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Following Trump’s decisive election victory, many DOJ officials and career staffers were already nervous about the possibility that they would be targeted by Trump loyalists, particularly members of Congress. “Everything we did was above board,” said a former senior FBI official, who has started contacting lawyers because he expects to be prosecuted himself. “Agents have to do 20 years,” the former senior FBI official said. DOJ and FBI officials say that the Trump investigations were carried out properly. Now, a new group of DOJ and FBI officials are facing the prospect of hefty legal fees as well.

Persons: Trump, Matt Gaetz, ”, elect’s, beholden, Gaetz, “, “ Trump, Wally Skalij, Weeks, Stephen Cheung, Witch Hunt, ” Cheung, Stephen Gillers, General Merrick Garland, Trump’s, Garland, Mike Davis, Jack Smith, Smith, Donald Trump, Jacquelyn Martin, Ilya Somin, ” Somin, Robert Mueller, Paul Manafort, Bill Barr, John Durham, Russia’s, Durham, Jack Smith’s, ” Gillers, Captain Ahab Organizations: Justice Department, FBI, Trump loyalists, Trump, “, DOJ, Los Angeles Times, Getty Images Trump, New York University Law School, ”, DOJ DOJ, Department, Justice, George Mason University, Russia, CIA, NYU Locations: Coachella , Calif, Washington, Gaetz

Those rules were designed to prevent a repeat of the abuses of Richard Nixon, who improperly used the Justice Department to punish his political enemies. A new president appoints roughly 300 senior Justice Department officials, including the U.S. attorneys who run offices across the country. All 300 must be confirmed by the Senate, but multiple former Justice Department officials said they fear Trump would install partisans willing to do his bidding. Justice Department officials have risen to the occasion and defied presidential overreach in the past. You go in and just whack a good portion of the workforce,” the former Justice Department official said.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Trump, don’t, Richard Nixon, “, ”, Joyce Vance, Barbara McQuade, Sen, JD Vance, Vance, Vance’s, Biden Justice Department’s, Hunter Biden, Robert Menendez, Eric Adams, Jack Smith, Aileen Cannon, Cannon, Jeffrey Clark, Clark, Mike Davis, influencer Benny Johnson’s, Davis, Joe Biden, Jan, gulag ”, ” Trump, ” Vance, “ Trump, Stephen Gillers, Gillers, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, ” Gillers, Ilya Somin, Somin, Nixon, Archibald Cox, wouldn’t Organizations: NBC, Google, National Public Radio, NBC News, Justice Department, FBI, Trump, Department, U.S, Senate, Drug, Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, DOJ, Biden Justice, Robert Menendez of New, New York, U.S . Capitol, ABC News, Republican, Politico, D.C, gulag, Service, NYU School of Law, George Mason University, senior Locations: U.S, Alabama, Ohio, Georgia, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, New, —, acquittals

President Donald Trump and his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, in Quantico, Va., on Dec. 15, 2017. “Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials." Since leaving the Trump administration, Clark has argued that the attorney general should not be independent. Davis told NBC News that he does not expect he would fill the role of acting attorney general but that another Trump ally could. Donald Trump, left, and Attorney General William Barr at the White House on May 22, 2019.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, “ Trump, ”, Stephen Gillers, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Sessions, Evan Vucci, ” Trump, “, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, Jack Smith, Barack Obama, Liz Cheney, Richard Nixon’s, Robert Mueller, general’s, Jeffrey Clark, Jose Luis Magana, Clark, Russ Vought, —, ” Clark, Mike Davis, Sen, Chuck Grassley, Neil Gorsuch, ” Davis, Hillary Clinton, George Soros, Davis, General Merrick Garland’s, Trump’s, Stephen Richer, ” Richer, Ilya Somin, Gene Hamilton, William Barr, Chip Somodevilla, Hamilton, ” Gillers, Zuckerberg Organizations: of Justice, New York University Law School, ”, and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, WIN, Political, Illegal Voters, Democratic National Convention, Republican, Justice Department, White, White House, Democratic, Trump, Conservative Political, DOJ, “, Supreme, Washington , D.C, NBC News, Trump DOJ, Capitol, D.C, FBI, George Mason University, Partisan, America, NYU Locations: Quantico, Va, Oxon Hill, Md, America, Iowa, Washington ,, Albany , Atlanta, New York City, Palm Beach, Phoenix, Fort Pierce , Florida, Lago, Maricopa County , Arizona

