President Donald Trump is reshuffling his legal team as special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation moves full steam ahead.
The developments come one day after Trump suggested an aggressive pushback against his investigators, telling The New York Times that Mueller’s office had widespread conflicts of interest while warning investigators any examinations of his family’s finances would be improper. Sources told CNN, however, that these moves were well in the works before the Times interview took place.
Marc Kasowitz, Trump’s longtime personal attorney who has been the lead lawyer on the Russia investigation, will see his role recede, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.
A third source said Kasowitz’s role is changing because the needs are more Washington-centric and Kasowitz has done his primary job of putting the team together.
Instead, attorney John Dowd, along with Jay Sekulow, will now be the President’s primary personal attorneys for the investigation, according to the two sources with knowledge of the situation. Dowd will take the lead.
By being outside the White House, their dealings with the President will be protected under attorney-client privilege that is afforded any US citizen, the sources explained.
Attorney Ty Cobb will take the lead from inside the White House on the Russia investigation when he formally starts his job on July 31.
As CNN reported earlier this month, Cobb will help manage this crisis from a legal and communications perspective.
One source with knowledge disputed reports Thursday night in The New York Times and The Washington Post that the legal team is seeking to undermine the Mueller investigation and stressed the intention is to cooperate fully.
Meanwhile, Mark Corallo has resigned from his position as spokesman and communications strategist for Trump’s legal team.
Corallo told CNN Friday morning, “I resigned yesterday” and declined to comment further about his departure.
His resignation comes after weeks of simmering tension between the White House and the President’s legal team.
Trump has vented in recent weeks that his legal team has not done enough to beat back allegations linked to the federal investigations into Russian efforts to influence last year’s election. He has decried the investigations as a “witch hunt.”
And the legal team has complained about the President and the White House’s response to revelations concerning the Russia probe — including the President’s refusal to heed their advice not to publicly discuss or tweet about the Russia investigation and with the White House’s handling of reports connected to the probe, sources said.
ABC News first reported Corallo’s resignation.
