administration as they probe possible obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors have told the legal team they want to question Trump about the firings of former FBI Director James Comey and former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

Investigators want to discuss conversations Trump had with Comey in which the former FBI director has said the president encouraged him to end an active investigation into Flynn. They're also interested in the events leading up to Flynn's February 2017 firing.

Investigators have said they want to hear from the president to understand his intent and thinking during those events.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 3 April 2018

1. US President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 4 April 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English): Eric Tucker, AP Writer:

"So we have learned that President Donald Trump's lawyers have been told that he is considered a subject in the Russia investigation but not a target and not a witness."

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Washington - 3 April 2018

3. US President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room

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Washington - 4 April 2018

4. SOUNDBITE (English): Eric Tucker, AP Writer:

"So let's start with a witness. So a witness would be somebody who walks outside and sees two cars collide and had no role in that collision but sees it and investigators want to speak to him about that. A subject is somebody whose contact is of interest to the investigation but not somebody who is in jeopardy of facing imminent criminal prosecution. So they want to talk to them, they want to understand what he or she saw, knew. But they're basically not saying that they're somebody who they're interested in prosecuting the moment. A target is in the worst position to be. That is basically somebody where the Justice Department says we have reason to think that there's criminal conduct that potentially you might have been involved in and we're interested in moving forward in the case."

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Washington - 27 March 2007

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5. Various Robert Mueller testifying before Congress

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Washington - 4 April 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English): Eric Tucker, AP Writer:

"What we don't know is whether Muller believes that the facts aren't there at the moment to support any sort of criminal prosecution or we don't know if Mueller has concluded, based on a Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion, that he cannot indict a sitting president and so that's why Trump is not a target. That's a question that's undetermined at the moment."

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Beijing - 30 January 2008

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7. Mueller at news conference

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Washington - 4 April 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English): Eric Tucker, AP Writer:

"So somebody can go into a grand jury who is a subject and leave as a target. That happens infrequently. Sometimes targets are investigated for weeks and months and then ultimately told we're not going to move forward. So actually, none of this is set in stone and none of it by itself carries tremendous significance. It's not like you can hold the government to account to say, 'hey you told my client that he was just a subject how could you charge him? Subjects are charged all the time. Targets are not charge all the time. Those things happen."

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Washington - 3 April 2018

9. Trump at news conference

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Washington - 4 April 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English): Eric Tucker, AP Writer:

"So, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which the president who, you know, had a presidential campaign that has been under investigation for a long time now by the special counsel, that he wouldn't be a subject. And given the actions that he's taken as president, it seems logical that if there's going to be investigation, you want to sort of understand the president's role in the matters that you're investigating. So it's hard to imagine any other scenario in which he'd be a subject. That seems logical frankly."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 3 April 2018

11. Trump at news conference

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed for hours last week in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, the Justice Department confirmed Tuesday. He's the highest-ranking Trump administration official and first Cabinet member known to have submitted to questioning.

The interview came as Mueller investigates whether President Donald Trump's actions in office, including the firing of FBI Director James Comey, constitute efforts to obstruct the FBI probe into contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump's own lawyers are discussing the prospect of an interview with the president himself, and White House officials state publicly that they anticipate a resolution soon to the investigation.

The questioning of the country's chief law enforcement officer is a reflection of investigators' continued interest in whether the president took steps to improperly obstruct justice. That question has been at the heart of the investigation for months as agents and prosecutors have questioned multiple current and former White House officials.

Sessions himself is seen as a potentially important witness given his direct involvement in the May 9 firing of Comey.

The White House initially said the termination was done on the recommendation of the Justice Department and cited a memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that faulted Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email server investigation as justification.

But Trump said later that he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he fired Comey, and he had decided to make the move even before the Justice Department's recommendations.

Sessions was one of Trump's earliest and most loyal allies, the first senator to endorse him during the presidential campaign.

But his decision to step aside from the Russia investigation has strained their bond, and the two men now rarely speak directly. Trump saw the recusal as weak and disloyal, believing his attorney general should be doing more to protect him

Over the past several months Mueller investigators have spoken with other key people close to the president, including White House Counsel Don McGahn, former chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Sessions' attorney, Chuck Cooper, declined to comment, as did the White House.

