President Trump's advisers and personal associates have been pushing for him to hire an outside lawyer to handle the escalating investigation into his ties with Russia, The New York Times reported Thursday. The urgings apparently preceded the Justice Department's announcement Wednesday evening that it had appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the investigation into Russia's election interference and the Trump campaign's potential ties to it.
The move wouldn't be entirely unprecedented: The New York Times reported that past presidents have hired an outside lawyer in addition to the White House counsel when "their private actions were called into question." Trump has not yet made a decision, though he's apparently indicated he's open to hiring an outside lawyer.
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