(Reuters) - U.S. 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 U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia, his office said on Thursday.
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Moscow interfered in last year's presidential campaign to try to tilt the vote in Trump's favour.
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.
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. U.S. prosecutors have not accused Blatter of wrongdoing.
Cullen, who supported Trump's rival Jeb Bush during the race for the Republican presidential nomination, also represented Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican and former majority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, during the investigation into corrupt Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. DeLay was not charged.
Pence had been looking at hiring his own counsel for several weeks, and made his decision earlier this week after interviewing several candidates, his office said.
Mr. Ali Sabri Rahim, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Puttalam District whom an open warrant had been issued, attended a public ceremony at Al Aksha National School in Kalpitiya today (16) as the special guest of honor.
All Ceylon Makkal Congress MP Ali Sabri Raheem had been arrested by Kalpitiya police after he surrendered to the police today morning.
Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena has been sent on compulsory leave pending disciplinary investigation over his failure to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings.
The 22nd amendment to the constitution dealing with the term of the President has been gazetted by order of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Auspicious times widely followed by candidates keeping with traditions will be taken into consideration by the Election Commission in fixing the date and time for the conduct on the Presidential polls.
The Cabinet of Ministers has granted policy approval to change the wording “exceeding six years” in paragraph (b) of Article 83 of the Constitution to “exceeding five years” with reference to the President’s tenure.
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