http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/russ...ld-trumps-personal-attorney/story?id=47646601
One of President Donald Trumps closest confidants, his personal lawyer Michael Cohen, has now become a focus of the expanding Congressional investigation into Russian efforts to influence the 2016 campaign.
Cohen confirmed to ABC News that House and Senate investigators have asked him to provide information and testimony about any contacts he had with people connected to the Russian government, but he said he has turned down the invitation.
I declined the invitation to participate as the request was poorly phrased, overly broad and not capable of being answered, Cohen told ABC News in an email Tuesday.
After Cohen rejected the Congressional requests for cooperation, the Senate Select Intelligence Committee voted unanimously on Thursday to grant the chairman, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, and ranking Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, blanket authority to issue subpoenas as they deem necessary.
While much of the media focus in recent days has fallen on Russian contacts made by Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, there are few people closer to the president than his longtime lawyer. Insiders consider Cohen to be Trumps pitbull or consigliere for his role in threatening legal action against Trump critics, gaining notoriety for threatening and browbeating reporters investigating Trumps background.