CNN Lawyer Refused to Work for Donald Trump Against Mueller, Now Suing President For Violating First Amendment

One of the attorneys representing CNN in its lawsuit against President Donald Trump over the revocation of reporter Jim Acosta's White House press credentials turned down an offer to represent Trump earlier this year.

Theodore B. Olson, along with three other attorneys from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, filed suit on CNN and Acosta's behalves against the president, White House chief of staff John Kelly, communications director Bill Shine, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Secret Service. The suit claims they had violated the First Amendment after taking the reporter's "hard pass" press credential hours after a testy exchange at a news conference between Trump and Acosta.

Considered a top GOP lawyer, Olson was solicitor general under former President George W. Bush and he and the firm turned down the opportunity to represent Trump against Special Counsel Robert Mueller, according to The Washington Post in March.

Two days after The Post's report, attorney John Dowd resigned his post as the head of the president's legal team. Roughly a month later, Trump tapped former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and in May attorney Emmet Flood. Giuliani, along with Jay Sekulow, currently represent the president while Flood temporarily served as now-former White House counsel following Don McGahn's departure last month.

The suit, filed in Washington D.C., claims Acosta cannot properly perform his job as chief White House correspondent for the network without the hard pass.

Citing several cases that ruled in favor of the media, the suit aims to "enforce" the "constitutional commitment to the First Amendment, which allows for a free press, as well as "restore Acosta's well-deserved press credentials, and ensure that the press remains free to question the government and to report the business of the nation to the American people."

Sanders responded to the suit by blasting CNN, vowed to fight and claimed the White House could not run effective press conferences unless reporters "when a single reporter, of more than 150 present, attempts to monopolize the floor."

"This is just more grandstanding from CNN, and we will vigorously defend against this lawsuit. CNN, who has nearly 50 additional hard pass holders, and Mr. Acosta is no more or less special than any other media outlet or reporter with respect to the First Amendment."

During the press conference on Wednesday, Acosta asked Trump two questions and when a White House intern tried to take the microphone Acosta refused. Acosta continued to question the president, who then called the reporter a "terrible" and "rude" person while repeating his well-known insults towards CNN.

Later, Sanders faced accusations of falsely claiming Acosta had improperly placed his hands on the intern and for posting a doctored video of the incident that made it appear Acosta had been more physical. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway later denied the footage, which was taken from a site linked to conspiracy trafficker InfoWars, was doctored and stood by it before admitting the clip she shared had been sped-up.