Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s lawyer repeatedly talked to the president's attorneys about discussions with federal investigators after Manafort began cooperating two months ago with the special counsel, sources familiar with the matter told the New York Times in a report Tuesday.
Why it matters: The president's legal team has long maintained a joint defense agreement with witnesses in Robert Mueller's Russian inquiry, including Manafort. But the Times reports that it’s "highly unusual" for the agreement to continue after a witness reaches a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Rudy Giuliani, one of the president’s personal lawyers representing him in Mueller’s probe, has confirmed the arrangement with the Times and defended it.