Former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg said he is refusing to comply with a subpoena given to him by Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s office in their investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Nunberg first made his claim in an interview with The Washington Post, but his interview with MSNBC’s Katy Tur on Monday afternoon had Twitter in a frenzy, where the former aide reiterated his plan not to comply with the subpoena while also saying he thought Mueller “may” have a case against President Donald Trump.
“I think they may. I think that he may have done something during the election,” Nunberg said. “But I don’t know that for sure. I can’t explain it unless you were in there… The way they ask questions about anything I heard after I was fired from the campaign, to the general election, to even November 1, is insinuated to me that he may have done something.”
"I think that he may have done something during the election," former Trump aide Sam Nunberg says of President Trump, but adds, "I don't know that for sure." pic.twitter.com/4qpzxGcS2s
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 5, 2018
Nunberg also contradicted himself, saying it was a “joke” that Trump “colluded with the Russians.”
Nunberg said it would be “funny” if he was arrested for not complying with the subpoena, adding that he did not want to sift through all of his emails, calls and other communications with members of the Trump campaign. Nunberg’s subpoena seemed to have similar requests that others Mueller’s team sent out, seeking communication from top campaign officials including Carter Page, Corey Lewandowski, Hope Hicks, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, and more.
Near the end of the interview, Nunberg seemed to ask Tur for legal advice, and the MSNBC host cautioned that she wasn’t a lawyer, but said she felt he may be held in contempt of court.
Shortly after Nunberg’s comments on MSNBC, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders weighed in, calling the former aide’s prediction “incorrect.”
“I definitely think he doesn’t know that for sure, because he’s incorrect,” Sanders said. “As we’ve said many times before, there was no collusion with the Trump campaign. Anything further on what his actions are, he hasn’t worked at the White House, so I certainly can’t speak to him or the lack of knowledge that he clearly has.”
When speaking with the Post, Nunberg said Mueller “should understand” that he would not be going in front of a grand jury. He added that he planned to go on Bloomberg TV and rip up the subpoena.
Naturally, Twitter quickly latched on to the frantic nature of the former Trump campaign aide’s interview with MSNBC.
Nunberg making a late (too late) case for the best supporting actor award for his role in the Mueller drama.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) March 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/aterkel/status/970751049261830144
https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/970751068073287682
https://twitter.com/BenjySarlin/status/970756507313860608
Sam Nunberg went to law school.
— Tim Mak (@timkmak) March 5, 2018
I'm prepared to bet Special Counsel Mueller's team already has Sam Nunberg's emails
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) March 5, 2018
You can watch the full interview here.