Donald Trump finally pulled the trigger.
After months of speculation, he made one decision that could end Robert Mueller’s probe.
And it ended up being the bad news Mueller never wanted to hear.
Trump replaced Ty Cobb – his lead lawyer on the Russia probe – with Emmet Flood.
Cobb had preached cooperation with Mueller, while Flood is a combative attorney who represented Bill Clinton during his impeachment in 1998 and 1999.
Flood – who once clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and did legal work for former Vice President Dick Cheney – is expected to fight Robert Mueller’s request for a multi-day interview with President Trump.
The days of President Trump’s legal team roll-over for the special counsel are finished.
The Associated Press reports:
“The replacement of Cobb with Flood may usher in a more adversarial stance toward the Mueller team as Trump’s lawyers debate whether to make the president available for an interview with the special counsel and brace for the prospect of a grand jury subpoena if they refuse.
Although Cobb does not personally represent the president, he has functioned as a critical point person for Mueller’s document and interview requests, coordinated dealings with prosecutors and worked closely with Trump’s personal lawyers. He has repeatedly urged cooperation with the investigation in hopes of bringing it to a quick end, and he has viewed his role as largely finished now that interviews with current and former White House officials have been completed.
Yet Flood, who was embroiled in the bitterly partisan Clinton impeachment fight 20 years ago, may well advocate a more confrontational approach. His law firm, Williams & Connolly, is one of Washington’s most prominent, with a reputation for aggressive advocacy for its clients and a history of tangling with the government. It has also represented senior White House officials, including presidents.
Flood, a former law clerk to the late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, has defended former Vice President Dick Cheney in a lawsuit brought by former CIA official Valerie Plame and represented President George W. Bush in executive-privilege disputes with Congress – suggesting he is well-versed in the powers of the presidency and may invoke those authorities as the Mueller investigation moves forward. of White House counsel Don McGahn for the job Cobb was given last summer, according to a person familiar with the hiring decision who described Flood as a “fighter.”
Flood was always the top choice The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
Cobb and McGahn hold different views on how cooperative the White House should be with the special counsel investigation.”
Trump and his supporters view the Mueller investigation as a witch hunt based on fake news.
The President and millions of Americans believe this fishing expedition has gone on too long and it is time to bring it to a close.
Now that the President and his legal team are on the same page, that outcome is more likely.
Are you glad Donald Trump is taking the fight to Robert Mueller?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
