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Ahead of Wednesday’s electoral certification process and the violence that followed, Cipollone had informed Trump that he had no legal basis to justify his argument that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to block certification by the Joe Biden Presidential Victory Congress. He had also insisted on the legality of the strategies that Trump had launched with other lawyers, such as Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, to challenge the results of the 2020 presidential election.
“He is there out of a sense of duty,” said a source.
A source close to Cipollone said: “Pat is a true civil servant dedicated to the rule of law and to his country”.
Cipollone’s exit would add to a growing list of officials in the Trump administration, which now includes members of the Cabinet, who have resigned their government positions from the seat on Capitol Hill.
Cipollone defended the president during the impeachment process in phone calls with the Ukraine leader, but his potential exit raises questions about who would represent Trump if the current impeachment negotiations picked up speed. Cipollone’s participation is now highly unlikely.
Cipollone was known to have quickly developed a warm relationship with the president after joining the White House legal team. The attorney’s good reputation, sources told CNN in early 2020, was bolstered by his decades-long relationship with then-Attorney General Bill Barr.
Prior to joining the White House, Cipollone was a partner in the Washington law firm Stein Mitchell Cipollone Beato & Missner. He also worked for the Department of Justice under the administration of President George HW Bush.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.
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