Pence says he's willing to sit for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller - CBS News

CBS NEWS September 9, 2018, 9:00 AM
Pence says he's willing to sit for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller

Vice President Mike Pence says he would be willing to sit down with special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of investigators as part of their ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

In an interview with "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan at the vice president's residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory on Saturday, Pence said that he's "fully cooperated" with Mueller's team over the past year and would be "more than willing to continue to provide any and all support" to aid the investigation.

He said Mueller has not requested an interview.

"We've provided any and all information, and we'll continue to do that," he said, adding that he would consult with his outside legal team if Mueller requests a meeting.

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Pence maintained that President Trump has "strongly affirmed our commitment to the rule of law," despite his public attacks against Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his decision to recuse himself from Mueller's investigation,

"This president has reflected that throughout the policies of this administration. But look, he's always going to be transparent about how he feels about things. And, as I said, there's longstanding Department of Justice guidelines that have to do with making sure that actions are not taken that inadvertently impact the electoral process," Pence added. "But all of that being said, I really do believe the president's candor is one of the reasons why the American people appreciate him."

After a lengthy back and forth with Mueller's office about an interview with the president, Mr. Trump's legal team has agreed to written questions about only after it reviews them. The team is not willing to commit to anything beyond that at the moment.

While Mueller has agreed to accept written answers from Mr. Trump, investigators have reserved the right to seek answers to questions related to obstruction of justice in a deposition. But Mr. Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani told CBS News that "no commitment" has been given about whether Mr. Trump would answer any questions about obstruction. "Let's see how the first round goes," Giuliani said.

It's unclear if Mr. Trump himself has endorsed the plan of action, as the president has said publicly he would like to answer questions under oath and has lambasted Mueller as "disgraced" and "looking for trouble" in the ongoing probe.