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Trump legal shake-up

July 21, 2017 | Expert Insights

Mark Corallo, the spokesman for US President Donald Trump's personal legal team, has resigned.

The President’s legal counsel is reportedly looking to discredit the team leading the investigation.

Background

There is an ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice (DoJ) on whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to disrupt the 2016 presidential elections.

DoJ has appointed former head of the FBI, Robert Mueller, to head this investigation. The team is also possibly looking into whether Trump is guilty of obstruction of justice.

Trump has voiced his frustration about the investigation in the last few months. During an interview with New York Times, he said it was extremely unfair that Jeff Sessions, the US Attorney General had recused himself from all investigations concerning the matter. And Trump yesterday said he regretted the appointment.

The Russian investigation has drawn increased scrutiny after details of a meeting between Trump’s son and a Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, became public.

Analysis

Corallo resigned two months into his job. He is believed to be friendly with Mueller. Corallo was reportedly frustrated with the infighting in the legal team.

According to the Washington Post, Trump’s legal team is trying to undermine the ongoing investigation. They are probing into possible conflicts of interest within the investigating team.

Reports also have surfaced that Trump’s personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz has taken on a diminished role at the White House.

The legal team representing Jared Kushner has also undergone a shake-up. Kushner’s lawyer, Jamie Gorelick, announced that she will not be representing her client during the Russia investigations. Gorelick is an attorney at Wilmer Hale. Former FBI Director Bob Mueller was a partner with the same firm. She has said that she will continue as legal counsel in other areas.

Assessment  

Our assessment is that Trump’s six months in office have been marred by multiple controversies. Donald Trump Jr and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort are set to testify on July 26 in front of Congress. Kushner will be testifying in a closed-door session on July 24. These hearings come with high stakes. Unless there is a stable legal team managing the situation, this could all crumble for the President.