White House officials are worried their colleagues are wearing wires for Robert Mueller
The detail comes in a New York Times report, published Sunday, that claims President Donald Trump's personal defense attorney is clashing with the White House counsel over how much to cooperate with Mueller, who is investigating potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
Trump's lawyer, Ty Cobb, reportedly has argued in favor of turning over as many documents as possible to Mueller in hopes of speeding up the investigation. Meanwhile, Don McGahn, the White House counsel, has held out because he thinks Trump will be able to assert executive privilege over some of their interactions.
A reporter for the Times overheard Cobb discussing the conflict with another Trump attorney at a Washington, DC steakhouse. The reporter heard Cobb refer to a White House lawyer as a "McGahn spy" and say McGahn had "a couple of documents locked in a safe" that it seemed Cobb wanted access to.
The White House has come under increased scrutiny as Mueller's probe broadens in scale. Several White House officials, including Trump adviser Jared Kushner and McGahn himself, have hired attorneys, leading to heightened suspicion that some White House officials are wearing wires.