President Donald Trump’s longtime attorney and adviser Michael Cohen has hired a lawyer to represent him in the investigations into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, Cohen told CNN on Friday.
Cohen, who serves as Trump’s personal attorney, hired Stephen Ryan, a partner at the DC-based law firm McDermott, Will and Emery, to handle inquiries related to the investigations into Russian meddling in the election. News of the hire comes two weeks after Cohen was subpoenaed by the House intelligence committee as part of the committee’s probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Cohen told CNN earlier this week that he is “committed to complying with the subpoena.” He has also agreed to testify before the committee September 5.
He declined to say whether he is fielding additional investigative inquiries, directing all questions on the matter to his attorney. Ryan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cohen served as executive vice president and special counsel at the Trump Organization during Trump’s presidential campaign and did not hold a formal title in the campaign. But he was a prominent TV surrogate for Trump during the campaign and led the National Diversity Coalition in support of it.
Cohen has repeatedly pushed back on allegations that he was involved in any coordination with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign.
Ryan, Cohen’s newly-hired attorney, is the head of government strategies at McDermott, Will and Emery.
Cohen is just the latest Trump adviser to hire an attorney in connection with the widening probe into Russian election meddling and allegations of collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russia.
Vice President Mike Pence has also retained a lawyer to respond to inquiries related to the investigations, which include an inquiry led by special counsel Robert Mueller and investigations by the House and Senate intelligence committees.
Former Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo has also hired Dennis Vacco, a former New York attorney general and US attorney, to represent him in the matters, a source familiar with the situation said.
The source said the FBI has contacted Caputo in connection with its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
