President’s Russia probe lawyer Ty Cobb retiring.
WASHINGTON — Facing critical decisions in the Russia investigation, President Trump has hired Emmet Flood, a veteran attorney who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment process.
The White House announced the hiring not long after announcing the retirement of lawyer Ty Cobb, who has been the administration’s point person dealing with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. It’s the latest shakeup for the legal team grappling with unresolved questions on how to protect the president from legal and political jeopardy.
Cobb informed White House chief of staff John Kelly last week that he would retire at the end of May. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that Cobb had been discussing the decision for “several weeks.”
She said later that Flood would join the White House staff to “represent the president and the administration against the Russia witch hunt.”
Cobb did not personally represent the president, but he was a critical adviser, coordinating dealings with Mueller, functioning as a point person for document and interview requests and working closely with Trump’s personal lawyers.
His retirement comes as the president’s personal legal team has been negotiating the terms of a possible sit-down between Trump and prosecutors. Cobb had advocated cooperation with Mueller, including a presidential interview, in hopes of bringing the investigation to an end. Trump initially said he was eager to be interviewed, but his perspective on Mueller soured after a raid last month targeted his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, in a separate investigation.
Even if Mueller’s team decided to subpoena Trump as part of the investigation, the president could still fight it in court or refuse to answer questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment protection from selfincrimination.
Trump lashed out against the investigation Wednesday, saying on Twitter: “There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap).”
Trump also echoed the concerns of a small group of House conservatives who have been criticizing the Justice Department for not turning over certain investigatory documents.
“A Rigged System — They don’t want to turn over Documents to Congress,” Trump tweeted. “What are they afraid of ? Why so much redacting? Why such unequal “justice?” At some point I will have no choice but to use the powers granted to the Presidency and get involved!”