Attorney General Jeff Sessions was interviewed last week by the special counsel’s office, The New York Times is reporting.
According to the newspaper, the interview lasted for several hours. It covered potential Russian meddling in the presidential campaign and possible obstruction of justice on the part of President Trump for firing James Comey as FBI director.
Sessions, a former Alabama senator, worked on the Trump campaign and was directly involved in the decision to fire Comey last May.
Mueller’s interview of Sessions is not a complete surprise, but it is the first report of a Trump administration Cabinet official being interviewed by the special counsel.
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Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation last March because of his role on the Trump campaign and after he came under fire last year from CNN for failing to tell Congress about encounters he had with Russian Amb. Sergey Kislyak during the campaign.
CNN later walked back it’s report on the meetings after it was revealed that the FBI instructed Sessions in an email that he specifically did not need to disclose those meetings.
After Trump fired Comey in May, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Mueller to serve as special counsel.
According to The Times, Sessions was accompanied in the interview by his lawyer, Chuck Cooper.
Trump’s White House lawyers are said to be negotiating with Mueller’s team over a possible interview. It is believed that the interview, if Trump agrees to it, will be held soon. White House lawyer Ty Cobb said last week that Trump is “very eager” to meet with Mueller. He also predicted that the investigation will be wrapped up within the next four to six weeks.