According to Trump administration officials, former special counsel Robert Mueller had been vying for the open job as FBI director, even if he denied under oath this summer that he had wanted the position.
Unnamed sources reported to Fox News that there are government documents showing that Mueller had been vying to replace ex-FBI Director James Comey when he met with President Donald Trump, but knew days before that he could become special counsel if the FBI job fell through.
The news comes as emails that were released through a Freedom of Information Act by the conservative Judicial Watch indicated Mueller knew he could be put in charge of the Russia investigation, reports Fox.
A source close to then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein confirmed he'd had several confidential conversations with Mueller about serving as special counsel, beginning on May 12, 2017, four days before Mueller met with President Donald Trump on May 16.
Comey had been fired just days before the Mueller-Trump meeting, and the day after they met, Mueller was named as special counsel to oversee the investigation.
Trump has often claimed that Mueller, the FBI director under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, had met with him about returning to his former job, saying it was a conflict of interest for Mueller to oversee the Russia investigation.
But while testifying this past July, Mueller said he thought he was giving Trump "input" about the position, not applying for the job.
Mueller has not responded to Fox for comment on the story. Earlier this month, he rejoined the WilmerHale law firm after wrapping up his work as special counsel.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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