Justice Department Warns Mueller Deputies: Don’t Testify Before Congress

The Department of Justice is placing pressure on Robert Mueller’s deputies to refuse invitations to testify before Congress, The New York Times reports. The newspaper’s sources said the DOJ had told two former members of Mueller’s team, Aaron Zebley and James Quarles, not to give evidence in front of lawmakers. The move could jeopardize an agreement that lawmakers thought they had struck to hear testimonies from Mueller and the two prosecutors. Zebley and Quarles have left the Justice Department and, as private citizens, can’t be blocked from giving testimony by the department, but they may fear repercussions if they do. Lawmakers want to hear from both men as they were among Mueller’s top deputies in his investigation into Russia’s 2016 election interference.