alstin and bird, and they have previously represented russian interests. we know that takes government owned financial institution. the identity of the government and government have been closely held secret. we don t know if they represent the company, government or some other interested party. after several courtroom set backs, the company may be forced to give mueller the information he wants or face a steep financial penalty. president trump s lawyer rudy giuliani says the president is done answering questions from special counsel robert mueller giuliani saying as far as we re concerned, everything is over. they can try to subpoena him if they want, but they know we could fight that like hell. the president submitted written answers to the special counsel s questions back in november. giuliani says mueller raised the possibility of followup questions but was told that the president would not respond. giuliani says trump s lawyers had no contact with the mueller
robert mueller s report to congress or to the public. so that is barr s stance. but really it is fair to say rod rosenstein has been the big protector for the special counsel. he appointed robert mueller. and he has given mueller broad authority including interestingly allowing the special counsel to investigate allegations in a paul manafort colluded with the russians during the 2016 campaign. and that is a claim that we saw hinted at in court papers on tuesday when manafort s lawyers inadvertently revealed that paul manafort had handed over polling data to a russian operative, konstanin kilimnick, with connections to russian intelligence at the height of the campaign. now, paul manafort s lawyers have since come back saying that that polling data was actually intended to go to two ukrainian oligarchs through kilimnionstan kilimni kilimnick. it is unclear though why paul manafort wanted to give this polling data to him, to those oligarchs, and whether or are not it satisfies mueller s
rudy giulia attorney general rod rose tine. he m rosenstein. he may have to be flexible. reporter: turns out rosenstein has long been planning his departure, we know that the deputy attorney general has been signaling that he would leave the justice department when he was satisfied that mueller s investigation was either complete or close enough to complete that it was protected. so with rosenstein s upcoming possible departure, this could be the clearest sign yet that the mueller probe is wrapping up in the next several weeks. and rosenstein is also timing his departure in coordination with william barr s likely confirmation. a source telling us that he will leave the justice department after the next attorney general is confirmed, which at this point is shaping up to be about mid-february at the earliest since the confirmation hearings don t start until tuesday. we did see the president s pick william barr up on capitol hill on wednesday. and he told senator lindsey graham that he
vote on individual appropriations bills to reopen national parks, housing an agricultural departments, but mitch mcconnell insists that he will not take up any measure without president trump s blessing. so the bills appear to be going nowhere. we re getting new details about the time line for the upcoming departure of deputy attorney general rod rosenstein. jessica schneider reports the man who oversees the russia probe may have to be flexible about the date of miss final hi in office. reporter: donees out rod rosenstein has long been planning his departure when he was satisfied that mueller s investigation was either complete or close enough to complete that it was protected. so with rosenstein s upcoming possible departure, this could be the clear he is sign ysesise that the mueller prone be is wrapping up.
and he is also timing this with william bahr s possible resignatiorefcofir nation, which is shaping up to be about the mid-february at the earliest. now, we did see the president s pick william barr up on capitol hill wednesday and he told senator lindsey graham that he plans to be transparent when it comes to the mueller probe and any release orobert mueller s report to congress or the public. but fair to say rod rosenstein, he has been the big protector and proponent for the special counsel. he appointed rc pointe appointe mueller and gave him broad responsibility including manafort. and tuesday manafort s lawyers inadvertently revealed that paul manafort had handed over polling data to a russian operative with