The New York Times reported Monday that President Donald Trump recently “pushed” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help Attorney General William Barr gather information for an ongoing Justice Department investigation in hopes to “discredit” Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.
The newspaper characterized Trump’s alleged request as “using high-level diplomacy to advance his personal political interests” — the same allegation Democrats and the media have made about Trump’s controversial July conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But a letter surfaced later Monday discrediting the Times’ reporting.
The letter — first reported by Australian reporter Kerrie Yaxley — shows Australia proactively reached out to Barr via Scot Hockey, Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., in May to offer assistance in the Justice Department’s investigation into the origins of the FBI’s Russia investigation. – READ MORE