Marc Kasowitz has been selected to lead Trump’s defense against the Russia probe Image by Getty Images

Marc Kasowitz, President Donald Trump’s long-time personal lawyer, has claimed in private conversations that he was responsible for the firing of Preet Bharara, the former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, according to Pro Publica.

Bharara, who was told by President Trump he could keep his job in a November meeting at Trump Tower, was asked to step down in March while in the middle of an investigation into Tom Price, Trump’s secretary of health and human services. He refused, and was fired shortly thereafter. Bharara was known for the tenacity with which he took on powerful politicians and Wall Street executives.

Some have doubted the veracity of Kasowitz’s claim. From the report:

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“Those who know Kasowitz say he is sometimes prone to exaggerating when regaling them with his exploits. But if true, his assertion adds to the mystery surrounding the motive and timing of Bharara’s firing.”

Kasowitz, who has also bragged of being offered the job of attorney general, is currently engaged in defending President Trump in the ongoing Russia probe.

Contact Jesse Bernstein at [email protected] or on Twitter @__jbernstein

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