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Washington - 5 September 2017

1. FILE Sessions speaking at Department of Justice about DACA

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Washington - 23 January 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"Jeff Sessions is the country's chief law enforcement officer. He is the first cabinet member who has been known to be interviewed by Special Counsel Mueller. He's the highest ranking Trump administration official who we know, and what it indicates is a continued interest by Mueller and his team in questions about whether the president committed obstruction of justice while in office."

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Washington - 5 September 2017

3. FILE Sessions speaking at Department of Justice about DACA

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Washington - 23 January 2018

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"What he actually most critically is involved in was the firing of FBI Director Jim Comey back in May, and that is one of the critical episodes of the Trump presidency that's been under investigation by Bob Mueller."

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Washington - 9 February 2017

5. FILE Various Jeff Sessions being sworn in as attorney general by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence

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Washington - 23 January 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"And it's part of a series of questions as to whether the president took actions while in office to stymie the FBI investigation into contacts between his campaign and Russia. And you'll remember that Jeff Sessions was very important to that because he is somebody who endorsed the firing of Director Comey."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 9 February 2017

7. FILE Jeff Sessions being sworn in as attorney general by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence

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Washington - 23 January 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"We know that the special counsel's office has interviewed multiple current and former White House officials including the president's own son in law Jared Kushner, White House counsel Don McGahn and the former chief of staff Reince Priebus. We also know that special counsel Mueller has expressed interest in a potential interview down the road with the president."

US POOL

Washington - 9 February 2017

9. FILE Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions arriving at the Department of Justice and shaking hands with staff

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"White House lawyer Ty Cobb has been on record as saying he anticipates the investigation will resolve soon. He's put a time frame of four to six weeks. We're not sure if that's actually going to happen. It's sort of hard to predict for anyone when these investigations will end."

US POOL

Washington - 9 February 2017

11. FILE Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions arriving at the Department of Justice and shaking hands with staff

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed for hours last week in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, the Justice Department confirmed Tuesday. He's the highest-ranking Trump administration official and first Cabinet member known to have submitted to questioning.

The interview came as Mueller investigates whether President Donald Trump's actions in office, including the firing of FBI Director James Comey, constitute efforts to obstruct the FBI probe into contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump's own lawyers are discussing the prospect of an interview with the president himself, and White House officials state publicly that they anticipate a resolution soon to the investigation.

The questioning of the country's chief law enforcement officer is a reflection of investigators' continued interest in whether the president took steps to improperly obstruct justice. That question has been at the heart of the investigation for months as agents and prosecutors have questioned multiple current and former White House officials.

Sessions himself is seen as a potentially important witness given his direct involvement in the May 9 firing of Comey. The White House initially said the termination was done on the recommendation of the Justice Department and cited a memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that faulted Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email server investigation as justification.

But Trump said later that he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he fired Comey, and he had decided to make the move even before the Justice Department's recommendations.

Sessions was one of Trump's earliest and most loyal allies, the first senator to endorse him during the presidential campaign. They shared an ambitious law-and-order agenda that focuses on hawkish immigration policies and tough-on-crime strategies that engendered affection from many conservatives.

He has continued to push Trump's agenda on everything from gangs and the opioid crisis to religious freedom, giving the president credit every step of the way.

But his decision to step aside from the Russia investigation has strained their bond, and the two men now rarely speak directly. Trump saw the recusal as weak and disloyal, believing his attorney general should be doing more to protect him

Over the past several months Mueller investigators have spoken with other key people close to the president, including White House Counsel Don McGahn, former chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Mueller has conveyed interest in speaking with the president, and White House attorney Ty Cobb said that is "under active discussion" with Trump's individual lawyers. He said last week on a CBS News' political podcast, "The Takeout," that he expected the investigation to be wrapped up within weeks.

Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation in early March after acknowledging that he had had two previously undisclosed encounters with the Russian ambassador during Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He said at the time that it would be improper for him to oversee a probe into a campaign for which he was a vocal and prominent supporter.

Since then, Trump has lashed out repeatedly on Twitter at Sessions and the Justice Department.

People familiar with the matter have told The Associated Press that McGahn had contacted Sessions to urge him to retain control of the investigation. McGahn was acting at the behest of the president, according to one of those people, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly by name.

Rosenstein appointed Mueller, a former FBI director, to take over the Russia investigation one week after Comey was fired. He oversees the work of Mueller's investigators, but he told the AP in an interview last June that he, too, would recuse himself if his actions ever became relevant to the probe.

Sessions' attorney, Chuck Cooper, declined to comment, as did the White House.

Four people have so far been charged in the Mueller investigation, including former White House National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Flynn and George Papadopoulos, a former campaign foreign policy adviser, have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Sessions' interview with the Mueller team was first reported by The New York Times.

++SOUNDBITES PARTIALLY COVERED BY VIDEO++

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Washington - 5 September 2017

1. FILE Various Sessions speaking at Department of Justice about DACA

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Washington - 23 January 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"Jeff Sessions is the country's chief law enforcement officer. He is the first cabinet member who has been known to be interviewed by Special Counsel Mueller. He's the highest ranking Trump administration official who we know, and what it indicates is a continued interest by Mueller and his team in questions about whether the president committed obstruction of justice while in office."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 9 February 2017

3. FILE Various Jeff Sessions being sworn in as attorney general by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"What he actually most critically is involved in was the firing of FBI Director Jim Comey back in May, and that is one of the critical episodes of the Trump presidency that's been under investigation by Bob Mueller. And it's part of a series of questions as to whether the president took actions while in office to stymie the FBI investigation into contacts between his campaign and Russia. And you'll remember that Jeff Sessions was very important to that because he is somebody who endorsed the firing of Director Comey."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 9 February 2017

5. FILE Jeff Sessions being sworn in as attorney general by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"We know that the special counsel's office has interviewed multiple current and former White House officials including the president's own son in law Jared Kushner, White House counsel Don McGahn and the former chief of staff Reince Priebus. We also know that special counsel Mueller has expressed interest in a potential interview down the road with the president."

US POOL

Washington - 9 February 2017

7. FILE Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions arriving at the Department of Justice and shaking hands with staff

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"White House lawyer Ty Cobb has been on record as saying he anticipates the investigation will resolve soon. He's put a time frame of four to six weeks. We're not sure if that's actually going to happen. It's sort of hard to predict for anyone when these investigations will end."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed for hours last week in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, the Justice Department confirmed Tuesday. He's the highest-ranking Trump administration official and first Cabinet member known to have submitted to questioning.

The interview came as Mueller investigates whether President Donald Trump's actions in office, including the firing of FBI Director James Comey, constitute efforts to obstruct the FBI probe into contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump's own lawyers are discussing the prospect of an interview with the president himself, and White House officials state publicly that they anticipate a resolution soon to the investigation.

The questioning of the country's chief law enforcement officer is a reflection of investigators' continued interest in whether the president took steps to improperly obstruct justice. That question has been at the heart of the investigation for months as agents and prosecutors have questioned multiple current and former White House officials.

Sessions himself is seen as a potentially important witness given his direct involvement in the May 9 firing of Comey.

The White House initially said the termination was done on the recommendation of the Justice Department and cited a memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that faulted Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email server investigation as justification.

But Trump said later that he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he fired Comey, and he had decided to make the move even before the Justice Department's recommendations.

Sessions was one of Trump's earliest and most loyal allies, the first senator to endorse him during the presidential campaign.

But his decision to step aside from the Russia investigation has strained their bond, and the two men now rarely speak directly. Trump saw the recusal as weak and disloyal, believing his attorney general should be doing more to protect him

Over the past several months Mueller investigators have spoken with other key people close to the president, including White House Counsel Don McGahn, former chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Sessions' attorney, Chuck Cooper, declined to comment, as did the White House.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 5 September 2017

1. FILE Sessions speaking at Department of Justice about DACA

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"Jeff Sessions is the country's chief law enforcement officer. He is the first cabinet member who has been known to be interviewed by Special Counsel Mueller. He's the highest ranking Trump administration official who we know, and what it indicates is a continued interest by Mueller and his team in questions about whether the president committed obstruction of justice while in office."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 5 September 2017

