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| Lewandowski Confirms Trump Asked Him to Help Curtail Mueller Inquiry: Live Updates | Lewandowski Confirms Trump Asked Him to Help Curtail Mueller Inquiry: Live Updates |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Mr. Lewandowski, under sharp questioning by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee, confirmed that Mr. Trump had once asked him to help pressure Attorney General Jeff Sessions to curtail the scope of the Russia investigation, but said he did not believe he had been asked to do anything illegal. | |
| After initially stonewalling Democrats’ questions, Mr. Lewandowski appeared to abruptly change strategies, confirming the details of a key episode from the Mueller investigation — and even providing new information that wasn’t in the special counsel’s report. Under questioning by Representative Hank Johnson, Democrat of Georgia, Mr. Lewandowski said he never relayed the message to Mr. Sessions because he went on a beach vacation with his children. | |
| The episode, which occurred in June 2017, is one of several instances of possible obstruction of justice documented by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. | The episode, which occurred in June 2017, is one of several instances of possible obstruction of justice documented by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. |
| As Mr. Mueller recounts in Volume II of his report, Mr. Trump met with Mr. Lewandowski in the Oval Office two days after he directed Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel at the time, to fire the special counsel. This time, Mr. Trump criticized Mr. Sessions for recusing himself from overseeing the Russia investigation. He then dictated a message for Mr. Lewandowski to deliver to Mr. Sessions. | |
| It said that Mr. Sessions should give a speech announcing that Mr. Trump had been treated unfairly and that he would limit the scope of the special counsel investigation. | It said that Mr. Sessions should give a speech announcing that Mr. Trump had been treated unfairly and that he would limit the scope of the special counsel investigation. |
| “Didn’t you think it was a little strange the president would sit down with you one-on-one and ask you to do something that you knew was against the law?” asked Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee. “Did that strike you as strange?” | “Didn’t you think it was a little strange the president would sit down with you one-on-one and ask you to do something that you knew was against the law?” asked Representative Steve Cohen, Democrat of Tennessee. “Did that strike you as strange?” |
| Mr. Lewandowski curtly disagreed: “I didn’t think the president asked me to do anything illegal.” | Mr. Lewandowski curtly disagreed: “I didn’t think the president asked me to do anything illegal.” |
| Mr. Lewandowski began his appearance before the House Judiciary Committee with remarks that sounded more like a campaign speech than testimony in a congressional investigation, signaling that he plans to use the hearing to burnish his own political brand while fiercely defending the president. | Mr. Lewandowski began his appearance before the House Judiciary Committee with remarks that sounded more like a campaign speech than testimony in a congressional investigation, signaling that he plans to use the hearing to burnish his own political brand while fiercely defending the president. |
| “I had the privilege — and it was a privilege — of helping transform the Trump campaign from a dedicated but small, makeshift organization to a historically and unprecedented political juggernaut,” Mr. Lewandowski said in his comments, which began by branding Democrats’ inquiry into whether to impeach Mr. Trump “very unfair.” | “I had the privilege — and it was a privilege — of helping transform the Trump campaign from a dedicated but small, makeshift organization to a historically and unprecedented political juggernaut,” Mr. Lewandowski said in his comments, which began by branding Democrats’ inquiry into whether to impeach Mr. Trump “very unfair.” |
| Mr. Lewandowski’s remarks could have doubled as a campaign address from a carbon copy of the president himself. They were punctuated with references to the scourge of illegal immigration, knocks on Hillary Clinton, and brutal takedowns of Democrats. | Mr. Lewandowski’s remarks could have doubled as a campaign address from a carbon copy of the president himself. They were punctuated with references to the scourge of illegal immigration, knocks on Hillary Clinton, and brutal takedowns of Democrats. |
| [Read his full opening statement.] | [Read his full opening statement.] |
| Given that he has been considering a run for the Senate from New Hampshire for several weeks, Mr. Lewandowski and his allies saw the hearing as an opportunity to promote his allegiance to Mr. Trump in a way that could benefit him politically. Mr. Lewandowski made no secret that he was using the proceedings to further his own political ambitions. During a break that he requested, he tweeted out a link to a website for a new super PAC that was created today, “Stand With Corey.” | |
| Democrats’ questioning of Mr. Lewandowski was never going to be amicable. But it took no more than a minute of questioning for the hearing to begin to break down entirely. | Democrats’ questioning of Mr. Lewandowski was never going to be amicable. But it took no more than a minute of questioning for the hearing to begin to break down entirely. |
| Almost immediately, Mr. Lewandowski made clear he intended to do whatever he could to slow down the proceedings, including demanding that Democrats read him the section of the Mueller report about which they were questioning him. | Almost immediately, Mr. Lewandowski made clear he intended to do whatever he could to slow down the proceedings, including demanding that Democrats read him the section of the Mueller report about which they were questioning him. |
| When Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the committee’s chairman, asked Mr. Lewandowski if it was correct, as stated in the Mueller report, that he had met alone with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office in the summer of 2017, Mr. Lewandowski balked. | When Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the committee’s chairman, asked Mr. Lewandowski if it was correct, as stated in the Mueller report, that he had met alone with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office in the summer of 2017, Mr. Lewandowski balked. |
