Three U.S. House of Representatives committees asked the White House and State Department on Monday for details on President Donald Trump's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, seeking to interview translators and other staff involved in their conversations.
The House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Government Oversight committees said in a statement they wrote to acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seeking documents and interviews on Trump's communications with Putin.
The letters to Pompeo and Mulvaney were part of a widening investigation by the Democratic-controlled House looking at whether the Republican president or those around him abused power or obstructed justice.
"According to media reports, President Trump, on multiple occasions, appears to have taken steps to conceal details of his communications with President Putin from other administration officials, Congress and the American people," the chairmen of the three committees said in their letter to Mulvaney.
The letter asked the White House to make available for interview by the committees any translators, interpreters, linguists or other staff members who listened to conversations between Putin and Trump, either via telephone or in person.
The committee chairmen specifically asked to interview any staff who were at Trump's meetings with Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7, 2017, and their summit meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
