Vice President Mike Pence has hired Richmond-based private attorney Richard Cullen to assist with congressional committee inquiries and the special counsel investigation into possible collusion between President Trump’s campaign and Russia, the Washington Post reports.
The vice president’s decision to enlist outside legal counsel marks the most recent in a flurry of moves by the Trump administration to combat investigations into Russian meddling with the election. The president hired his own private attorney, Marc E. Kasowitz, last month; yesterday, the Daily Dot reported via the Post that special counselor Robert Mueller will widen his investigation to determine whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice.
Going forward, other White House officials will likely follow Pence’s lead in hiring their own private attorneys as a protective measure against subpoenas, even though Kasowitz has stressed that such a move is not necessary.
Pence has fumbled publicly in the past while addressing the Trump campaign’s Russian ties. In January, he stated on TV that Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, had never maintained contact with Russian officials—only to be corrected two weeks later by a Washington Post report. His decision to hire Cullen seems wise, as this investigation shows no signs of losing steam anytime soon.
H/T Washington Post