President Donald trump dismissed the ongoing Obstruction Of Justice investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller as a witch hunt in a Friday morning tweet. His legal team, however, is taking the probe seriously by adding more attorneys.
The Washington Post reported Michael Cohen, the personal lawyer of the president, hired his own lawyer to assist in Trump’s defense. Cohen retained Stephen Ryan, a lawyer based in Washington connected with the law firm McDermott, Will & Emery. Ryan has experience prosecuting criminal cases as an assistant U.S.
attorney.
On Saturday, Reuters reported Trump added John Dowd to his defense team. Dowd is a veteran Washington lawyer who had represented prominent politicians such as U.S. Senator John McCain on congressional ethical charges in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Michael Caputo, a senior communications adviser on Trump's campaign, likewise hired a lawyer of his own for the obstruction of justice investigation. He hired Dennis Vacco, an ex-New York state attorney general and a partner at the law firm Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman.
VP also hires own lawyer
Besides the expansion of Trump’s legal team, another indicator the administration is taking seriously the obstruction of justice investigation by the special counsel is Vice President Mike Pence hired Richard Cullen as his personal lawyer.
Like Ryan who was an assistant U.S. attorney, Cullen was U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia during the term of President George H. W. Bush.
In a twist of fate, Cullen is a close associate of James Comey, the FBI director whom Trump fired for not dropping the investigation of Michael Flynn, the ex-National Security Adviser.
Comey’s termination triggered the obstruction of justice investigation of Trump. Cullen is also the godfather of one of Comey’s daughters, The Washington Post reported.
Mueller team recruits more lawyers
It is not just the White House that has beefed up its legal team. Mueller has, so far, hired 13 attorneys. More Lawyers are set to join his team although some legal experts who want to join are possibly deterred by the possibility that Trump will also attack them like what he did to the special counsel.
The president accused Mueller of advising him to fire Comey in a Friday morning tweet.
Most of the lawyers Mueller is hiring are rank-and-file prosecutors who would be his office staff. He is also eyeing to detail several lawyers from prominent U.S. attorney offices such as the Southern District of New York, a former federal prosecutor said.
