WASHINGTON — A new report by The New York Times said that in a phone call, President Donald Trump asked Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison to help Attorney General William Barr investigate the origin of the Mueller investigation.
An official with the Justice Department confirmed the call to NBC and CNN. The official told them it was a routine call "asking his law enforcement to work with ours." The official told CNN that Barr asked Trump to get help from other countries, including Australia.
Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec confirmed Trump made the calls on Barr’s behalf.
“At Attorney General Barr’s request, the President has contacted other countries to ask them to introduce the Attorney General and Mr. Durham to appropriate officials,” Kupec said.
Since taking command of the Justice Department in February, Barr has cast Robert Mueller's report on the Russia investigation as a vindication for Trump, even though Mueller pointedly said he was not exonerating Trump of obstructing justice.
Please check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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