☆ How the overturned Harvey Weinstein conviction could echo in Donald Trump’s hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Gloria Pazmino | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Some legal observers believe the Weinstein decision could prove relevant as the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump unfolds in Manhattan. Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the trial and making day-by-day decisions about what evidence is allowed in court, is bound to the same guidelines as the Weinstein trial judge. Stephen Gillers, professor of law at New York University, said the Weinstein ruling will certainly be important to Merchan. Judge Madeline Singas dissented from the Weinstein appeals court ruling, saying the information was needed for the jury to consider. Gillers said the Weinstein decision is not just weighing on the judge’s mind.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein’s, Weinstein, ”, “ Sandoval ”, Donald Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, Sandoval, Douglas Wigdor, “, Trump, Stormy Daniels, It’s, Karen McDougal, Trump’s, McDougal, Daniels, Ronan Farrow, Harvey Weinstein, Merchan, Stephen Gillers, ” Gillers, Deborah Tuerkheimer, Madeline Singas, ” Singas, ‘ Sandoval ’, Weinstein judge’s Sandoval, Augustin Sandoval, Jean Carroll, Tuerkheimer, Merchan’s, he’s, ” Tuerkheimer, Arthur Aidala, Aidala, ” Aidala, “ Harvey, Gillers, –, won’t Organizations: CNN, New, Trump, Molineux, New York University, Northwestern University, ” Prosecutors, Weinstein Locations: New York, Manhattan, Weinstein’s

☆ Fani Willis takes the stand hellbent on setting the record straight — but legal experts are split on whether her testimony did more harm than good
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Citing a filing from Wade's divorce proceedings, attorneys for the defendants alleged that Wade and Willis had an improper relationship. A witness for the defense attorneys alleged Thursday that Willis and Wade's relationship began in 2019. Nathan Wade, the Georgia prosecutor who admitted to a relationship with his colleague, Fulton County DA Fani Willis, in court. Fulton County DA Fani Willis testifies at a hearing Feb. 15 in Atlanta on her relationship with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade. Most experts were skeptical that the evidence presented Thursday would lead to Willis or Wade being dismissed from the case.

Persons: —, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Donald Trump, Scott McAfee, Willis, Wade, pugnacious, Mike Roman, Trump, Stephen Gillers, McCaffee, I've, It's, Gillers, Norman Eisen, Trump's, DA Willis, Eisen, Sarah Krissoff, Krissoff, Mark Bederow, wasn't, Bederow, Neama, Cash, Rahmani, Pool Willis, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, Trump, Fulton, New York University, YouTube, Willis Locations: ATLANTA , Georgia, Fulton County, Georgia, Atlanta, New York, Manhattan, California

☆ In any other case, Trump lawyer Alina Habba's antics would be grounds for malpractice, ethics lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewDonald Trump's lawyer made headlines last week after she violated basic courtroom rules and proper legal procedure in the E. Jean Carroll defamation trial. Alina Habba's behavior would have opened her up to potential malpractice liability in any other case, said one ethics lawyer. But Trump is unlikely to sue Habba for malpractice, he said. "Trump wants a lawyer who will fight in the court of public opinion as much as the courtroom," Neama Rahmani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told Business Insider. "There aren't a lot of good trial lawyers who want to jump on that grenade."

