MUELLER'S CIRCLING TRUMP

 Special counsel Robert Mueller has begun investigating whether President Trump obstructed justice in the Russia probe. 

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Devlin Barrett, Adam Entous, Ellen Nakashima and Sari Horwitz scoop: “The move ... to investigate Trump’s conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. 

Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates ... Five people briefed on the interview requests ... said that Daniel Coats ... Mike Rogers ... and Rogers’s recentl departed deputy, Richard Ledgett, agreed to be interviewed by Mueller’s investigators as early as this week.”

-- Trump responded to The Post's story this morning:

Why Trump is scared: “Mueller is recruiting perhaps the most high-powered and experienced team of investigators ever assembled by the Justice Department," Garrett Graff, who wrote a book about the former FBI director, writes for Wired. "It’s a team that’s not just a paper office tiger but one with deep experience investigating crime around the world.” A renowned litigator, James Quarles also happens to be a former assistant prosecutor in the Watergate investigation, where he specialized in campaign finance research, according to Wired. With decades of experience representing the federal government before the Supreme Court, former Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben has been touted by CNN as Mueller’s most important hire. One of Mueller’s first appointments, Andrew Weismann, is another heavy hitter. He has taken a leave of absence from working as the head of the Justice Department’s criminal fraud unit to join the special counsel, and has been described by Politico as Mueller’s most significant hire.That reflects the fact that Weissmann has a reputation as someone who has made a career out of taking on organized crime. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Obstruction of justice happens when someone tries to impede or stop a federal investigation by threatening or coercing investigators. If Mueller’s team decides there’s enough evidence to mount a case, they must demonstrate intent — that Trump knew full well what he was doing by telling Comey to stop investigating former NSA Director Michael Flynn. [Cornell Law School / Wex Legal Dictionary]