The US Special Counsel Robert Mueller has issued a statement disputing the accuracy of a report claiming President Trump directed his former lawyer to lie to Congress.
BuzzFeed News, citing two unidentified law enforcement officials, reported on Thursday that the US president ordered Michael Cohen to lie about a Trump Tower project in Moscow they pursued during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Last November, Mr Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress in an attempt to cover up the fact that he was negotiating the Trump Tower project on Mr Trump's behalf.
In a statement, Mr Mueller’s office said Buzzfeed’s description of “specific statements” and “characterisation of documents and testimony” regarding Mr Cohen’s testimony were “not accurate.”
The statement did not cite any specific errors in the story.
"BuzzFeed's description of specific statements to the special counsel's office, and characterisation of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen's congressional testimony are not accurate," the statement reads.
President Trump described the incident as a “very sad day for journalism, but a great day for our country.”
Remember it was Buzzfeed that released the totally discredited “Dossier,” paid for by Crooked Hillary Clinton and the Democrats (as opposition research), on which the entire Russian probe is based! A very sad day for journalism, but a great day for our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2019
BuzzFeed said it stands by its reporting and the sources that informed it.
It said it is "working to determine what exactly" Mr Mueller's office is disputing.
US Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs the United States Capitol, 21-06-2017. Image: CNP/SIPA USA/PA Images
Mr Mueller's ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion between Mr Trump's campaign and Moscow has rarely been out of the headlines in the US – however, it is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, for his office to issue such a statement.
Investigators in the Senate and House of Representatives had said they planned to look into the allegations.
President Trump repeatedly has denied collusion with Russia and criticised the Mueller investigation as a "witch hunt."
Michael Cohen walks out of a court building in New York, 12-12-2018. Image: Xinhua/Wang Ying
Russia also has rejected US intelligence findings that Moscow interfered in US politics in the 2016 election in an effort to boost the Trump campaign.
Mr Cohen, who once said he was so loyal to Mr Trump that he would "take a bullet" for him, is due to begin a three-year prison sentence in March after pleading guilty to numerous charges including campaign finance violations, tax evasion and lying to Congress.
Earlier on Friday, President Trump tweeted that Mr Cohen was "lying" about the Moscow project "to reduce his jail time."
