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Goldstein ’96 serves as mainstay of Mueller investigation

US_Department_of_Justice.jpg
“US Department of Justice” by Erlend Bjørtvedt / CC-BY SA 3.0

After nearly two years of work, the U.S. investigation into Russian interference, headed by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller ’66, is expected to yield a report in the next few weeks. Though Mueller is the face of the special counsel, several other prosecutors have played an important role, including Andrew Goldstein ’96, a former U.S. attorney of the Southern District of New York. 

Goldstein, former chief of the public corruption unit in his office, has interviewed several key figures in the Trump administration, including Donald F. McGahn II, Michael Cohen, and Roger J. Stone Jr., a former adviser who was indicted in January in connection with interference in the 2016 election. 

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At the University, Goldstein concentrated in the Woodrow Wilson School.

Goldstein has drafted lines of questioning intended for President Donald Trump. Mueller’s special counsel has been in talks with the President’s lawyers in recent months over whether Trump will testify. 

These open-ended questions seek to gain more insight about the President’s thoughts and actions ranging from issues such as the firing of former FBI Director James Comey and the negotiation of a real estate deal in Moscow. 

Goldstein did not immediately respond to request for comment from The Daily Princetonian.

In contrast to the picture the president has sometimes painted of the special counsel as disorganized and biased, Goldstein’s presence has given the team a more professional image. Goldstein is known for his diligence and careful approach to uncovering facts. 

He is also known to avoid confrontation and quietly resolve disagreements. 

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Because of this and his mostly behind-the-scenes work, Goldstein is rarely the subject of media attention. 

“[Goldstein] was very much measure 10 times, cut once,” Kan M. Nawaday, a prosecutor and former colleague of Goldstein, said to The New York Times.

Goldstein’s work on the special counsel has directly led to an investigation of the president’s motives in firing James Comey. The special counsel has been trying to determine whether the president’s actions constitute obstruction of justice. 

In addition to his work as a prosecutor, Goldstein has also been a reporter for Time Magazine as well as a high school teacher. 

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