Officials feared White House counsel would quit over Trump-Kushner meetings: report

West Wing officials were reportedly worried that White House counsel Don McGahn was considering resigning over meetings between President Trump and and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, whose actions have drawn scrutiny in the federal Russia probe.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday evening that McGahn was concerned that investigators may attempt to portray the meetings between Trump and Kushner over the summer as an attempt to coordinate their stories.

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Then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon both reportedly urged McGahn to stay in his position. McGahn ultimately stayed in his role, in part due to the White House hiring a legal team to manage inquiries related to the Russia probe, the Journal said.

One source told the Journal that McGahn’s frustrations could be boiled down to, “Fine, you’re not taking my advice? Why stay?”

A White House official reacted to the Journal’s story by telling the newspaper that McGahn “did not consider resigning, and he was not concerned about any one individual. He was focused on implementing the proper processes and structures to protect the White House and its staff, including Jared.”

Kushner has been a figure at the center of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between Trump campaign associates and Russia after it was revealed he attended a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian-linked lawyer who promised damaging information about Hillary Clinton.

Earlier this month, it was reported that White House lawyers wanted Kushner to step down due to possible legal complications with the ongoing Russia investigation.