Special counsel Robert Mueller is currently focused on the 18 days before President Donald Trump fired former national security adviser Mike Flynn, NBC News reports.
According to "multiple sources," investigators for Mueller's probe asked West Wing staff and other witnesses, such as White House counsel Don McGahn, about each day between Jan. 26 and Feb. 13 of this year.
On Jan. 26, former acting Attorney General Sally Yates informed McGahn that a few days earlier, Flynn had not told White House officials the truth about his talk with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak. On Feb. 13, Flynn left his post as national security adviser, and earlier this month he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, according to The Hill.
Mueller's investigators have been asking witnesses in the West Wing during this time to "describe in detail" what they remember about those days and anything related to Flynn, NBC News reports. Sources speculate that Mueller is looking to see if Trump directed Flynn to lie to Pence, the FBI, or any other officials.
Some of the interviewees told NBC News that they "believe the goal is in part to determine if there was a deliberate effort by President Trump or top officials in the West Wing to cover up the information about Flynn" provided to McGahn by Yates.
Yates testified before Congress that she relayed to McGahn that Flynn had lied to several members of the Trump administration, including Vice President Mike Pence, by claiming not to have discussed sanctions with Kislyak while conversing during the transition in December of last year.
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer said in February that "immediately after the Department of Justice notified the White House counsel of the situation, the White House counsel briefed the president and a small group of senior advisers."
Justice Department officials told NBC News that they expected Trump to fire Flynn immediately upon hearing the he lied to Pence. Mueller is now looking into why Flynn was allowed to continue in his position for 18 days after the White House counsel was informed that he lied to the Vice President.
The White House, Special Counsel's office and McGahn's attorney all either declined or failed to respond to requests for comment.