Chris Christie Tells Donald Trump He Can’t Fire Robert Mueller
Former Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie advised President Donald Trump on Tuesday against firing special counsel Robert Mueller.
Christie appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America in the wake of an FBI raid of the New York City office, home and hotel room of Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. The raid on Monday came after Mueller’s team referred evidence to prosecutors that they then used obtain a warrant, according to The New York Times.
Trump quickly lashed out in anger over the FBI's investigation. He started a press conference at the White House Monday about a suspected chemical weapon attack in Syria by calling the raid a “disgrace,” and when asked about firing Mueller, he responded, “Many people have said, ‘You should fire him.’”
Christie, however, did not recommend firing the special counsel.
“It’s a big problem, it’s a big problem, and I’ve told him that,” Christie told Good Morning America. “You can't fire the special counsel. You just can't.”
On @GMA, @ChrisChristie says he's told Pres. Trump firing special counsel Robert Mueller would be "a big problem": "You can't fire the special counsel. You just can't." https://t.co/42GTZzwid0 pic.twitter.com/QHPBMnEVP4
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 10, 2018
Christie also called the man running the case, Geoffrey Berman, the interim United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, a “boy scout,” who would “do the right thing.”
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Cohen has been in Trump’s orbit for several years and is currently part of a contentious legal battle surrounding an alleged affair between Trump and adult film star Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels, who signed a nondisclosure agreement. The White House has denied the affair ever happened. Trump said he never knew about the agreement.
Daniels is suing to be released from the terms of the agreement, while Cohen and Trump are seeking at least $20 million in damages for alleged breaches to the contract. Daniels’s lawyer, Michael Avenatti, has said the bank that Cohen used to wire Daniels $130,000, First Republic Bank, filed a suspicious activity report about the payment. First Republic Bank refused to comment to Newsweek about the report. Newsweek has also filed a freedom of information act request with the Treasury Department for the alleged report.
Cohen said he made the payment on his own and was not reimbursed.
