Trump will use campaign funds to pay for legal bills related to Russia inquiry

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will use money donated to his campaign and the Republican National Committee to pay for his personal legal bills related to investigations into his campaign’s ties to Russia, two people familiar with the matter said.

The first payments from the campaign and RNC have already been made to Trump lawyers John Dowd and Jay Sekulow, said one person. Another person said the RNC has been working for months to figure out the legal parameters for using campaign donations for a candidate’s personal defense.

Trump donors may be surprised that money they gave the campaign could be used to defend the president in the Russia investigations, but it’s likely a valid expense as long as it’s related to campaign activities. The people familiar with the matter didn’t disclose the amount of the first payments.

Disclosures through the end of June show Trump’s campaign made a $50,000 payment to the law firm of the attorney representing Donald Trump Jr., dated almost two weeks before news reports that he took a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer who had promised damaging information about Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Also Tuesday, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that special counsel Robert Mueller’s office has interviewed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as part of its probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The interview was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which said it took place in June or July. Special counsel investigators have been probing whether Trump might have attempted to obstruct justice leading up to Comey’s firing.

Meanwhile, Trump’s lawyer will return to Capitol Hill for a public hearing next month after the Senate intelligence committee abruptly canceled a closeddoor interview Tuesday.

Committee leaders said they called off the interview after Michael Cohen sent a public opening statement to the media just as the meeting was about to start. Senate intelligence committee chairman Richard Burr and Democratic Sen. Mark Warner issued a sharp statement saying the panel had asked Cohen to “refrain from public comment.”