3. FILE Sessions speaking at Department of Justice about DACA

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"What he actually most critically is involved in was the firing of FBI Director Jim Comey back in May, and that is one of the critical episodes of the Trump presidency that's been under investigation by Bob Mueller."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 9 February 2017

5. FILE Various Jeff Sessions being sworn in as attorney general by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence

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Washington - 23 January 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"And it's part of a series of questions as to whether the president took actions while in office to stymie the FBI investigation into contacts between his campaign and Russia. And you'll remember that Jeff Sessions was very important to that because he is somebody who endorsed the firing of Director Comey."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 9 February 2017

7. FILE Jeff Sessions being sworn in as attorney general by President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"We know that the special counsel's office has interviewed multiple current and former White House officials including the president's own son in law Jared Kushner, White House counsel Don McGahn and the former chief of staff Reince Priebus. We also know that special counsel Mueller has expressed interest in a potential interview down the road with the president."

US POOL

Washington - 9 February 2017

9. FILE Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions arriving at the Department of Justice and shaking hands with staff

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 23 January 2018

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter:

"White House lawyer Ty Cobb has been on record as saying he anticipates the investigation will resolve soon. He's put a time frame of four to six weeks. We're not sure if that's actually going to happen. It's sort of hard to predict for anyone when these investigations will end."

US POOL

Washington - 9 February 2017

11. FILE Newly appointed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions arriving at the Department of Justice and shaking hands with staff

The Justice Department appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller Wednesday as a special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into allegations that Russia and Donald Trump's campaign collaborated to influence the 2016 presidential election, giving Mueller sweeping powers and the authority to prosecute any crimes uncovered in the probe.

It was a concession by the Trump administration, which had resisted calls from Democrats to turn the investigation over to outside counsel. The White House counsel's office was alerted only after the order appointing Mueller was signed.

In a written statement, Trump insisted again that there were no nefarious ties between his campaign and Russia.

"A thorough investigation will confirm what we already know — there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity," he declared. "I look forward to this matter concluding quickly."

The appointment of a special counsel increases the pressure on Trump and his associates. Mueller's broad mandate gives him not only oversight of the Russia probe, but also "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation." That could well include the firing last week of FBI Director James Comey.

Mueller, a former federal prosecutor at the Justice Department, was confirmed as FBI director days before the Sept. 11 attacks that would ultimately shape his tenure. The FBI's counterterrorism mission was elevated in those years, as the U.S. intelligence agencies' structure was changed to better position America to prevent another attack of that magnitude. He was so valued that President Barack Obama asked him to stay on two years longer than his 10-year term.

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Washington - 13 June 2013

1. Various of FBI Direct Mueller being sworn in, then sitting down

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Washington - 17 May 2017

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Today the Justice Department announced the appointment of a special counsel to oversea an FBI investigation into potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election. That special counsel is Robert Mueller, who led the FBI for 12 years. He was appointed just before the September 11 terror attacks and stayed on even beyond his ten year term because President Obama considered him so valuable."

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Washington - 17 May 2017

3. STILL of President Donald Trump's statement

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Washington - 17 May 2017

4 . SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"He has been very emphatic for years about the FBI's independence, its neutrality, he is highly respected as somebody who navigated the FBI through very difficult times and he was seen as somebody who really sort of led an FBI that iddn't have a major scandal for the 12 years he was on top of it."

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Washington - 13 June 2013

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Robert Mueller, FBI Director:

"I can tell you every time that we have a leak like this, and if you follow it up and you look at the intelligence afterwards there are persons who are out there who follow this very, very closely, and they are looking for ways around it. One of great vulnerabilities that terrorists understand is our communications."

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Washington - 17 May 2017

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"What it really means though is that whoever he (Trump) chooses as FBI director, Mueller is now running the show vis-a-vis the Trump-Russia campaign. So in a certain sense it minimizes the impact of that appointment when it comes to the Trump Russia campaign."

7. Various exteriors of Justice Department building

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller just gave a statement saying he respects this responsibility and he will discharge the duty to the best of his abilities."

