Special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report confirmed New York Times reporting in 2017 that investigators had obtained the original letter President Trump drafted with Stephen Miller to fire James Comey.
Sources had described it to the Times as a “screed.” It was never sent.
Thursday’s report provides the opening of the final version of the Miller-drafted letter, which he and Trump had worked on at Trump’s golf resort in New Jersey.
Trump read the opening paragraphs of the letter to his advisors and told them his decision to fire Comey was final. Nonetheless, White House Counsel Don McGahn sought to slow walk the decision.
When they were back in Washington, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein were brought into the loop. Rosenstein was tasked with writing a recommendation that Comey be fired — a recommendation that focused on his handling of the Hillary Clinton investigation. Trump however insisted against his advisors’ counsel that a reference to the Russia probe still be included in the cover letter announcing the termination that was released with Rosenstein’s recommendation.
