Vice President Mike Pence hires outside counsel in Russia probe

Vice President Mike Pence has hired his own lawyer to represent him in the special counsel's Russia investigation. The lawyer, Richard Cullen, is a former Virginia attorney general and a former US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia.

President Donald Trump has been putting together his own team of outside lawyers to represent him through the Justice Department special counsel's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Pence's communications director Jarrod Agen said in a statement: "I can confirm that the vice president has retained Richard Cullen of McGuire Woods to assist him in responding to inquiries by the special counsel. The vice president is focused entirely on his duties and promoting the President's agenda and looks forward to a swift conclusion of this matter."

Reached by CNN's Kevin Bohn, Cullen said he had nothing to add beyond the official statement.