Before Wednesday’s election 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 congressional certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory. to block. He had also pushed for the legality of the strategies that Trump, along with other lawyers, such as Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, had put forward as a means of contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.
“He’s there out of a sense of duty,” said a source.
A source close to Cipollone said, “Pat is a real civil servant committed to the rule of law and his country.”
Cipollone’s departure would add to a growing roster of Trump administration officials, which now includes cabinet members, who have resigned from government roles since the siege of the Capitol.
Cipollone defended the president during impeachment proceedings over phone calls with the leader of Ukraine, but his possible exit raises questions about who would represent Trump if the current impeachment talks pick up steam. Cipollone’s participation is now highly unlikely.
Cipollone was known to have developed a warm relationship with the president quickly after joining the White House legal team. The attorney’s early good reputation, sources told CNN in early 2020, was bolstered by his decades-long relationship with then Attorney General Bill Barr.
Before joining the White House, Cipollone was a partner at the Stein Mitchell Cipollone Beato & Missner law firm in Washington. He also worked for the Justice Department during President George HW Bush’s administration.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Maegan Vazquez contributed to this report.