9. Security officers walking outside of Justice Department

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"We expect some of it to be viewed sort of outside the view of the Justice Department. We now have a special counsel who even though he technically will answer to the Deputy Attorney General it is his investigation and so we're not really sure what kind of public briefings congress will really get from the Special Counsel."

11. Exterior of Justice Department

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"The appointment of a special counsel follows by one day the revelation that Comey had created a memo back in February that chronicled a conversation he had in the oval office with President Trump and according to that memo in that conversation President Trump had asked if he could see his way to ending the ongoing investigation into Michael Flynn, his National Security Advisor."

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Washington - 17 May 2017

13 STILL of Paul Ryan statement

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus121022

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his committee is filing a court petition Friday in an effort to obtain secret grand jury material underlying former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

The panel is also expected to file a lawsuit next week to try to enforce a subpoena against former White House counsel Donald McGahn, a key Mueller witness, if he doesn't comply before then.

That suit is expected to challenge the White House's claim that former White House employees have "absolute immunity" from testifying before Congress.

The move comes after Mueller's testimony Wednesday to Congress saying he had not "exculpated" President Donald Trump. Democrats are trying to focus public attention on Mueller's words and on his 448-page report's contents, including several episodes in which Trump sought to influence the special counsel's investigation into Russia election interference.

Mueller concluded that he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. He also concluded that there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The panel has struggled to bring in witnesses like McGahn who spoke extensively to Mueller because the White House has directed them to refuse to testify. Trump has said he will fight "all of the subpoenas."

Nadler said the committee is still negotiating with McGahn for documents and testimony, and the committee will file the lawsuit "in very short order" if he does not comply.

The court battles are beginning as the House leaves for a six-week recess and Democrats are debating whether to impeach the Republican president. More than 90 House Democrats have said they favor starting the impeachment process, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she wants to build the strongest case possible before making that decision, including by going to court to force witnesses to comply.

Nadler said the court filing will include a line saying that the materials are necessary "to determine whether the committee should recommend articles of impeachment."

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Washington - 26 July 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman: ++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAID++

"Before he (Robert Mueller) ever stepped into our hearing room, the director had rendered our country a great and necessary public service. He showed through his report and his indictments that the United States was attacked and remains under siege by a foreign adversary. He showed that the Trump campaign both welcomed and benefited from this attack on our country. And he showed that the president repeatedly lied to cover it up."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

2. Various Robert Mueller testifying

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 26 July 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"We will continue to seek testimony from key fact witnesses.  As many of you know the committee has authorized several additional subpoenas. Our work will continue into the August recess and we will use those subpoenas, if we must. We will also continue to seek important documents from the Department of Justice and the White House. We have made some progress on this front. There appears to be compelling evidence of the President's misconduct outside of the four corners of the redacted version of the Mueller Report. And we will work to uncover that evidence as well. Finally, today we are filing an application for the grand jury material underlying the Mueller report. That information is critically important for our ability to examine witnesses including former White House counsel Don McGahn and to investigate the president's misconduct. I will not comment on reports of our ongoing negotiations with Mr. McGahn but unless he complies with our accommodation efforts in very short order we expect to file an additional suit to enforce a subpoena for his testimony and that would be next week or earlier next week."

President Donald Trump said Thursday he's considering commuting the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of corruption, and pardoning lifestyle entrepreneur Martha Stewart, who served a stint in federal prison after being convicted of charges related to a stock sale.

The president's use of pardons is raising questions about whether he is doing so to send a message to allies who could face prosecution in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.

"It's undeniable that with the least number of these presidential pardons people have read political motivation into these, said AP Reporter Jill Colvin.

"For instance when he decided to pardon Scooter Libby who was a former Vice President Dick Cheney's one of his top aides. Many people saw that as really a reaction to the Mueller investigation," she said.

Trump later shared his thoughts on Blagojevich and Stewart with the reporters accompanying him on Air Force One.

Both had connections to Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" reality television show: Blagojevich was a contestant in 2010 and Stewart hosted the 2005 spinoff series, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."

Blagojevich was convicted on numerous counts of corruption, including for trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by Obama and for shaking down a children's hospital.

As governor, he had the right to name someone to fill the Senate vacancy, but he was caught on FBI wiretaps discussing ways to make money off it. He began serving a 14-year prison sentence in 2012 and is scheduled for release in 2024.

