President Trump's legal team is calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appoint a second special counsel to investigate the FBI agents and Department of Justice officials working on the Russia investigation to see if there are any conflicts of interest.
The move comes after an FBI agent who worked with special counsel Robert Mueller's team was removed from the investigation this summer for exchanging texts that could be viewed as anti-Trump.
It also comes amid a Fox News report that a Department of Justice official allegedly met with individuals behind the infamous Trump dossier who were working with a firm that employed his wife.
"The Department of Justice and FBI cannot ignore the multiple problems that have been created by these obvious conflicts of interests. These new revelations require the appointment of a special counsel to investigate," Jay Sekulow a member of Trump's legal team, told ABC News.
The new demand was prompted by a Fox News article last evening by James Rosen and Jake Gibson: "A senior Justice Department official [Bruce Ohr] demoted last week for concealing his meetings with the men behind the anti-Trump 'dossier' had even closer ties to Fusion GPS, the firm responsible for the incendiary document, than have been disclosed: ... The official's wife [Nellie Ohr] worked for Fusion GPS during the 2016 election."
According to the report, Ohr met last year with the author of the dossier. The alleged meeting occurred several months before Mueller was appointed special counsel, and it is unclear if Ohr has any connections to the Mueller-led investigation.
Asked why Ohr was meeting with representatives from Fusion GPS, a DOJ official told ABC News, "He's known these guys for a very long time," but didn't specify what the meeting was about. Ohr has been removed from his post in the deputy attorney general's office but remains at the Department of Justice. He has been cleared to testify as requested, per the DOJ.
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Sessions told Fox News on Tuesday he has "put a senior attorney, with the resources he may need, to review cases in our office and make a recommendation to me if things aren't being pursued that need to be pursued, if cases may need more resources to complete in a proper manner and to recommend to me if the standards for a special counsel are met, and the recommended one should be established."
Trump's legal team wants 2nd special counsel to probe FBI, DOJ for conflicts (ABC News)
Trump lawyers want second special counsel appointed now (Axios)