Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday hired a new lawyer, Todd Blanche, to bolster his defense before a Manhattan court regarding the case of alleged bribery of porn actress Stephanie Clifford, known as Stormy Daniels.
Blanche previously represented his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, as well as Igor Fruman, a former associate of Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and one of his closest aides in his first impeachment trial, Politico has reported.
Trump’s new lawyer, until recently a partner at the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, has represented Manafort in a case before the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for alleged mortgage fraud, being the same court in which the former president will be questioned. Blanche will thus reinforce the team formed by Susan Necheles and Joe Tacopina.
On the other hand, the lawyers of former President Trump have asked a New York judge to dismiss the request of the media to broadcast live the arraignment scheduled for Tuesday.
»The media request should be denied because it will create a circus atmosphere at the arraignment, will generate unique security concerns and is inconsistent with President Trump’s presumption of innocence,» Trump’s team said in a letter sent to Judge Juan Merchant, CNN reported.
Trump was indicted Thursday for the possible secret payment of $ 130,000 (more than 120,000 euros) to Clifford by the former lawyer of former President Michael Cohen. Trump has thus become the first former US president to be indicted, which could end his aspirations to return to the White House in the elections scheduled for 2024.
The former president issued a statement after his indictment in which he denounced »political persecution and electoral interference». This has never been done before in the history of our nation,» he recriminated, while accusing »the Democrats of the radical left» of »a witch hunt to destroy the ‘Make America Great Again» movement» and defending his innocence.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
