I don't think they're sweating too hard. This is standard technique for the Deep State. When their crimes starts getting legal, they proclaim their innocence, and use the courts to drag out the process. Main Stream Media is as guilty as they are with its collusion. Hunter Biden is much richer by having the statute of limitations run out on some of his crimes.
As far as Clapper lawyering up, this is likely to be facilitating his control of the Deep State. He can probably kill his adversaries easier this way. I view the Trump/Russia affair as largely an internal conference in the Obama administration as to who controls the Deep State. With Clapper getting lawyers, I view it as him saying that it's him, and he is formally claiming it via his lawyers, who are also likely Deep State.