UPDATE - Trump's top Mueller probe lawyer to resign post

ADDS FLOOD CONFIRMATION, EDITS FOR COHERENCE

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump's lead lawyer dealing with an ongoing special counsel probe into Russia will resign from his post, the White House announced Wednesday.

Ty Cobb plans to retire at the end of the month, the White House said in a brief one-sentence statement. Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the White House lawyer informed Chief of Staff John Kelly about his plans last week.

She did not offer a reason for Cobb's departure. He had served in the White House since July.

Cobb will be replaced by Emmet Flood who will "represent the President and the administration against the Russia witch hunt" Sanders said in a second statement.

Flood represented former President Bill Clinton during efforts in the House of Representatives to impeach him.

Cobb's resignation follows multiple reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation is weighing whether to possibly subpoena the president as it continues to look into Russia's alleged attempts to influence the 2016 White House race.

Should Mueller choose to subpoena Trump it would likely set off a legal battle that could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

The New York Times, which first reported Cobb's departure, said Flood is likely to adopt a more adversarial approach to Mueller's probe than Cobb, who urged cooperation.

The new tact appears to already be in full force given the wording of Sanders' second statement.

Cobb told the newspaper in a phone interview he has planned his exit for the month's end to help Flood transition into the post.

Trump has since March adopted a more aggressive approach to the Mueller probe, lashing out in a series of tweets.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump continued to fume, saying on Twitter: "There was no Collusion (it is a Hoax) and there is no Obstruction of Justice (that is a setup & trap)."

A list of 49 questions Mueller wants to ask Trump indicates he is zeroing in on possible obstruction.

The questions, also first reported by the Times, focuses on four main areas including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, who is now cooperating with Mueller after pleading guilty to lying to federal investigators, Trump's firing of former FBI Director James Comey, Attorney General Jeff Sessions's decision to recuse himself from the Russia probe, and possible campaign coordination with Russia.