Mueller Mystery: Why Hasn’t He Called Ivanka to Testify?

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There is one notable person who:

Has an extremely close relationship with President Trump.
Was in Bedminster, New Jersey, with Trump in May of 2017 when he decided to fire FBI Director James Comey.
Was a passenger on the plane flying home from the G-20 conference in Germany strategizing with the president about how to manage the fallout of Donald Trump Jr.’s June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower.
Was at Trump Tower and met with the woman Russian lawyer/spy who was present for the June 2016 meeting.
Was the point person for the Trump Organization for many years on business deals with convicted Russian mafia money launderer Felix Sater.
Has not been called to testify or talk to Robert Mueller or his team.

So it is a mystery: why hasn’t Robert Mueller called in Ivanka Trump for questioning?

“She’s involved in everything,” said a former White House adviser now in the private sector “It’s odd. Unless they consider her a target of the investigation.”

But nobody — other than her enemies — has talked about the possibility that the president’s favorite daughter is the target of a criminal probe.

Former prosecutors and Justice Department lawyers have stressed that it is highly unusual that someone so close to all the major events being scrutinized by Mueller has not even been talked to by any investigators.

But calling in Ivanka for an interview would be risky because it may be negatively perceived by the public and because it may “poke the bear” and make Donald Trump very angry. And Mueller may not want to take those risks right now. It’s also possible he’s saving the best for last.

Matthew Miller, a former spokesman for the Justice Department, said “It may be he’s found that every time Ivanka was in the room, there were other people there that he has interviewed. Or they’re saving the family for the very end.”

In his disastrous interview Wednesday with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Rudy Giuliani gave his opinion that Ivanka presents many risks for the special prosecutor. He said that the country would “turn” on Mueller if he went after the president’s daughter.

“Ivanka Trump? I think I would get on my charger and go ride into their offices with a lance, if they go after Ivanka,” Giuliani said. “Now if they do do Ivanka, which I don’t think they will, the whole country will turn on them. If they go after her, the whole country will turn on them. They’re going after his daughter?”

Many people believe that Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka’s husband Jared Kushner are already criminal targets, and could even face jail time. This may be true of Ivanka also, but if it is, Mueller is keeping his cards close to the vest.

Giuliani’s comments were interesting in that he may be telegraphing the opinion of Donald Trump himself. The president may be OK with Don Jr. and Jared facing criminal prosecution but not Ivanka. (In fact, in his interview, Giuliani said Kushner was “disposable.”)

Could it be that his eldest daughter is the one person the president truly wants to protect? If she is his weak spot, and Mueller knows it, then the special counsel may be holding this weakness as a type of Trump card to be played at a later time.

In fact, some people are speculating that if Mueller presents Trump with substantial evidence of criminal conduct by Ivanka, and if Mueller offers Trump a deal whereby he won’t prosecute Ivanka if the president resigns from office, then Trump actually would resign.

But for now the Ivanka question is truly a Mueller mystery. And it is sure to unravel in the weeks and months ahead.

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Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.