Earlier this week, President Donald Trump‘s attorney Jay Sekulow announced that another lawyer was expected to join his team, Joseph diGenova. After a meeting that Trump took with diGenova and his wife, attorney Victoria Toensing, however, it’s no longer a guarantee.
According to CNN, Trump is hesitant to pull the trigger on the deal. A source told the network that the president likes diGenova and Toensing, who is also a possibility for joining the team, but he has reservations.
One big potential problem is conflicts with Toensing’s other clients, sources said. Toensing and diGenova run their own firm, and she already represents two people who spoke to Special Counsel Robert Mueller‘s office. One of them is Sam Clovis, former national co-chair of Trump’s campaign and a White House adviser. Clovis has reported connection to George Papadopoulos, the member of the Trump campaign’s foreign policy team who pleaded guilty to lying to investigators. Papadopoulos was also the reason why the FBI began their investigation of possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to a memo from Rep. Devin Nunes (R-California).
The other Toensing client is Mark Corallo, a former spokesperson for Trump’s legal team. Corallo has spoken to Mueller’s office about the circumstances surrounding the June 2016 meeting between Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian attorney.
Sources said Corallo was wary of President Trump’s involvement in the response to news about the meeting. A New York Times report said that he suggested being up front about the situation, because any misleading statements would likely be discovered. Emails of Trump Jr.’s contained details about the meeting, and sources said Corallo was nervous when Hope Hicks said the emails “will never get out.”
Toensing reportedly asked Clovis and Corallo to sign waivers allowing her to work for Trump despite having represented them, but according to CNN, Trump may not be satisfied with this.
[Image via Fox News screengrab]