Former special counsel Robert Mueller made a last-minute request that his former deputy, Aaron Zebley, accompany him as he testifies before Congress Wednesday.
Zebley was Mueller’s go-between with the Justice Department during the 22-month probe into whether Trump colluded with the Russians in the 2016 election, reported The New York Times.
But Zebley and Mueller’s history together goes back much further than the special counsel investigation. Zebley was Mueller’s chief of staff while the former special counsel served as FBI director. Mueller was first appointed to the position by President George W. Bush in 2001. (RELATED: Trump Unleashes Furious Twitter Screed Ahead Of Mueller’s Testimony)
When Mueller left life as a public servant and became a partner at the giant D.C.-based law firm WilmerHale in 2014, Zebley followed his former boss. Zebley wanted to build his practice at the firm because it was “an environment with well-established investigations and cybersecurity groups,” he said in a WilmerHale press release.
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller arrives before testifying to the House Judiciary Committee about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the Rayburn House Office Building July 24, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Zebley was Senior Counselor in the National Security Division at the Justice Department before moving to the law firm in March 2014. His resume includes stints as a Special Agent of the FBI in the Counterterrorism Division and an Assistant US Attorney in the National Security and Terrorism Unit in Alexandria, Virginia, according to his WilmerHale bio.
Zebley graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996 after earning his bachelor’s degree at the College of William and Mary, according to his WilmerHale bio. Mueller is also a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law.
Trump expressed displeasure with Mueller’s request that Zebley be sworn in as a witness in order to address any questions that he is not able to answer. The Judiciary Committee did not fully grant Mueller’s request but will allow him to be sworn in as a witness for one session, according to congressional officials cited by The NYT.
“So Robert Mueller has now asked for his long time Never Trumper lawyer to sit beside him and help with answers. What’s this all about? His lawyer represented the ‘basement server guy’ who got off free in the Crooked Hillary case. This should NOT be allowed. Rigged Witch Hunt!” Trump wrote Wednesday on Twitter.
So Robert Mueller has now asked for his long time Never Trumper lawyer to sit beside him and help with answers. What’s this all about? His lawyer represented the “basement server guy” who got off free in the Crooked Hillary case. This should NOT be allowed. Rigged Witch Hunt!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 24, 2019
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