Manafort Lawyer Reportedly Dished to Trump Legal Team About Cooperation With Mueller, Angering Special Counsel

Paul Manafort‘s lawyer continuously briefed President Donald Trump‘s legal team on their interactions with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, according to a fresh report from the New York Times.

Per the Times, Manafort’s lawyer “repeatedly briefed President Trump’s lawyers on his client’s discussions with federal investigators after Mr. Manafort agreed to cooperate with the special counsel.” Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani confirmed the unusual arrangement to the Times, “and defended it as a source of valuable insights into the special counsel’s inquiry and where it was headed.”

“Such information could help shape a legal defense strategy, and it also appeared to give Mr. Trump and his legal advisers ammunition in their public relations campaign against the special counsel’s office,” reporters Maggie Haberman, Michael Schmidt and Sharon LaFraniere wrote.

Trump and his surrogates have consistently worked to undermine the special counsel investigation since it was established. The president ramped up his attacks on Mueller and his team of investigators this week, as the probe resumes at a fast pace following the midterm elections.

The coordination between Trump and Manafort’s lawyers angered Mueller’s team, according to the report:

The arrangement was highly unusual and inflamed tensions with Mr. Mueller’s office when prosecutors discovered it after Mr. Manafort began cooperating two months ago, the people said. Some legal experts speculated that it was a bid by Mr. Manafort for a presidential pardon even as he worked with the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, in hopes of a lighter sentence.

On Monday, Mueller accused Manafort of violating his plea agreement by lying repeatedly to federal investigators.

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