A timeline emerges as Mueller homes in on what — and how much — Trump knew about WikiLeaks and the DNC hacks




 THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

 President Donald Trump

The special counsel Robert Mueller is asking witnesses in the Russia investigation whether President Donald Trump had prior knowledge about Russia's plans to hack the Democratic National Committee, whether he was involved in coordinating the release of stolen emails, and why he endorsed Russia-friendly policy positions during the campaign, NBC News reported on Wednesday.
Mueller's team has also asked about longtime Republican operative and Trump confidant Roger Stone's communications with Julian Assange, the founder of the radical pro-transparency group WikiLeaks.
Mueller is tasked with overseeing the FBI's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to tilt the race in his favor. Russia's hack of the DNC and WikiLeaks' involvement in disseminating the stolen emails make up a significant thread in the investigation.
In particular, NBC News reported, prosecutors are zeroing in on Trump's public appeal for Russia to recover then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's deleted emails during a July 2016 press conference.
"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said at the time.
Investigators are also reportedly delving into Trump's decades-long relationship with Stone, as well as Stone's contacts with Assange and WikiLeaks.
Stone told the House Intelligence Committee last September that he had never "said or written that I had any direct communication with Julian Assange and have always clarified in numerous interviews and speeches that my communication with WikiLeaks was through the aforementioned journalist."
Stone was referring to radio host Randy Credico, who Stone said acted as an intermediary between himself and Assange.

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