Topline
Two attorneys representing former President Donald Trump in the Department of Justice’s probe into his handling of classified documents abruptly quit on Friday, CNBC and Politico reported, less than a day after Trump was indicted on seven criminal counts, though the 2024 Republican presidential candidate has not publicly acknowledged the latest shakeup to his legal team.
Two attorneys representing former President Donald Trump left his legal team after the former … [+]
Key Facts
Attorneys John Rowley and Jim Trusty did not provide a reason for their departure but called it a “logical moment” to leave Trump’s legal team, according to a joint statement obtained by CNBC and Politico (Forbes has reached out to Rowley and Trusty).
In the statement, Rowley and Trusty said they will no longer represent Trump in either the classified documents case or an ongoing Justice Department investigation into his role in the January 6 insurrection.
The reports came just minutes after Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that he will instead be represented in the case by attorney Todd Blanche—who also represents him in a separate Manhattan Criminal Court case over alleged hush money payments sent to a porn star and others before the 2016 presidential election—as well as a “firm to be named later.”
Trump thanked Rowley and Trusty in the post, but said “they were up against a very dishonest, corrupt, evil and ‘sick’ group of people, the likes of which has not been seen before.”
Tangent
Rowley and Trusty’s departure is far from the first time a member of Trump’s legal team left the former president, and it’s not the first in Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into whether Trump mishandled classified White House documents after leaving office. Last month, attorney Tim Parlatore—who represented Trump in the case—resigned from Trump’s legal team, calling the move “personal” and not a reflection of his “belief in the strength of the case,” CNN and Politico reported.
News Peg
Trump announced the indictment in a Truth Social post Thursday night, setting the stage for a hearing in U.S. District Court in Miami on Tuesday, where he’s reported to face judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed judge. The former president appears to face charges including obstruction and willfully retaining national defense secrets, as well as conspiracy to obstruct justice, CNN and the New York Times reported.
Further Reading
Trump Says He Was Indicted In DOJ Classified Documents Probe (Forbes)
What Crimes Was Trump Charged With In Federal Documents Case? Here’s What We Know—And How Much Prison Time He Could Face (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/06/09/trump-lawyers-suddenly-resign-after-indictment-latest-shakeup-to-legal-team/