Turns out, President Donald Trump will not be adding the “aggressive voice” he was hoping for to his legal team, amid the president’s criticism of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of collusion with Russia.
Former U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Joe diGenova and his attorney wife, Victoria Toensing, will not be coming aboard, despite an announcement last week to that effect, according to the president’s personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow.
Not that diGenova may not assist Trump on other matters.
“The president is disappointed that conflicts prevent Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing from joining the president’s special counsel legal team,” Sekulow, said in a statement on Sunday morning, according 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.”
Citing anonymous sources, The Times reported that Trump met with diGenova and his wife “in recent days to discuss the possibility that they would join his legal team in the Mueller case.”
The sources say the president had concerns about the chemistry between him and the couple.
Pointing to a CNN report, Law & Crime noted a potential conflict of interest at play, notably other clients the married couple have represented:
One big potential problem is conflicts with Toensing’s other clients, sources said. Toensing and diGenova run their own firm, and she already represents two people who spoke to Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s office. One of them is Sam Clovis, former national co-chair of Trump’s campaign and a White House adviser. Clovis has reported connection to George Papadopoulos, the member of the Trump campaign’s foreign policy team who pleaded guilty to lying to investigators.
Sunday’s development comes on the heels of Trump’s former lead attorney, John Dowd, resigning on Thursday.
A critical move as Trump is reportedly deciding on whether he will with Mueller for an interview.
Via BizPAC
