White House lawyer Emmet Flood and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly at a meeting of "no White House staff."

The idea that the White House had forced the FBI and DOJ to reveal classified information about an intelligence source was already shocking. That they held a meeting in which those documents were examined only by a group of Republicans was ludicrously partisan. But that Trump’s attorney and chief of staff joined both the Republican gathering and the followup meeting of bipartisan congressional leadership simply tears a gaping hole in any sort of legal precedent.

Both John Kelly and Trump attorney Emmet Flood strolled into both proceedings. Flood, though not Kelly, apparently left the first meeting shortly after it began, through it’s not clear if he did so before or after scanning the documents. Kelly remained. And both Kelly and Flood were back again when the next meeting started. After CNN’s Manu Raju initially posted video of Flood entering the meeting, others attempted to intercept him. Flood would not explain his presence.

However, Flood’s purpose at the White House is not classified. When CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins asked why Flood was added to the legal team, Press Secretary Sarah Huackbee Sanders gave a blunt answer:

Sanders: Emmet Flood will be joining the White House Staff to represent the president and the administration against the Russia witch hunt.