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Trump legal team seeks to add star GOP attorney Theodore B. Olson

Former solicitor general Theodore Olson in 2011. (Paul Sakuma/AP)



By Robert Costa and Carol D. Leonnig March 20 at 11:29 AM Email the author
President Trump’s legal team has reached out to Theodore B. Olson, one of the country’s most high-profile and seasoned litigators, to join forces amid mounting challenges in the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

The addition of Olson would come as Trump, feeling more vulnerable to the investigation led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, has told confidants he wants to recruit top-tier talent and shake up his group of lawyers, the people said.

Olson, 77, who served as solicitor general in the George W. Bush administration and has long been considered a legal superstar, would bring deeper ties to the Justice Department and more experience on landmark cases than any of Trump’s current lawyers.

Olson is said to be reviewing the offer while weighing potential conflicts with his clients at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he is a partner, one person close to him said. Another person familiar with the discussions said Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway recommended Olson to the president this week, but it was unclear whether Olson would accept. He previously declined an offer to join the team.