A Trump transition lawyer informed Congress on Saturday they have reason to believe Robert Mueller's investigation illegally obtained transition property that they later used in the Russia investigation. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
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Trump lawyer accuses Mueller's investigation of serious wrongdoing that may even violate Constitution
December 16, 2017
A lawyer for President Donald Trump's transition team is accusing special counsel Robert Mueller of improperly obtaining documents used or made during the presidential transition in his Russia investigation, Fox News reported Saturday.
What's going on?
Kory Langhofer, the counsel to Trump for America, wrote a letter to congressional oversight committees Saturday alleging Mueller's investigation "acted inappropriately" in obtaining hoards of sensitive documents used by the Trump transition, many of which are reported to be protected by attorney-client privilege and presidential privilege.
Langhofer claims Mueller's team intentionally went around the transition team and went straight to the General Services Administration to obtain the private documents. The GSA provides presidential transition teams with office space, equipment and even email hosting during the transition period. In exchange, the GSA says that any confidential information will remain private.
But in August, Mueller's team went to the GSA to request documents, laptops, cellphones and emails of top transition team members. According to Fox News, the documents and equipment belonged to more than a dozen senior transition members responsible for national security and public policy.
The GSA then obliged Mueller's team without informing the transition team or redacting sensitive information that is protected by law. Axios reported Saturday that Mueller's team did, in fact, receive "tens of thousands" of Trump transition emails from the GSA.
According to Langhofer, Mueller's team has "extensively used the materials in question" in the ongoing Russia investigation.
What did the transition ask for?
According to Fox News, Langhofer requested Congress "act immediately to protect future presidential transitions from having their private records misappropriated by government agencies, particularly in the context of sensitive investigations intersecting with political motives."
There are even questions that Mueller's team violated the Fourth Amendment to illegally obtain the documents.
Langhofer's letter was sent to the House Oversight and Senate Homeland Security Committees.
BREAKING NEWS: Trump transition team sends letter to lawmakers; claims Mueller team inappropriately obtained private documents. pic.twitter.com/fWAqEdnz09
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 16, 2017
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Staff Writer
Chris Enloe is a staff writer for Blaze News
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