By Steve Neavling
Ticklethewire.com
Donald Trump’s team of lawyers continues to shrink as special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation inches closer to the president.
Trump opted against hiring two lawyers whose appointments were announced less than a week ago.
“The president is disappointed that conflicts prevent Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing from joining the president’s special counsel legal team,” Trump’s personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, said in a statement to the New York Times. “However, those conflicts do not prevent them from assisting the president in other legal matters. The president looks forward to working with them.”
The conflict stems from Toensing’s representation of Mark Corallo, the former spokesman for Trump’s legal team who told investigators he believed Trump aide, Hope Hicks, may have been trying to hide evidence related to a secret meeting between a Russian lawyer and campaign aides, including Donald Trump Jr.
DiGenova and Toensing are married.
Also last week, Trump’s top lawyer in the special counsel probe, John Dowd, quit after the president ramped up his rhetoric against Mueller.
Trump denied reports over the weekend that he was having trouble finding attorneys willing to represent him.
“Many lawyers and top law firms want to represent me in the Russia case…don’t believe the Fake News narrative that it is hard to find a lawyer who wants to take this on. Fame & fortune will NEVER be turned down by a lawyer, though some are conflicted. Problem is that a new lawyer or law firm will take months to get up to speed (if for no other reason than they can bill more), which is unfair to our great country – and I am very happy with my existing team. Besides, there was NO COLLUSION with Russia, except by Crooked Hillary and the Dems!” Trump tweeted Sunday.