The Supreme Court has twice turned down appeals from Blagojevich, most recently in April. That appeal turned in part on the length of Blagojevich's prison term. Trump's Justice Department urged the court to reject the appeal.

Stewart was convicted in 2004 of obstructing justice and lying to the government about why she unloaded stock just before the price plummeted. She served five months in prison. Her representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The federal prosecutor who oversaw Stewart's case in New York was James Comey, one of Trump's principal antagonists and the man he fired as FBI director last year. The prosecutor who led the case against Blagojevich in Chicago was Patrick Fitzgerald, a Comey friend who is also his lawyer. Fitzgerald was also the special counsel leading the case against I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the Bush administration official pardoned by Trump last month.

Hours earlier, Trump said on Twitter that he will pardon conservative commentator and Obama critic Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty to campaign finance fraud. The White House announced later Thursday that the pardon had been granted.

Watchdog groups criticized D'Souza's pardon, saying it signaled the president's contempt for the rule of law.

POOL

Joint Base Andrews, Maryland - 31 May 2018

1. Various of President Trump departing for Texas

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 23 September 2018

2. STILL photo of Dinesh D'Souza outside federal court

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 31 May 2018

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jill Colvin, Associated Press Reporter:

"It's undeniable that with at least number of these presidential pardons, people have read political motivation into these. For instance, when he decided to pardon Scooter Libby who was a former Vice President Dick Cheney's, one of his top aides, many people saw that as really a reaction to the Mueller investigation. The president feels right now as though he's under attack, this is a witch hunt being done by a special counsel, which is exactly how many conservatives had framed the Libby indictment as thoughit was kind of a special counsel gone awry, and so you can see these parallels and other critics especially can read in as potentially the president trying to distract from issues when he chooses."

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New York, 18 July 2016

4. FILE: Medium of Martha Stewart posing for photos

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New York, 14 April 2016

5. FILE: Fashion pan of Martha Stewart, holding a dog

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 31 May 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jill Colvin, Associated Press Reporter:

"I mean this is a White House for reporters covering it often feel a sense of whiplash. Once second you're talking about and asking serious questions about that upcoming maybe summit with North Korea, and the next minute you're staking out one of the entryways because Kim Kardashian, the reality TV star, is about to arrive. So, this is a White House that is always operating on multiple channels. You've got the president's Twitter feed, you've got official statements, you've got in meetings and discussions happening behind the scenes. So there were always a lot of things going on."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago, Illinois - December 2011

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7. Various of Rod Blagojevich and wife, Patty, at time of sentencing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 31 May 2018

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jill Colvin, Associated Press Reporter:

"The president's approach to the pardon process has been very, very different from his predecessors when it comes to timing. Presidents Obama, President Clinton tended to wait until after their first two years to start the pardon process. They also tended to do it in big chunks of people. So there's a formal process here. There where the Department of Justice has somebody in place and an office in place that vets all of these different cases that come before them, brings them to the president and then the president will go through a list and decide who he wanted support and who he wanted to sentence to commute. The president has approached this in a very, very different way. It's been much more individual and in many of these cases, these are individuals who either had celebrity backin, they are individuals who have serious cases that especially conservative activists feel that there's been some sort of political motivation behind their convictions. In the case of Blagojevich, he actually appeared on the president's Apprentice TV show, so the two of them knew each other personally."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago, Illinois - 7 December 2011

+++4X3+++

9. Rod Blagojevich and wife, Patty, leaving home for sentencing

Federal prosecutors in New York issued a subpoena Monday seeking documents from Donald Trump's inaugural committee, furthering a federal inquiry into a fund that has faced mounting scrutiny into how it raised and spent its money.

Inaugural committee spokeswoman Kristin Celauro told The Associated Press that the committee had received the subpoena and was still reviewing it.

"It is our intention to cooperate with the inquiry", she said.

A second spokesman, Owen Blicksilver, declined to answer questions about which documents prosecutors requested.

The US Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which issued the subpoena, declined to comment.

The investigation is the latest in a series of criminal inquiries into Trump's campaign and presidency.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is looking into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia and whether the president obstructed the investigation.

