Page:Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election.pdf/298

U.S. Department of Justice

Attorney Work Product // May Contain Material Protected Under Fed. R. Crim. P. 6(e)

Robert Bork and not "Saturday Night Massacre Bork.^[1] McGahn considered the President's request to be an inflection point and he wanted to hit the brakes.^[2]

When the President called McGahn a second time to follow up on the order to call the Department of Justice, McGahn recalled that the President was more direct, saying something like, "Call Rod, tell Rod that Mueller has conflicts and can't be the Special Counsel.^[3] McGahn recalled the President telling him "Mueller has to go" and "Call me back when you do it." McGahn understood the President to be saying that the Special Counsel had to be removed by Rosenstein.^[4] To end the conversation with the President, McGahn left the President with the impression that McGahn would call Rosenstein. McGahn recalled that he had already said no to the President's request and he was worn down, so he just wanted to get off the phone.^[5]

McGahn recalled feeling trapped because he did not plan to follow the President's directive but did not know what he would say the next time the President called.^[6] McGahn decided he had to resign.^[7] He called his personal lawyer and then called his chief of staff, Annie Donaldson, to inform her of his decision.^[8] He then drove to the office to pack his belongings and submit his resignation letter.^[9] Donaldson recalled that McGahn told her the President had called and demanded he contact the Department of Justice and that the President wanted him to do something that McGahn did not want to do.^[10] McGahn told Donaldson that the President had called at least twice and in one of the calls asked "have you done it?"^[11] McGahn did not tell Donaldson the specifics of the President's request because he was consciously trying not to involve her in the

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1. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2.
2. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2.
3. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 5.
4. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2, 5; McGahn 2/28/19 302, at 3. 58 McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 1-2, 5.
5. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2.
6. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2.
7. McGahn 2/28/19 302, at 3; McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2.
8. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2.
9. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2.
10. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2-3; McGahn 2/28/19 302, at 3; Donaldson 4/2/18 302, at 4; Call Records of Don McGahn,
11. McGahn 3/8/18 302, at 2; Donaldson 4/2/18 302, at 4. 3 Donaldson 4/2/18 302, at 4. 731 Donaldson 4/2/18 302, at 4,

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