Tonight brought another New York Times blockbuster related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling and potential collusion between Trump associates and Russian officials. This latest report states that the president ordered his White House counsel to stop Attorney General Jeff Sessions from recusing himself in the Russia probe, suggesting that Mueller may have significant evidence to charge Trump with obstruction of justice.

Maggie Haberman, one of the reporters who contributed to the story, called into CNN tonight to discuss the explosive report. She pointed out that her colleague Michael Schmidt did the bulk of the reporting, noting that another major revelation in the piece was that an aide to Sessions went to Capitol Hill four days before FBI Director James Comey was fired to dig up dirt on Comey.

“Do we know on whose behest that he did that?” anchor Anderson Cooper asked.

“We don’t, Haberman responded. “But it was somebody working for Jeff Sessions, it’s not clear whether Sessions directly knew or didn’t directly know — but it came from the Department of Justice.”

Cooper then asked if the White House counsel was acting on the behalf of orders from Trump.

“Correct,” the NYT reporter said. “The president wanted to be personally protected by the attorney general with regard to the Russia probe. This is about — this is the clearest, most substantial reporting we have seen about what the president demanded and what he wanted of the attorney general with regard to this probe.”

Watch the clip above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona

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