US Vice President Pence hires his own lawyer for Russia probes

US Vice President Mike Pence has hired a lawyer known for defending government officials in high-profile investigations to help him with probes into whether there were ties between the election campaign of US President Donald Trump and Russia, his office said on Thursday.

US intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow interfered in last year's presidential campaign to try to tilt the vote in Trump's favor.

Pence has seldom addressed the Russia issue, which has overshadowed Trump's efforts to overhaul the healthcare system, cut taxes and boost jobs -- priorities that Pence has worked on intensively with Republican lawmakers.

U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence

Pence hired Richard Cullen, chairman of law firm McGuireWoods, to help him respond to inquiries from special counsel Robert Mueller, a spokesman said.

Cullen is a former federal prosecutor who has long ties to former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired on May 9. He represents former FIFA President Sepp Blatter in the corruption probe into world soccer's governing body. US prosecutors have not accused Blatter of wrongdoing.

As Pence had little contact with the Trump campaign before joining the team as the vice presidential candidate it is thought that he would play a minor role in any investigation into possible ties the campaign had with Russia.

However several international media, including the New York Times, said as the inquiry progresses, "the vice president’s account as a possible witness may become more relevant."

Flanked by law enforcement officials and Vice President Mike Pence, US President Donald Trump participates in a bill signing in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House June 2, 2017, in Washington, DC.

Trump, who hired his own lawyer last month for probes by a special counsel and congressional committees, lashed out on Thursday after a report that he was under investigation for possible obstruction of justice.

He dismissed as "phony" the idea that his campaign colluded with any Russian effort to sway the 2016 election. Moscow denies meddling in the campaign.

Lines of inquiry

Mueller is investigating whether anyone on Trump's campaign, or associated with it, with him or any of his businesses, may have had any illegal dealings with Russian officials or others with ties to the Kremlin, said one US official familiar with the rough outlines of the probe and who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Mueller is also looking at a second line of inquiry: Whether, if any potential offenses were committed, Trump or others attempted to cover them up or obstruct the investigation into them, the source said.

An examination of possible obstruction of justice charges was "unavoidable" given testimony by Comey, although the issue may not become the main focus of the probe, the source said.

Examining the possibility of obstruction charges will allow investigators to interview key administration figures including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and possibly Trump himself, said the source familiar with the Mueller investigation.

While a sitting president is unlikely to face criminal prosecution, obstruction of justice could form the basis for impeachment. Any such step would face a steep hurdle as it would require approval by the U.S. House of Representatives, which is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans.

(CGTN)