Trump faces ‘obstruction of justice’ charges

Admits he is under investigation

WASHINGTON: After repeatedly denying he is under investigation, US President Donald Trump has finally admitted that he is being probed by the special counsel who is looking into the Russian influence in the US elections.

Trump is facing “obstruction of justice” charges after abruptly firing Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey who claimed before a Senate Committee last week that Trump pressured him to close investigations into Russia election meddling.

Trump took to twitter on Friday to deny any involvement with Russian hackers during the 2016 presidential election and criticised an unnamed leader of the complex investigation that is consuming his White House.

“I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director Witch Hunt”, Trump tweeted on Friday morning. This is the first time Trump has publicly acknowledged that special counsel for the Russian Inquiry Robert S Mueller has started probing the allegations of obstruction of justice against the US President.

Trump has repeatedly sworn that he is personally not under investigation and Comey assured him that he was not being probed. In a special hearing, last week, Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee he believes Trump fired him because he resisted presidential requests to drop the Russia investigation, especially as it pertained to Flynn, the former national security adviser.  In yet another tweet, the president insisted that no one has found any “proof” that he colluded with Russians to meddle with the 2016 presidential elections.

“After 7 months of investigations & committee hearings about my "collusion with the Russians," nobody has been able to show any proof. Sad!”

Trump also defended his twitter use in another attack on traditional media. “The Fake News Media hates when I use what has turned out to be my very powerful Social Media - over 100 million people! I can go around them”.

Faced with a Russia investigation that appears to be broadening, Mr. Trump appears eager to use Twitter to undermine the credibility of the inquiry and to convince his supporters that they do not need to worry.US media also reported that members of President Trump’s transition team were ordered to preserve documents and other materials related to the investigation of Russian interference.

The special counsel is also investigating the finances and businesses of Trump’s senior advisers and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, The Washington Post reported.  Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence has hired a personal criminal defence lawyer to guide him through the various investigations encircling the White House.  Pence had little relationship with the president before joining the campaign ticket just before last July’s Republican convention.  But as the special counsel investigation progresses the vice president’s account as a possible witness may become more relevant.