Marc Kasowitz, who has been the lead lawyer defending President Trump in matter related to investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, is taking a reduced role as part of a broader shakeup of Trump’s legal team, according to reports Thursday.
CNN reported that Kasowitz, the president’s longtime New York lawyer, will see his role reduced after he helped shape a larger legal team around Trump.
A veteran Washington defense lawyer, John Dowd, will now take the lead in representing Trump for the Russia inquiries, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Last week, Trump brought on attorney Ty Cobb to also join the legal team. He will start July 31 and help manage the team, with a focus on communications, CNN said.
Jay Sekulow is the third member of the team.
News of Kasowitz’s reduced role comes on the same day that Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Trump’s legal team, resigned.
Corallo, a former spokesman for the Justice Department, reportedly has been pushing back against any public criticism of Robert Mueller, who is the special counsel running the federal probe looking into Russia’s election meddling, and possible ties to the Trump campaign.
Kasowitz, meanwhile, had taken on a public role in defending Trump, delivering the president’s televised response to former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee last month.
But last week, Kasowitz, known for his combative style, was widely criticized after he used profanities to lash out at a stranger who in an email urged him to resign.
ProPublica reported the day before that Kasowitz had not sought a security clearance and would have had trouble getting one because he allegedly has an alcohol abuse problem.
