Trump Considers Reshuffling Legal Team as He Takes On Mueller More Aggressively

[janx]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s legal team was poised for a shake-up on Monday, according to two people briefed on the matter, as he openly discussed firing one of his lawyers, another considered resigning and a third — who pushed theories on television that Mr. Trump was framed by the F.B.I. — joined the roster.

Mr. Trump has weighed aloud in recent days to close associates whether to dismiss his lawyer Ty Cobb, who had pushed most strongly a strategy of cooperating fully with the special counsel investigation. The president reassured Mr. Cobb that he had no plans to fire him, according to a person who spoke with the president late Monday, in part to prevent a narrative that his team was in disarray after The New York Times began making inquiries.

Mr. Trump’s lead lawyer, John Dowd, has contemplated leaving his post because he has concluded that he has no control over the behavior of the president, the two people briefed on the matter said. Ignoring his lawyers’ advice, Mr. Trump has reverted to a more aggressive strategy of publicly assailing the inquiry that he initially adopted in the weeks immediately after the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, was appointed. Now the president has begun attacking Mr. Mueller himself.

The shift in tone appears to be a product of the president’s concern that the investigation into possible ties between his associates and Russia’s election interference is bearing down on him more directly. And the legal team’s collapse comes as his lawyers are confronting one of their most critical tasks: advising the president on whether to agree to sit for an interview with the special counsel’s office.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/us/politics/trump-lawyers-mueller-russia-investigation.html

---

New info., especially regarding what happened over the weekend. Much more at link.

[Maeve]

1. And if we just re-arrange the deck chairs, maybe the Titannic won't sink!! eom

[FreepFryer]

2. Read the eighteenth paragraph (c/o Seth Ambramsen)

Mr. Dowd, in turn, called on the Justice Department over the weekend to end the special counsel investigation. Mr. Dowd said at first that he was speaking for the president, but later backtracked. But according to two people briefed on the matter, he was in fact acting at the president’s urging.

[janx]

4. Just as expected. Glad somebody checked it out.

*I am speaking for the president!*

(oh shit)

*Wait, wait...I mean I'm speaking as the president's attorney!*

[FreepFryer]

6. LOL!!! Yeah, um, 'delete'..! 'delete!!' Oh wait, I'm talking, not typing. Is this thing on? *static*

[janx]

8. You must have been following it as closely as I was.

That's what it was like!

[dchill]

3. Trump seeks his own counsel - because...

he's like really smart. A stabler genius you'll never know.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. A guy who is his own counsel (lawyer) has a fool for a client. This is not NYC

This is not shaking down NYC second-tier contractors for invoices like the Trump mob routinely did. Full-court press negative publicity does not phase Mueller the way it might phase such a contractor.

[dchill]

22. He thinks the world is NYC...

with more money. And, of course, the best deals.

[herding cats]

5. I support Trump forcing his attorneys to jockey for their positions completely.

After all, a stressed legal counsel waiting to be voted off your reality TV show of a life will represent your better interest exactly like Trump deserves.

[janx]

7. Excellent point! n/t

[herding cats]

15. It's almost to the season finale now, right?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Season Finale

[dchill]

23. Pence next, PLEASE!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. He can reshuffle all he wants but it won't help.

None of the really competent lawyers will work for him. No lawyer wants to work for a client who won't listen and won't pay, and whose reputation will ruin theirs. I'd rather represent a mob boss than that douchenozzle.

[janx]

10. It's just about the same thing--

or worse, since he's the president of the United States on top of that.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. Pretty much. It's like John Gotti now occupies the White House.

[janx]

13. Because he likes to have

sit downs and make deals.




I have to stop laughing. It's my bedtime--have to get up very early to get to work.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Better call Saul...

[janx]

14. . . .

Stop!

I have to run and jump into bed with the dog and try to stop laughing!

[Leith]

16. When diGenova Finds Out That Tillerson Was Holding Back

when he called rumpie a fucking moron, he's going to go suspiciously quiet.

[pangaia]

17. OKAY, Now even EYE am starting to laugh.....

Not too hard, yet.......... but I am finally getting a chuckle out of how unbelievably stupid these dunces are, pretty much all of them..

[Scarsdale]

27. Not so amusing,

when taxpayers are footing these legal bills. We are, aren't we? An innocent person would welcome scrutiny, to clear their name. tRump's name has been in the gutter for so long, who could clean up that mess?

[onit2day]

18. Not the actions of an innocent man

[Julian Englis]

20. Preet Bahara on Trump's legal team: Hard pass, says Emmet Flood I suspect

Emmet Flood is a super lawyer. If Flood won't sign on to team tRump, then there's a good chance that things are as bad as for tRump as they seem.

Link to tweet

[Egnever]

24. These clowns don't know what the hell they are doing

one side of the mouth is firing mueller while the other side is pretending at least to have no plans to do so.

[0rganism]

25. let's dig a dwarf hole!

sing it!

i am a dwarf and i'm digging a hole
diggy diggy hole
diggy diggy hole

hole hole
diggy diggy hole
diggy diggy hole
diggy diggy hole

whistle while you work!

[sandensea]

26. Why doesn't he just borrow a lawyer or two from Uncle Vlad

They probably all speak English just fine - and are most likely Cheeto's kind of people as well.