The Trump team is fighting back as he faces MORE legal danger: tears at fake news reports that he deceived attorneys in the classified case, and the “crime fraud” ruling forced his attorney, Evan Corcoran, to testify
- The judge issued a sealed verdict Friday that Trump’s attorney should testify again
- She wrote a letter to the DOJ mentioning showing “criminal violations.”
- The Trump camp has blasted “illegal” leaks, saying there is no basis for either case
Donald Trump’s camp issued an angry response to a report based on the federal judge’s sealed file alleging “criminal violations” by the former president when she ordered a Trump attorney to be coerced into testifying in the documents case.
A Trump spokeswoman blasted a news report as “fake news” and “ILLEGALLY LEAKED” after parts of a letter from US District Court Judge Beryl Howell to Special Counsel Jack Smith about the investigation into the former president’s handling of government documents, including secret material that had been reported to Mar-a-Lago.
Judge Howell last week ordered Trump attorney Evan Corcoran to comply with a subpoena to testify after investigators asserted a “crime fraud exception” that can override attorney-client privilege. Her sealed warrant would subject him to further questioning before a grand jury.
Judge Howell wrote to prosecutors that there was “prima facie evidence that the former president committed criminal violations,” sources told ABC News.
Donald Trump’s campaign is pushing against a report based on a sealed letter from a judge about possible criminal violations in talks shielded by Trump’s attorney Evan Corcoran
The apparent leak of a sealed judgment and document infuriated Trump’s team Tuesday night, especially as Trump faces possible charges of hush-hush payments to pornstar Stormy Daniels in Manhattan.
“Shame on Fake News ABC for spreading ILLEGALLY LAPED false allegations by a Never Trump, now former Chief Justice, against the Trump legal team,” wrote Trump campaign spokeswoman Liz Harrington, citing Judge Howell’s resignation.
“These leaks happen because there is no factual or legal basis or substance to a case against President Trump,” she said wrote. “This disinformation is on par with Russia, Russia, Russia, Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine and no-collusion Mueller speculation, all of which have been completely refuted,” she continued, before expanding the defense to include any legal issues Trump confronts is.
“These leaks occur because there is no factual or legal basis or substance to a case against President Trump. The deranged Democrats and their comrades in the mainstream media are corrupting the legal process and arming the judicial system to manipulate public opinion because they are clearly losing the political battle.’
US District Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled that Corcoran should testify
More than 100 documents marked as “classified” were subsequently identified in an FBI search in Mar-a-Lago after a diligent search was certified
Former President Donald Trump’s team blasted developments in federal court in a week when Trump faces possible indictment in Manhattan in another case
Howell issued her order last week, her final act as Chief Justice. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals then issued a stay late Tuesday, prompting urgent legal filings on both sides. A verdict could come on Wednesday.
All three judges of a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals who rendered the ruling are Democratic appointments, Politico noted. They asked Trump’s legal team to specify the documents forming the basis of the fight by midnight Tuesday, with the DOJ required to respond by 6 a.m.
The “crime fraud exception” can allow for the suspension of attorney-client privilege if the testimony or documents sought contain evidence of a potential crime. During a previous court appearance, Corcoran, who penned a letter certifying a thorough search of Mar-a-Lago, reportedly invoked privilege on some matters.
More than 100 documents marked as “classified” were subsequently identified in an FBI search of Mar-a-Lago.
Howell ended her seven-year term as chief justice on Friday with the potentially significant step of turning over notes from Trump’s attorney, Evan Corcoran, to the Justice Department.
The Daily Beast called the latest blow a “parting gift” to Jack Smith, the DOJ-appointed special counsel to investigate both Trump’s handling of the Mar-a-Lago classified documents scandal and his actions on Jan. 6.