The White House is looking into a federal ethics rule barring recently hired government employees from investigating their law firm’s clients for two year after leaving the practice, Reuters reported Friday.
If the White House invokes the rule, it could hamper the special counsel investigation into alleged collusion between President Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller to serve as special counsel for the probe on Wednesday. But Mueller’s former law firm Wilmerhale also represents Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort. That fact could significantly stymie Mueller’s ability to conduct a sweeping investigation of Trump and his associates, according to Reuters.
The Justice Department, however, can waive the wait period for Mueller. It is a wait period that Trump extended from one year to two years with an executive order signed in January.
Trump called Mueller’s appointment as special counsel a “witch hunt” that “hurts our country terribly.” He has repeatedly denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia. Russia is accused of attempting to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.
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I am very skeptical of this. But if true, the "acting like you have something to hide" thing will be irrefutable. https://t.co/V6ZnY2u87B
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) May 20, 2017
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