Updated at 5:56 p.m.
Rudy Giuliani is the newest member of President Trump’s personal legal team, the former New York City mayor and Trump ally confirmed Thursday.
“I’m doing it because I hope we can negotiate an end to this for the good of the country and because I have high regard for the president and for Bob Mueller,” Giuliani told the Washington Post.
Giuliani will collaborate with Trump’s current legal counsel Jay Sekulow and Ty Cobb, taking leave from his law firm Greenberg Traurig, he said.
Giuliani added they were yet to make a final decision on whether Trump should agree to a sit-down interview with special counsel Robert Mueller for Mueller’s Russia investigation.
Trump welcomed the announcement Thursday, describing Giuliani as “great” in a statement.
“He has been my friend for a long time and wants to get this matter quickly resolved for the good of the country,” Trump said.
Jane Serene Raskin and Marty Raskin had also been recruited to represent Trump, according to Sekulow.
“Jane and Marty are highly respected former federal prosecutors with decades of experience. They have a nationwide practice and reputation for excellence and integrity,” Sekulow said via a statement.
Trump has repeatedly pushed back on the perception that he is struggling to attract attorneys to defend him amid the Russia probe.
John Dowd, one of Trump’s top lawyers, resigned in March just days after saying he thought Mueller should end his investigation.
Joseph DiGenova, a well-known attorney and legal commentator, and his wife Victoria Toensing were due to advise to the president, but their appointment fell through due to conflicts of interest.
Giuliani, a graduate of New York University’s School of Law and a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, was a high-profile surrogate for Trump during the 2016 campaign.
