
In recent weeks, Donald Trump has approached four different defense attorneys to ask they join his legal defense team, CNN’s Katelyn Polantz reports.
All four of them declined.
UPDATE: 4 defense attorneys at different large law firms have been approached to join Trump's legal defense team in… https://t.co/CK9ifRS8wn— Katelyn Polantz (@Katelyn Polantz) 1521737203.0
The news comes amid another shakeup on Trump’s legal team. On Thursday, John Dowd—who lead the president’s outside legal counsel for special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation—abruptly resigned. That decision followed the addition of Joe DiGenova, a lawyer who peddled a conspiracy on Fox News about the FBI and Department of Justice framing Trump with the special counsel probe.
Earlier this month, the president indicated he was “VERY HAPPY” with his legal team, challenging a “false” New York Times report that he was unhappy with Dowd, Ty Cobb and Jay Sekulow. That Times report indicated the president had met with veteran Washington attorney Emmet Flood—who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment process—in the Oval Office.
According to four sources, Trump and Flood discussed the possibility of Flood joining Trump’s legal team. It’s unclear if he turned down the president’s request.
Tuesday, the Washington Post reported Trump’s legal team had reached out to Theodore Olson, who served as solicitor general in George W. Bush’s administration, to join his defense effort.
The global co-chair of Olson’s firm on Monday said that his partner would not be joining the president’s legal team.
“I can confirm that [the firm] and Theodore B. Olson will not be representing Trump,” Theodore J. Boutrous wrote on Twitter.
I can confirm that @gibsondunn and Theodore B. Olson will not be representing @realDonaldTrump— Ted Boutrous (@Ted Boutrous) 1521565509.0