President Donald Trump plans to select Marc Kasowitz — his longtime, New York-based lawyer — to lead his outside legal team as an investigation of Russian election interference heats up, an administration official said.
Kasowitz has represented Trump in legal matters for decades and is considered to have the president’s trust. He has a well-established rapport with Trump and has spoken to him regularly since Trump was sworn into office.
In selecting Kasowitz, Trump once again is turning to a person with extensive experience working with him — rather than a seasoned, Washington-based operator — to deal with a high-profile challenge.
While Kasowitz is expected to take the lead on Trump’s outside legal team, the administration source said it is not yet clear how large an operation that will be. Administration officials are still not certain of the scope of the work but expect intense action over the summer, as the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller heats up.
Internally, Kasowitz is viewed as someone the president will listen to more than other lawyers because of his long experience with the president. But administration officials expect Kasowitz to be part of a larger legal operation.