Stephen Miller, a senior aide to President Donald Trump, met with special counsel Robert Mueller in connection with his investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election, signaling that the inquiry has extended to the highest reaches of the administration.
Mueller’s team recently questioned Miller on a variety of subjects, including his role in the dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey, CNN reports. Miller assisted the president in drafting a memo identifying several justifications for Comey’s firing, that was later suppressed on the advice of White House Counsel Don McGahn. That memo is now in Mueller’s possession.
A separate memo produced by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein offered reasons for the dismissal that were unrelated to the Russia inquiry, though Trump has elsewhere indicated that the matter played a role in his decision to fire Comey.
The interview is not the first meeting Mueller has arranged with intimates of the president. Former chief of staff Reince Preibus and former press secretary Sean Spicer were both questioned by investigators after leaving the White House. Still, the Miller meeting marks the first time a senior aide was interviewed by the special counsel while serving in the administration. Other such interviews are likely to follow — Mueller’s office has expressed interest in speaking with McGahn and communications director Hope Hicks.
Prior to joining the Trump campaign, Miller was communications director for then-Sen Jeff Sessions, who is now attorney general.
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