In a separate case in New York, prosecutors say Trump directed his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to make illegal hush-money payments to two women as a way to quash potential sex scandals during the campaign.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a copy of the subpoena, reported that prosecutors asked for "all documents" related to the committee's donors and vendors, as well as records relating to "benefits" donors received after making contributions.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARCHIVE: Washington DC - 20 January 2017

1. Various of Donald Trump exiting vehicle as he arrives for inauguration as US President, walking in

POOL

ARCHIVE: Washington DC - 20 January 2017

2 . Various of Trump and Melania Trump arriving at reviewing stand, waving at crowd

3. Close of Trump

4. Trump, son Barron waving

5. Various of marching band

6. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump applauding with others

7. Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence saluting

8. Various of marching bagpipers

9. Various of parade, marchers waving flags, tractors, horses

Federal prosecutors in New York issued a subpoena Monday seeking documents from Donald Trump's inaugural committee, furthering a federal inquiry into a fund that has faced mounting scrutiny into how it raised and spent its money.

Inaugural committee spokeswoman Kristin Celauro told The Associated Press that the committee had received the subpoena and was still reviewing it.

"It is our intention to cooperate with the inquiry," she said.

A second spokesman, Owen Blicksilver, declined to answer questions about which documents prosecutors requested. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which issued the subpoena, declined to comment.

The investigation is the latest in a series of criminal inquiries into Trump's campaign and presidency. Special counsel Robert Mueller is looking into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia and whether the president obstructed the investigation. In a separate case in New York, prosecutors say Trump directed his personal lawyer Michael Cohen to make illegal hush-money payments to two women as a way to quash potential sex scandals during the campaign.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a copy of the subpoena, reported that prosecutors asked for "all documents" related to the committee's donors and vendors, as well as records relating to "benefits" donors received after making contributions.

The newspaper reported late last year that federal prosecutors are investigating whether committee donors made contributions in exchange for political favors- a potential violation of federal corruption laws. It said the inquiry also was focused on whether the inauguration misspent the $107 million it raised to stage events celebrating Trump's inauguration.

The subpoena also requested documents relating to donations "made by or on behalf of foreign nationals, including but not limited to any communications regarding or relating to the possibility of donations by foreign nationals," the Journal reported.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 20 January 2017

1. Various US President Donald Trump exits vehicle, walks in

POOL

2 . Various of US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arriving at reviewing stand, waving at crowd

3. Close of Trump

4. Trump and son Barron waving

5. Various of marching band

6. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, daughter Ivanka Trump applauding with others

7. Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence saluting

8. Various of marching bagpipers

9. Various of parade, marchers waving flags, tractors, horses, etc

The White House is casting the expected departure of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in coming weeks as Rosenstein's choice alone.

However, AP reporter Eric Tucker says although Rosenstein's departure is not unexpected, it could affect the Mueller probe.

"Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said Rosenstein had always planned to stay around two years. She told a network interviewer there was no "willingness" by Trump or the White House to force Rosenstein out.

She says he wants to help with the transition to a new attorney general.

Tucker says Rosenstein's exit raises questions about how Trump nominee William Barr will deal with Mueller once Barr is confirmed.

"There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department," Tucker says.

"Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that.

Barr is scheduled to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week for his confirmation hearings. He could be installed at the Justice Department as early as February.

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller," Tucker said.

"We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

1. FILE: Rod Rosenstein walks to podium for speech on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"I would note that Rod Rosenstein's departure is not unusual or unexpected. It is common for attorneys general and cabinet secretaries to want their own deputy or number two official. So, it makes sense and is logical that if Bill Barr comes in as the new attorney general that Rod Rosenstein would then depart as an ordinary course of business. And to that end we don't have any indication that he is being forced out, or is being asked to leave by the White House, although we are hearing that Bill Barr did tell some friends that he did definitely want his own number two."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

3. FILE: Rod Rosenstein speaking on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"There is no doubt that Rod Rosenstein's departure has the impact of potentially affecting the final stages of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. After all, Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 28 November 2018

