We’re not part of Trump’s probe: Australia hasn’t been asked to be part of Mueller hunt

Australia was accused of joining a “witch hunt”, but hasn’t been asked to be part of an inquiry into it.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne says Australia will participate in Trump’s probe if it is asked. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

Australia has not been asked to “participate” in US President Donald Trump’s probe into how the Mueller Inquiry was sparked, Foreign Minister Marise Payne says.

The US president has targeted Australia in recent days due to the role then-UK high commissioner Alexander Downer played in the start of the years-long Mueller probe.

“We have not been asked to participate. We would, of course, consider such a request were it to be made,” Senator Payne told ABC Radio National on Monday.

“We don’t intend to engage in a public commentary that might entail any risk that we’re seen to prejudice the ongoing examination of these matters in the US.”

Mr Mueller’s report pointed to a 2016 meeting between in a London bar between then Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos and Mr Downer.

The former Australian foreign minister claimed Mr Papadopoulos told him at the bar Russia had damaging material on Trump’s presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

Mr Papadopoulos in return claimed Mr Downer spied on him during the bar meeting, a charge Mr Downer rejects.

Papadopoulos later pleading guilty to lying to the FBI. He was sentenced to 14 days’ jail.

US Attorney-General William Barr’s probe will cover the events that led to the Mueller probe — which Mr Trump regularly called a “witch-hunt” — and the president said on Friday he has declassified “potentially millions of pages” of intelligence documents related to surveillance activities on his campaign.

“He can look and I hope he looks at the UK and I hope he looks at Australia and I hope he looks at Ukraine,” Mr Trump told reporters.