| “Could you repeat the exact language of the report, sir?” he said. “Congressman, I would like you to refresh my memory of the report so I could read along,” he said, noting that he had not brought along a copy of the more than 400-page document. | “Could you repeat the exact language of the report, sir?” he said. “Congressman, I would like you to refresh my memory of the report so I could read along,” he said, noting that he had not brought along a copy of the more than 400-page document. |
| An exasperated Mr. Nadler had staff give Mr. Lewandowski a print copy of the report. | An exasperated Mr. Nadler had staff give Mr. Lewandowski a print copy of the report. |
| “Mr. Chairman, where on page 90 is it?” Mr. Lewandowski said. | “Mr. Chairman, where on page 90 is it?” Mr. Lewandowski said. |
| “Do you not have an independent recollection?” Mr. Nadler shot back. | “Do you not have an independent recollection?” Mr. Nadler shot back. |
| Later, things got testier still as Representative Eric Swalwell tried repeatedly to get Mr. Lewandowski to read aloud the message Mr. Trump dictated to him in the Oval Office, and Mr. Lewandowski refused. | Later, things got testier still as Representative Eric Swalwell tried repeatedly to get Mr. Lewandowski to read aloud the message Mr. Trump dictated to him in the Oval Office, and Mr. Lewandowski refused. |
| “Are you ashamed of the words you wrote down?” Mr. Swalwell, Democrat of California, asked. | “Are you ashamed of the words you wrote down?” Mr. Swalwell, Democrat of California, asked. |
| Mr. Lewandowski sneeringly referred to the congressman, who recently ended his presidential campaign, as “President Swalwell,” and told him to read the passage himself. | Mr. Lewandowski sneeringly referred to the congressman, who recently ended his presidential campaign, as “President Swalwell,” and told him to read the passage himself. |
| Republicans on the committee asserted that, while Mr. Lewandowski was running Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign, officials in the Obama administration did not give the campaign a briefing about Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 election. | Republicans on the committee asserted that, while Mr. Lewandowski was running Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign, officials in the Obama administration did not give the campaign a briefing about Russian attempts to interfere with the 2016 election. |
| Mr. Lewandowski said it was “unfathomable to me that they didn’t contact a major political nominee for president of the United States and inform them of potential threats against election process in 2016.” | Mr. Lewandowski said it was “unfathomable to me that they didn’t contact a major political nominee for president of the United States and inform them of potential threats against election process in 2016.” |
| Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, piled on, saying that the F.B.I. was “trying to trap the president.” | |
| This is misleading. Mr. Lewandowski was fired as campaign chairman in June 2016, a month before Mr. Trump officially became the Republican presidential nominee. The F.B.I. gave a “defensive briefing” to Mr. Trump in August 2016, after Mr. Lewandowski had been fired. | |
| A Justice Department letter in 2017 said the briefings were meant to raise “awareness of the indicators and warnings of foreign intelligence threats” so individuals were “better postured to defend themselves and their organizations from foreign intelligence collection.” | A Justice Department letter in 2017 said the briefings were meant to raise “awareness of the indicators and warnings of foreign intelligence threats” so individuals were “better postured to defend themselves and their organizations from foreign intelligence collection.” |
| As Mr. Trump traveled from New Mexico to California on Tuesday afternoon, he had the televisions aboard Air Force One tuned into the hearing, according to people familiar with what was taking place. | As Mr. Trump traveled from New Mexico to California on Tuesday afternoon, he had the televisions aboard Air Force One tuned into the hearing, according to people familiar with what was taking place. |
| The president and the staff traveling with him loved Mr. Lewandowski’s combativeness. | The president and the staff traveling with him loved Mr. Lewandowski’s combativeness. |
| And within moments of Mr. Lewandowski’s first refusal to answer Mr. Nadler’s questions about his conversations with the president, Mr. Trump tweeted his appreciation for “such a beautiful opening statement.” | And within moments of Mr. Lewandowski’s first refusal to answer Mr. Nadler’s questions about his conversations with the president, Mr. Trump tweeted his appreciation for “such a beautiful opening statement.” |
| The witness table at Tuesday’s hearing was supposed to be a good deal more crowded. Democrats had issued subpoenas for Mr. Dearborn and Rob Porter, the former White House staff secretary, to appear with Mr. Lewandowski. | The witness table at Tuesday’s hearing was supposed to be a good deal more crowded. Democrats had issued subpoenas for Mr. Dearborn and Rob Porter, the former White House staff secretary, to appear with Mr. Lewandowski. |
| But on Monday, the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, told the committee that Mr. Trump had directed both men not to show up because they were “absolutely immune” from congressional subpoenas as former senior presidential advisers. Mr. Nadler called the White House’s position “a shocking and dangerous assertion of executive privilege and absolute immunity.” | But on Monday, the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, told the committee that Mr. Trump had directed both men not to show up because they were “absolutely immune” from congressional subpoenas as former senior presidential advisers. Mr. Nadler called the White House’s position “a shocking and dangerous assertion of executive privilege and absolute immunity.” |
| Mark Mazzetti contributed reporting. | Mark Mazzetti contributed reporting. |