The Washington Post is reporting that a current senior Trump adviser is under scrutiny in the probe into Russian ties<\/b>
\nThe newspaper is citing unidentified people familiar with the investigation. The adviser under scrutiny is not named, but described as someone close to President Donald Trump.
The Post says the revelation comes as the investigation appears to be entering a more open and active phase, with investigators conducting interviews and using a grand jury to issue subpoenas.
Current administration officials who have acknowledged contacts with Russian officials include Trump\u2019s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Report: Trump tells Russians about firing ‘crazy’ Comey
Earlier Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told Congress he stands by a memo he wrote that the White House has cited as a justification for the firing last week of FBI Director James Comey. But he said he had no intention of it being used that way.
In closed-door meetings with lawmakers on Thursday and Friday, Rosenstein said he wrote the memo after President Donald Trump told him one day before the May 9 firing that he wanted to dismiss Comey. He said that though he was personally fond of Comey, \u201cI thought it was appropriate to seek a new leader.\u201d
The Justice Department on Friday issued a transcript of Rosenstein\u2019s remarks.
The White House has struggled since Comey\u2019s firing to explain the chain of events that led to it and who exactly made the decision. Trump said as recently as Thursday that he acted on a \u201cvery strong\u201d recommendation from Rosenstein, but Rosenstein made it clear to Congress that he drafted his memo only after Trump told him of his plans to dismiss the FBI director.
He said he did not intend for the document to be a finding of misconduct or a \u201cstatement of reasons\u201d to justify the firing, but he added: \u201cI wrote it. I believe it. I stand by it.\u201d
Rosenstein, who on Wednesday appointed a special counsel to investigate possible Russia-Trump campaign coordination during the 2016 presidential campaign, made his appearances before Congress as Trump was preparing to leave for his first foreign trip as president.
Trump has said he expected to nominate a new FBI director soon, and that had been expected before his departure Friday afternoon. However the White House said at midday that there would be no announcement Friday.
House members and senators said Rosenstein steered clear of specifics in answering questions about his appointment of former FBI director as special counsel but made clear that Mueller has wide latitude to pursue the investigation wherever it leads, potentially including criminal charges.
Trump has reacted furiously to the appointment but Democrats and even many Republicans have generally welcomed it.
In Rosenstein\u2019s meetings with lawmakers, he reiterated the scathing critique laid out in his memo concerning Comey\u2019s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton\u2019s use of a private email server, including Comey\u2019s July news conference announcing that the FBI would not recommend charges.
\u201cIt explicitly usurped the role of the attorney general, the deputy attorney general and the entire Department of Justice, \u201d Rosenstein said of that public announcement. \u201cIt violated deeply engrained rules and traditions; and it guaranteed that some people would accuse the FBI of interfering in the election.\u201d
Rosenstein said that he and Attorney General Jeff Sessions had \u201cdiscussed the need for new leadership at the FBI\u201d in one of their first meetings, and that he believed Comey had damaged the credibility of the bureau and the Justice Department through the Clinton case.
He denied media reports from last week that Comey had asked him for additional resources for his investigation before Trump fired him.
Trump, combative and complaining, fell short Thursday in trying to resolve investigations into his campaign and his first four months in office.
Asked point-blank Thursday if he\u2019 d done anything that might merit prosecution or even impeachment, Trump said no \u2014 and then added of the lingering allegations and questions: \u201cI think it\u2019s totally ridiculous. Everybody thinks so.\u201d
The appointment of the special counsel indicates other believe that\u2019s still open to question.
\u201cWe\u2019 ll get rid of the smoke and see where the actual issues lie, \u201d said Sen. Tim Scott, R-S. C. \u201cI do think that the special prosecutor provides a sense of calm and confidence perhaps for the American people, which is incredibly important.\u201d
Despite initially opposing appointment of an independent counsel, Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said Thursday that the development \u201chelps assure people and the Justice Department that they\u2019 re going to go do their jobs independently and thoroughly, which is what we\u2019 ve called for all along.\u201d<\/p>\n

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