5. FILE: Mid of Rod Rosenstein speaking a press conference on international hacking scheme

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"But, there are still other people within the department who would be involved in the work of Mueller. And there is a likelihood that Mueller might be in his final stages so that there aren't that many more weeks and months left for a new attorney general to be supervising the investigation. But for now, once Barr is confirmed, he would assume ultimate oversight of the investigation the same way that acting attorney general Matt Whitaker currently has ultimate oversight."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

7. FILE: Rosenstein enters Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"It's not clear what the end of the Mueller investigation will look like, or when that might occur. He's been at work for more than a year and a half. There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department. Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

9. FILE: Various of Rosenstein at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller. We know that Mueller wants an in-person interview that the president and his lawyers have resisted. So then the question becomes can the special counsel and the Justice Department move to subpoena him, to basically compel his testimony. We don't know whether that will happen, and we don't know what Rosenstein's perspective on that is. We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

POOL

Washington, DC - 23 March 2018

11. FILE: Rosenstein speaking at Department of Justice announcing the charges of 9 Iranians in a hacking scheme

The White House is casting the expected departure of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in coming weeks as Rosenstein's choice alone.

However, AP reporter Eric Tucker says although Rosenstein's departure is not unexpected, it could affect the Mueller probe.

"Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders has said Rosenstein had always planned to stay around two years. She told a network interviewer there was no "willingness" by Trump or the White House to force Rosenstein out.

She says he wants to help with the transition to a new attorney general.

Tucker says Rosenstein's exit raises questions about how Trump nominee William Barr will deal with Mueller once Barr is confirmed.

"There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department," Tucker says.

"Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that.

Barr is scheduled to go before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week for his confirmation hearings. He could be installed at the Justice Department as early as February.

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller," Tucker said.

"We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

1. FILE: Rod Rosenstein walks to podium for speech on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"I would note that Rod Rosenstein's departure is not unusual or unexpected. It is common for attorneys general and cabinet secretaries to want their own deputy or number two official. So, it makes sense and is logical that if Bill Barr comes in as the new attorney general that Rod Rosenstein would then depart as an ordinary course of business. And to that end we don't have any indication that he is being forced out, or is being asked to leave by the White House, although we are hearing that Bill Barr did tell some friends that he did definitely want his own number two."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 29 November 2018

3. FILE: Rod Rosenstein speaking on cybercrime

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"There is no doubt that Rod Rosenstein's departure has the impact of potentially affecting the final stages of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. After all, Rod Rosenstein is the person who appointed Mueller back in May 2017 to be special counsel. He oversees his day to day work, and is the principal and primary protector within the Justice Department of Bob Mueller's status and responsibility."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 28 November 2018

5. FILE: Mid of Rod Rosenstein speaking a press conference on international hacking scheme

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"But, there are still other people within the department who would be involved in the work of Mueller. And there is a likelihood that Mueller might be in his final stages so that there aren't that many more weeks and months left for a new attorney general to be supervising the investigation. But for now, once Barr is confirmed, he would assume ultimate oversight of the investigation the same way that acting attorney general Matt Whitaker currently has ultimate oversight."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

7. FILE: Rosenstein enters Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"It's not clear what the end of the Mueller investigation will look like, or when that might occur. He's been at work for more than a year and a half. There are some critical decisions that are yet to be made in terms of what to do with the report of Mueller whenever it is produced for the Justice Department. Congress has said that if the department doesn't provide it to them, they'll subpoena for it. And so one question will become whether that document, whatever form it takes, will be made public or disclosed to Congress, and the new attorney general, namely Bill Barr, would be responsible for that."

POOL

Washington, DC - 13 June 2017

9. FILE: Various of Rosenstein at Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 9 January 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, AP Reporter

"One other question that remains that is sort of looming that's out there is whether the president can be subpoenaed if he refuses to answer any additional questions from Mueller. We know that Mueller wants an in-person interview that the president and his lawyers have resisted. So then the question becomes can the special counsel and the Justice Department move to subpoena him, to basically compel his testimony. We don't know whether that will happen, and we don't know what Rosenstein's perspective on that is. We do know that Barr is a big believer in robust presidential powers throughout his career. He has believed in giving the executive branch a degree of deference."

POOL

Washington, DC - 23 March 2018

11. FILE: Rosenstein speaking at Department of Justice announcing the charges of 9 Iranians in a hacking scheme