Australian government agreed to help

Australian government agreed to help Donald Trump investigate Mueller inquiry origins
President urged Scott Morrison to help gather information aimed at discrediting investigation into Russian interference in 2016 US election
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/01/donald-trump-urged-scott-morrison-help-discredit-mueller-inquiry?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19XZWVrZGF5cy0xOTEwMDE%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&CMP=GTUK_email

Donald Trump called Scott Morrison to ask for help in an investigation aimed at discrediting the Mueller inquiry, and Morrison agreed to assist.

The call, first reported by the New York Times but confirmed by the Australian government, happened shortly before the Australian prime minister flew to the US to visit Trump last week. White House sources also confirmed the report, the Australian ABC reported.

According to two officials with knowledge of the call, Trump asked Morrison to help the US attorney general, William Barr, find evidence for a review into the Mueller inquiry.

The White House restricted access to the call’s transcript to a small group of the president’s aides, echoing a strategy used to conceal Trump’s July phone call with the Ukrainian president, the Times reported.

“The Australian government has always been ready to assist and cooperate with efforts that help shed further light on the matters under investigation,” the Australian government said in a statement. “The PM confirmed this readiness once again in conversation with the president.”

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A spokeswoman for Labor’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Penny Wong, said the prime minister needed to explain his actions. “It is being alleged that president Trump asked Scott Morrison for help in dealing with his political opponents.

“Scott Morrison must immediately come clean on what was discussed. Australians will wonder if any of the treatment he received from the US administration is related to these allegations.”