Rudy Giuliani Quits Firm Because Mueller Work Is Taking Longer Than He Anticipated

Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's newest personal attorney, resigned from his post at a global legal firm to solely focus on his work for the president, the former New York City mayor and the firm confirmed in statements released Thursday.

The former federal prosecutor, who Trump reported hired a mere three weeks ago, said he was leaving Greenberg Traurig permanently after recognizing that he could not work for the firm and represent Trump in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Originally, Giuliani and the firm believed he would not be working for Trump this long.

"When Rudy Giuliani took an unpaid leave of absence from the firm, his intent was to play a limited role, for a short period of time, to address specific matters for President Trump," the firm's executive chairman, Richard A. Rosenbaum, said in a statement to The New York Times. "After recognizing that this work is all consuming and is lasting longer than initially anticipated, Rudy has determined it is best for him to resign from the firm effective May 9th."

Giuliani backed up Rosenbaum's statement and said the resignation affords him the time concentrate on representing Trump "on this critically important matter for our country."

Over the last two weeks, Giuliani has familiarized himself with Mueller's investigation and has also represented Trump on cable network news programs and in various other media outlets.

Giuliani initially ignited a firestorm around Trump after he revealed the president had reimbursed personal attorney Michael Cohen the $130,000 Cohen gave to adult film actress Stormy Daniels (real name Stephanie Clifford) for her silence about a sexual encounter with Trump. The payment was made less than two weeks before the 2016 election and has been criticized as a possible campaign contribution intended to protect Trump and help his pursuit of the White House.

Later, both Trump and Giuliani began to alter their stories about Cohen and Daniels and who knew about the payment and when.