Donald Trump’s personal banking information handed over to Robert Mueller, who is investigating collusion allegations
The development nevertheless represents a significant blow to the president personally and indicates that Mueller is not limiting his probe to Trump campaign officials
US President Donald Trump’s personal banking information has formally been turned over to Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor who is investigating whether the president’s campaign conspired with the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election.
Bloomberg reported early on Tuesday that Deutsche Bank, the German bank that serves as Trump’s biggest lender, had been forced to submit documents about its client relationship with the president after Mueller issued the bank with a subpoena for information.
The new revelation makes it clear that Mueller and his team are investigating the president’s financial transactions. It is not clear whether Mueller is interested in the bank accounts because they are connected to the Russia probe or if he is investigating another matter.
Deutsche Bank did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The bank told Bloomberg in a statement that it always cooperated with investigating authorities.
The news could also elicit a strong reaction from the president, who has previously said that any attempt to investigate his personal business dealings would go beyond Mueller’s investigative mandate and would represent a “violation”.
Trump has consistently denied any collusion between his campaign and Russia and has stated that he did not have any business dealings in Russia. Since then, news has emerged that the Trump Organisation sold a significant number of its properties to Russian clients and explored opening a hotel in Moscow, though the plan never came to fruition.