Trump not asking about who he can pardon in Russia case, source says

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Congress to likely tie Trump's hands with Russia

Lawmakers are working on a bill that would place more sanctions on Moscow

President Trump has had no discussions with his legal team about the prospect of pardons in connection with the Russia case, a source close to Trump's legal team told Fox News Friday.

"There is nothing to discuss," the source said. "The President has the plenary power of pardon. He can pardon whomever he likes."

The Washington Post reported late Thursday that Trump's lawyers were exploring ways to undercut special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during last year's presidential race. One of the report's sources told the paper that Trump had asked his attorneys about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself.

However, the source insisted that Trump has not discussed the issue of pardons with his legal team.

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The source also denied a New York Times report that Trump's lawyers and aides were investigating the background of investigators hired by Mueller in the hope of discrediting the Russia probe. In an interview with the Times earlier this week, Trump said Mueller and his staff had "many other conflicts [of interest] that I haven't said, but I will at some point."

Attorney Jay Sekulow, a member of the president's external legal team, told The Associated Press Thursday that the lawyers "will consistently evaluate the issue of conflicts and raise them in the appropriate venue."

The source told Fox News that the president's legal team "has tremendous respect for Bob Mueller" and claimed that the two sides "have been working well together."

Fox News' John Roberts and the Associated Press contributed to this report.