Pence says administration fully cooperating with Mueller's Russia probe

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday that the administration is fully cooperating with the Russia probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Mueller is investigating allegations of Russian interference in last year's U.S. presidential election and collusion between U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow.

Pence, reportedly speaking to reporters during an unannounced trip to Afghanistan, made the remarks when asked whether he would agree to be interviewed by the special counsel's team if there is a request.

"Let me just say we are fully cooperating with the special counsel and will continue to provide any and all assistance and information," Pence said.

GOP critics and conservative media outlets have said the investigation is tainted with bias against Trump.

Several Republican congressmen have urged Mueller to step down, while Trump said he's not considering firing Mueller.

Last week, Mueller's team received tens of thousands of emails sent and received by officials from Trump's transition team before the start of the presidency.

A lawyer for the transition team accused Mueller of illegally obtaining those emails, while a spokesman for Mueller defended himself against any wrongdoing.

Mueller's probe entered a new phase earlier this month when former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.

Flynn is now cooperating with Mueller regarding the investigation. Russia has denied meddling in the election, while Trump has denied any collusion.

Trump's lawyers have said they expect that Mueller will complete the investigation soon, but the special counsel hasn't made any public comments about the probe. Enditem