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Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating whether Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice, the Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The move, which marks an expansion of Mueller’s ongoing probe into whether Russia meddling in the 2016 presidential race, comes just two days after one of Trump’s friends suggested the President was considering dismissing Mueller.

The Post reports that investigators have also been looking into some of Trump’s associates for any evidence of possible financial crimes.

Also Read: Nigel Farage Now 'Person of Interest' in Trump-Russia Probe (Report)

Even though Trump was told by former FBI Director James Comey earlier this year that he was not personally under investigation, officials tell the Post that changed shortly after Comey’s firing.

Among those being interviewed are Daniel Coats, the current director of national intelligence, Adm. Mike Rogers, head of the National Security Agency, and Rogers’ former deputy, Richard Ledgett. It’s still unclear how many others have been questioned.

The NSA told the Post in a statement that it intends to “fully cooperate with the special counsel.” The office of Director of National Intelligence and Ledgett both declined to comment.

Also Read: Trump Says 'Russian Officials Must Be Laughing at the US' Over 'Fake News'

A spokesperson for Trump’s personal lawyer, Marc Kasowitz, issued a statement saying: “The FBI leak of information regarding the President is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal.”

Unnamed officials quoted in the story said Coats, Rogers and Ledgett volunteered to be interviewed though it’s unclear whether they will be directed by the White House to invoke executive privilege.

People familiar with the matter told the Post that the investigation into Trump for possible obstruction of justice began days after Trump abruptly fired Comey on May 9. Since then Mueller, who served as FBI director before Comey, has taken over the investigation.

Also Read: Trump Told Russians Firing 'Nut Job' Comey Eased 'Great Pressure' (Report)

An unnamed official told the Post that the interviews suggest Mueller considers the attempted obstruction of justice question as more than just a “he said, he said” situation between Trump and Comey.

One exchange of particular interest to Mueller involves a March 22 White House briefing when then-newly confirmed Coats, together with other government officials, were asked to leave the room, except for Coats and CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

It was then that the president allegedly asked Coats if he could help convince Comey to shut down on its investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn, according to officials who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity.

Also Read: Trump Calls Comey 'Grandstander' and Claims: 'I Know I'm Not Under Investigation' (Video)

During his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week, Comey acknowledged that he had in fact told Trump that he was not personally under investigation, at least while he was leading the FBI.

Trump Scandals: Every Investigation Facing the White House So Far (Photos)

From the get-go, Donald Trump's presidency has been loaded up with scandals that have enraged his Democrat opponents and challenged the willingness of Beltway Republicans to stand by him. The growing pile of federal investigations and news reports reached a boiling point with Trump's firing of James Comey. In case you can't keep everything straight, here's what's happened so far and who in Trump's circle is being investigated.
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Paul Manafort: Trump's former campaign chair is currently being investigated as part of the FBI's look into potential connections between Trump's campaign and Russia's attempt to sway the presidential election. The Justice Department has subpoenaed Manafort's bank records to look for potential payments that he might have received from Russia during the campaign.

Also Read: Trump’s Former Campaign Boss Paul Manafort Secretly Worked to ‘Benefit the Putin Government’ (Report)
From NBC
Carter Page: The Washington Post reported in April that the FBI had obtained a warrant to monitor Trump's former campaign adviser as part of their Russia investigation. A dossier compiled by a former British intelligence officer and cited by House Dem Adam Schiff claimed that Page had met with Russian business executives linked to Putin during a visit to Moscow in July 2016.

Also Read: Former Trump Adviser Carter Page Was Being Monitored by FBI (Report)
From CNN
Michael Flynn: A retired three-star general, Flynn was selected as Trump's first national security adviser before he was fired in February. The dismissal came after it was discovered Flynn lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his interactions with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. The scandal surrounding Flynn deepened after the House Oversight Committee said they had reason to believe Flynn received payments from the Russian and Turkish governments.

Also Read: DC Whiplash: Prosecutors Issue Grand Jury Subpoenas to Michael Flynn’s Associates (Report)
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Conflicts of Interest: Since winning the election, ethics experts have criticized Trump for failing to provide a sufficient plan for addressing conflicts of interest between his presidency and his many business interests, whom he has handed over to his sons, Donald and Eric. The White House also faced criticism when senior adviser Kellyanne Conway promoted Ivanka Trump's merchandise on Fox News. The State Department also deleted a blog post promoting Trump's Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. Trump has at least one lawsuit claiming he has violated the Emoluments Clause, which forbids the president from receiving foreign money through his businesses, something POTUS' critics say he can do by having foreign officials stay at his hotels.
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Russia Oval Office Visit: The Washington Post reported that Trump disclosed a highly classified intelligence to Russian officials during a White House visit, handing over a source that provided the U.S. with information on ISIS. The disclosure has reportedly frustrated the intelligence community, with whom the president has established a tense relationship.

Also Read: Trump Admits Sharing Terrorism Intel With Russia: 'I Have the Absolute Right'
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Jeff Sessions: After admitting he had not disclosed meetings with a Russian ambassador during the election to Congress, the former Alabama senator and current Attorney General recused himself from any investigations into Trump-Russia connections. After Comey's firing, 11 Senate Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren, asked the Justice Dept. to investigate whether Sessions had violated his recusal pledge after Trump announced he had consulted Sessions on firing the FBI director.
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James Comey: The former FBI Director Comey has claimed that Trump asked to end the bureau's investigation into Michael Flynn in private meetings that have raised concerns about possible obstruction of justice -- especially since the president's team gave conflicting accounts of the reasoning for Comey's dismissal in May.

Also Read: Where Are the Republican Lawmakers, White House Surrogates to Defend Trump on TV Since Comey Memo Broke?
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The first four months of Trump’s presidency have been loaded with scandal

From the get-go, Donald Trump's presidency has been loaded up with scandals that have enraged his Democrat opponents and challenged the willingness of Beltway Republicans to stand by him. The growing pile of federal investigations and news reports reached a boiling point with Trump's firing of James Comey. In case you can't keep everything straight, here's what's happened so far and who in Trump's circle is being investigated.

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