The investigation is being carried out by the special counsel examining alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
US president Donald Trump is under investigation for potential obstruction of justice as part of a wider investigation into alleged Russian interference in last year’s presidential election.
According to the Washington Post, the special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia’s role in the election are interviewing senior officials in an attempt to determine whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice.
It is a significant development in that while the investigation into Russian interference in the election has been ongoing, it is the first time that Trump himself has potentially been implicated.
Five people briefed on the interview requests, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Washington Post that the head of the National Security Agency, Mike Rogers, the director of national intelligence, Daniel Coats and Richard Ledgett, a former deputy to Rogers, agreed to be interviewed by investigators working for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III this week.
It is believed that investigators have also been looking for any evidence of financial crimes among Trump associates.
Trump had previously been promised by former director of the FBI, James Comey, that he was not personally under investigation, but circumstances have changed following the decision to fire Comey last month.
It is believed that allegations of Trump’s obstruction of justice relate to his attempts to encourage Comey to drop an investigation into Mike Flynn, who was forced to resign as Trump’s national security adviser earlier this year.
Under oath last week, Comey testified to Congress that in a meeting with Trump, he was told by the president: “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.”
Responding to claims about the investigation, Trump’s personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz, told the Washington Post: “The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal.”
