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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMcGahn seen as 'undercover operative' in Trump's White House
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McGahn seen as undercover operative in Trumps White House
Lawyers say that its not likely that McGahn coughed up independently damning information but could still help bolster Muellers probe.
By ANNIE KARNI and DARREN SAMUELSOHN
08/19/2018 12:51 PM EDT
Updated 08/19/2018 03:49 PM EDT
President Donald Trump is claiming his White House lawyer, Don McGahn, was representing his interests and following his orders when he voluntarily testified before the special counsel in multiple sessions.
And former administration officials said its unlikely that McGahn would still be serving in his top position in the administration if he had actually shared incriminating information about the president with Robert Muellers team.
I cant imagine that McGahn would still be White House counsel if he had produced any damaging information, said Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for the presidents legal team. Hed have resigned.
But the New York Times revelation that McGahn has spoken to Muellers team for more than 30 hours over the past nine months has lawyers baffled and noting that McGahn could have still filled in crucial blanks for Mueller, even if he didnt hand over anything that could jeopardize his boss.
Ross Garber, a criminal defense attorney who served as the in-house counsel for former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, said that its particularly notable that McGahn had multiple meetings with the special counsel, and in between those sessions went back to his day job in the White House. Theyve in a way turned him into an undercover operative in the White House, Garber said, and its [Trump's] lawyer.
The New York Times, citing a dozen current and former White House officials, said McGahn had offered Mueller extensive details regarding whether Trump obstructed justice, including the presidents comments about his firing of FBI Director James Comey, the pressure he put on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to take control of the Russia investigation, and the possibility of firing Mueller.
snip//
Trump, one former administration official said, at the beginning of the administration did not immediately grasp the difference between the White House lawyer and his personal lawyer. He expected McGahn to fill a role he has depended on his entire life: an attorney like Roy Cohn, the late Sen. Joseph McCarthys chief counsel, who represented his interests above all.
But McGahns job is to protect the office of the president, not Trump the individual.
more...
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/19/mcgahn-undercover-trump-lawyers-788210?cid=apn
malaise
(269,022 posts)Hmmmmmm!
Thunderbeast
(3,411 posts)Council to the Trump Campaign.
Lawyer representing Tm DeLay and Jack Abrahmoff in Russia.....with the same mobster names that are showing up now.
He is not John Dean yet. We will know when HIS plea bargain is announced.
The day is coming.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)Justin Hendrix
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@justinhendrix
Huh.
Bill Burck is Don McGahn's personal lawyer.
He's also the person reviewing Kavanaughs docs for release, instead of the National Archives.
He was also Kavanaughs deputy staff secretary.
He is also Reince Priebus & Steve Bannon's lawyer.
Link to tweet
Ryan Nobles
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@ryanobles
NEW: William Burck, attorney for Don McGahn responds to @NYTimes article on his clients interviews with the Special Counsel:
Maggie Haberman conveniently omitted these rather important details in the NY Times writing.
From Twitter via Wendy Seigelman
https://mobile.twitter.com/justinhendrix/status/1031214914596159489
RockRaven
(14,969 posts)Let's not get things twisted: McGahn is no hero, no savior, no patriot. He's a crook and a traitor just like the rest of them. But he's got better self-preservation instincts than Trump, so Trump would be right to be suspicious of him.
lindysalsagal
(20,692 posts)The babbling fool probably already gave McGahn enough material for impeachment.