It was speculated yesterday that the Miami arraignment of Donald Trump might have to be postponed because it was unclear if he would have counsel representing him, after the very high profile departure of two of his lawyers on Monday. Trump finally settled for having Christopher Kise appearing as the local counsel admitted to the southern district of Florida as a one-off, with Todd Blanche being sponsored by him to appear pro hac vice, according to the Guardian.
“The problem is none of us want to work for the guy. He’s a nightmare client,” said one top federal criminal defense attorney in the Southern District of Florida, noting that Trump’s legal team has been the subject of numerous unflattering stories about infighting and the capriciousness of Trump.
“I would love to do it. I think the case is weak. But my wife would divorce me and my kids wouldn’t talk to me if I defended Trump,” said another who had informal discussions with Trump’s team, said others interviewed for The Messenger.
Not exactly standing in line to work for the guy. And I’m sure it doesn’t help that Trump’s infamous for not paying people who have worked for him. Remember when Rudy Giuliani was supposedly billing him for $20,000 per day? Back in the halcyon days of the Four Seasons parking lot? Rudy could have paid him ten times as much. An unpaid bill is an unpaid bill and Trump’s got loads of them.
In a sign of just how desperate the ex-president is, The Guardian reports that Trump and his team interviewed an attorney “who was indicted in 2008 for money laundering before the charges were dropped” and is currently facing “disbarment for contempt of court in a recent civil suit he lost,” says Bess Levin in her column.
I believe that this is the person she refers to as the guy who advertises on the side of a bus? Or, maybe it’s somebody else. There are a lot of buses in both Bedminster and Miami and Trump is known for flights of fancy and sudden decisions on matters that normal people take as seriously as a heart attack.
The damage-by-association these people are said to fear isn’t just about Trump being a right-wing aspiring authoritarian who incites insurrections when things don’t go his way, but “the strength of the indictment, which could potentially lead to years in prison.” As a reminder, Trump is on tape talking about the classified documents he held on to, despite being ordered to give them back, and according to the DOJ, said in response to a government subpoena, “Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything here?” and “Well, look, isn’t it better if there are no documents?”
My personal theory is that Todd Blanche took the job so that he could write a book about it. It’s a theory that fits the facts. Trump was desperately in need of somebody with Blanche’s skills and reputation. Blanche resigned as a partner for a very high prestige “white shoe” firm, which tells me that a lot of money exchanged hands that day and with what Blanche is about to learn about Trump and the experiences he’s undoubtedly having, it’s best seller material, right?
Blanche will retire in comfort and ease, making the rounds of the late-night comedy shows and Trump will toddle around Mar-a-Lago with an ankle bracelet. It’s all speculation at this point, as we take the story from data point to data point. Only one thing never changes: and that is the character of our protagonist. Neither the Greek tragedians nor the Bard himself ever created a more self-doomed character than Donald Trump.
I don’t think it’s irresponsible to predict that yet more lawyers will jump ship before all this is through.
Say, anybody heard from Boris Epshteyn lately?
So I guess even Herr Trumpler’s not sufficiently stupid to represent himself, huh? That would be my damp dream. Half his first sentence in, he’d be in contempt and it would be downhill (and hilarious) from there.
What a GREAT IDEA!
Even ambulance chasers aren’t stupid enough to take this case. I can’t imagine anyone would risk the reputational hit, not to mention the economic (if he loses, and he will, he won’t pay) one. That TFG can’t find an attorney says so much about him as a person and a client. John Gotti, Timothy McVeigh and Jeffrey Epstein all managed to have legal representation.
Have to be paid a huge sum, in advance, with more if the defense is successful.
Better call Saul man. LMAO
To bad Ted Bundy, another serial killer, isn’t around to defend this serial killer. He was pure EVIL, but was evidently smarter than the American Nazi Party,(gop).
Doesn’t it violate professional ethics for an attorney to write a book about privileged communications with a client? Nobody would buy a book that didn’t include the “inside scoop” about Trump.