WASHINGTON — John Dowd resigned on Thursday as one of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyers, the latest sign of a shakeup within the president’s legal team as the Russia investigation enters a critical stage.
Dowd had been handling sensitive negotiations with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III over a possible interview with Trump.
“John Dowd is a friend and has been a valuable member of our legal team. We will continue our ongoing representation of the President and our cooperation with the Office of Special Counsel,” said a statement from Jay Sekulow, one of the president’s other lawyers.
Dowd recently generated controversy by suggesting that the Department of Justice should end its investigation into whether anyone among Trump’s associates colluded with Russians who interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign.
The ongoing investigation has grated on Trump, who has denied any collusion and refers to the probe as a “witch hunt.”
Some of his allies have urged him to be more aggressive in dealing with the special counsel’s office. On Monday, Trump expanded his legal team by hiring Joe DiGenova, a former federal prosecutor who has suggested that law enforcement officials are trying to frame the president.
There have also been conversations with other potential lawyers as well. However, Ted Olson, a prominent and widely respected Republican lawyer, declined to join Trump’s team this week, according to a source with knowledge of the exchange.
Besides DiGenova and Sekulow, Trump is also represented by Ty Cobb, who works in the White House and remains on staff there.
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