Attorney wanted White House to help pay Manafort legal bills

John Dowd, President Donald Trump’s former top lawyer in the Russia investigation, admitted Friday that he inquired about using cash earmarked for the White House legal defense fund to cover legal bills racked up by ex-Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates.

Dowd said he even pledged $25,000 of his own money for the February venture. However, the plans fell through after administration officials advised against it.

“Had no control of funds. Never tried to divert funds. Inquired whether possible to include Paul Manafort and was told it was not,” Dowd told the New York Daily News in an email. “There was no drama. End of story.”

But that wasn’t the end of the story, according to people familiar with the matter. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that White House ethics officials strongly advised against Dowd’s proposal after learning he wanted to pay the men’s legal bills to dissuade them from pleading guilty and cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators.

Dowd denied those allegations.

“Again no drama,” Dowd said. “Based on a lot of homework, I knew that neither Manafort nor Gates could implicate the president.”

The former Trump attorney said he was simply interested in footing the bills for Manafort and Gates because he knew “many people needed help.”

A White House spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment. The special counsel’s office declined to comment.

Manafort and Gates ended up cutting plea deals that require them to cooperate with Mueller. Dowd, 77, left the White House in March but said he remains in touch with the president and his legal team.

“I still communicate with him, help his team and support him in every way I can,” Dowd said.