Administration

White-collar lawyer declines opportunity to join Trump’s legal team

by Rebecca Savransky 04/16/18 07:28 AM ET

A white-collar lawyer has reportedly declined the chance to serve on President Trump’s legal team.

CNN reported New York attorney Steven Molo — a former special prosecutor who specializes in white-collar defense — was contacted by people close to Trump.

Molo declined the offer due to an unidentified conflict.

“I regret a current conflict related to the investigation prevents me from representing the President at this time,” Molo told CNN.

Multiple lawyers have turned down the opportunity to represent Trump in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference and possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Last month Tom Buchanan and Dan Webb, who are partners at Winston & Strawn, said the president reached out to them to see if they would join his legal team. They turned down the offer, citing business conflicts.

Former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson also turned down an offer to join the team.

One of Trump’s attorneys, John Dowd, abruptly resigned from his legal team last month.

Trump in recent weeks has been ramping up his attacks on the Russia investigation.

After the FBI raided the office and home of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the president publicly discussed the idea of firing Mueller, saying “many people have said” he should fire the special counsel.

Legal experts say Trump cannot directly fire the special counsel, who reports to the Justice Department and specifically Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation.