CNN is reporting that Sen. Norm Coleman has hired Minneapolis-based defense attorney Douglas Kelley to help with two lawsuits that include allegations about Coleman and wealthy donor and friend Nasser Kazeminy. The Star Tribune reports Coleman’s wife, her employer Jim Hays and Kazeminy have all hired attorneys (with Kelley, the paper calls them “four of Minnesota’s biggest legal guns“): Laurie Coleman has retained Earl Gray, Hays hired Doug Peterson and Kazeminy is represented by Joe Friedberg.

Coleman staffer Luke Friedrich told CNN that Kelley was brought on “to work cooperatively with authorities when such an investigation is conducted, and to quickly expose these allegations for what they are, and to hold those who made these false allegations against the Senator accountable.”

“To this date the Senator, nor his legal counsel, have been informed that any such investigation is underway,” he said in the statement. However, the FBI has acknowledged that it is reviewing components of two lawsuits, including one filed in Texas that alleges Kazeminy tried to funnel as much as $100,000 to Coleman through Hays, who employs his wife, Laurie.

Talking Points Memo has more.

Update: Politico reports that Coleman will use donations to his re-election fund to pay his legal bills. Spokesman Friedrich offers the rationale: “We intend to have any legal fees related to what we believe to be a politically inspired legal action to be covered by the Senator’s campaign,” he said.