RantCrush Top 5: June 16, 2017

Vice President Mike Pence has followed President Donald Trump’s lead and hired a personal criminal defense lawyer to assist him regarding the Russia investigations–Richard Cullen, a former United States attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. Pence is not expected to play a major role in the investigation, but as the probe now focuses more on Trump and those around him, Pence’s decision to hire a lawyer is not surprising. The process has been in the works for weeks, according to aides. “Whenever a Washington scandal breaks that comes close to the White House, you have people at all levels scrambling for a good white-collar lawyer,” said Julie O’Sullivan, a professor of criminal law at Georgetown.

Fun fact: Pence’s new lawyer, Richard Cullen, worked with James Comey and is godfather to 1 of his daughters https://t.co/gDPPzdeseY

— Dan Eggen (@DanEggenWPost) June 15, 2017

“The vice president is focused entirely on his duties and promoting the President’s agenda and looks forward to a swift conclusion of this matter,” said Pence’s communications director Jarrod Agen.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.