Updated December 17, 2017 11:01:06

Photo: The accusation adds to growing friction between Mr Trump's supporters and Mr Mueller. (AP: Charles Dharapak/Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)

US President Donald Trump's transition team says the special counsel investigating allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election obtained tens of thousands of emails unlawfully.

Kory Langhofer, counsel to Trump for America (TFA), wrote a letter to congressional committees to say Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team had improperly received the emails from the General Services Administration (GSA), a government agency.

Career staff members at the agency, "unlawfully produced TFA's private materials, including privileged communications, to the Special Counsel's Office", the letter said.

It said the materials included "tens of thousands of emails".

Trump for America was established last year to facilitate the US President's transition to the White House.

Mr Trump's transition team used facilities of the GSA — which helps manage the US government bureaucracy — in the period between the November presidential election victory and his inauguration in January.

Mr Langhofer argued that while such transition teams are involved in executive functions, they are considered private, non-profit organisations whose records are private and not subject to presidential records laws.

The Trump team's accusation adds to the growing friction between the President's supporters and Mr Mueller's office as it investigates whether Russia interfered in the election and if Mr Trump or anyone on his team colluded with Moscow.

Asked for comment, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "We continue to cooperate fully with the special counsel and expect this process to wrap up soon."

The GSA and officials at the special counsel's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Letter the latest in Republican criticism of Mueller

Democrats say there is a wide-ranging effort by the presidential allies on Capitol Hill and in some media outlets to discredit Mr Mueller's investigation.

Mr Trump himself has loudly declared Mr Mueller's effort a waste of time.

"There is absolutely no collusion. That has been proven," Mr Trump told reporters on Friday.

Russia denies interfering in the election.

On Friday, Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said he feared the committee's Republican majority intended to close its investigation of the topic prematurely.

Some Republicans have argued Mr Mueller is biased against Mr Trump and should be fired.

A biographer says the former FBI director is the right man to lead an investigation into alleged Russian interference.

The letter was sent to the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

It asked for Congress to act immediately, "to protect future presidential transitions from having their private records misappropriated by government agencies, particularly in the context of sensitive investigations intersecting with political motives".

The letter said Mr Mueller's office obtained the emails despite the fact it was aware the GSA did not own or control the records.

It said the special counsel's office had, "extensively used the materials in question, including portions that are susceptible to claims of privilege" without notifying the Trump for America team.

On the transition team were a number of aides who were later caught up in Mr Mueller's investigation, such as former national security adviser Michael Flynn who pleaded guilty this month to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.

Mr Langhofer, the Trump transition team lawyer, wrote in his letter that the GSA's transfer of materials was discovered on December 12 and 13.

The FBI had requested the materials from GSA staff on August 23, asking for copies of the emails, laptops, cell phones and other materials associated with nine members of the Trump transition team response for national security and policy matters, the letter said.

On August 30, the FBI requested the materials of four additional senior members of the Trump transition team, it said.

Reuters

Topics: government-and-politics, donald-trump, world-politics, united-states

First posted December 17, 2017 10:44:03