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Jean Carroll, Lewis Kaplan, Habba, dinging, Alina Habba's, Trump, Stephen Gillers, Gillers, wouldn't, they'll, Kris Franklin, Mary, Carroll, Rahmani, didn't Organizations: Service, Business, NYU School of Law, West, Trial, New York Law School, New, The New York Times, Habba Locations: New York

☆ DA Fani Willis defends prosecutor she hired for Trump's Georgia election case amid allegations of an 'improper' relationship
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fulton County DA Fani Willis was accused of having an "improper" relationship with a prosecutor. Willis appointed the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, to oversee the RICO case against Trump. The motion seeks to dismiss the indictment and disqualify Willis and Wade and their offices from further prosecuting the case. Willis said she hired three special prosecutors for the election case: a white man, a white woman, and a Black man. If Willis financially benefited from her relationship with Wade, that may be an ethics violation," he said.

Persons: Fani Willis, Willis, Nathan Wade, —, Sunday, Donald Trump, Martin Luther King Jr, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, Wade, Fulton, Scott McAfee, Steve Sadow, King, she's, I'm, Pete Skandalakis, McAfee, Stephen Gillers, Trump Organizations: Fulton, Trump, Service, Big Bethel AME Church, White, New York Univerity Law School, Atlanta Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Big Bethel, Atlanta, New York

[1/2] U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses during a group portrait at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., October 7, 2022. Durbin said the "undisclosed, forgiven" loan demonstrates the need for a binding code of conduct for the court. The documents showed that Welters forgave the loan in 2008, according to the findings. The Senate Judiciary Committee in July approved a Democratic-backed bill that would mandate a binding ethics code for the justices. Thomas and Welters did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Evelyn Hockstein, Thomas, Anthony Welters, Dick Durbin, Durbin, Welters, Ron Wyden, Elliot Berke, Berke, Harlan Crow, Steven Lubet, Lubet, Stephen Gillers, Andrew Chung, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, REUTERS, Rights, Welters, Democratic, hobnobbing, Senate, New York Times, Texas, Crow, Northwestern University, New York University, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New York, Washington

Another source identified Trump Organization employee Yuscil Taveras as the unnamed computer specialist whose fees prosecutors said were paid by Trump's political group. Trump's legal spokesperson Alina Habba, who is also general counsel at Save America, did not respond to detailed questions on the payments. In July, after Save America reported its legal expenses to the Federal Election Commission, Cheung said Save America was helping people who had worked for Trump avoid "financial ruin." Asked how legal spending would affect his campaign, Trump told a SiriusXM podcast earlier this month: "Fortunately, I have a lot more money." Save America and the Trump campaign have not responded to requests for comment on the legal fee estimates.

Persons: Donald Trump, Scott Morgan, Donald Trump's, Brand Woodward, Greenberg Traurig, Trump, Jason Osborne, Trump's, Osborne, Stanley Woodward, Jason Miller, Margo Martin, Dan Scavino, Matt Calamari Jr, Yuscil Taveras, Miller, Martin, Calamari Jr, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, Michael Roman, Boris Epshteyn, Taylor Budowich, William Russell, Kash Patel, Brian Jack, Roman, Dhillon, Epshteyn, Jack, Patel, De Oliveira, Russell, Alina Habba, Steven Cheung, Cheung, Stephen Gillers, Jason Lange, Andrew Goudsward, Nathan Layne, Sarah N, Lynch, Karen Freifeld, Ted Hesson, Scott Malone, Deepa Babington Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Trump, Save, Federal, Commission, Make, Inc, MAGA Inc, Republican Party, America, Save America, Trump Organization, Scavino, New York University, Thomson Locations: Dubuque , Iowa, U.S, Save America, America's, Georgia, Budowich

The complaint was sent to the US judges' Committee on Financial Disclosure. For now, questions about Thomas's previously undisclosed financial dealings with Harlan Crow, a billionaire Texas real-estate developer, will fall to an obscure committee of sixteen federal judges — the Committee on Financial Disclosure. Koszczuk said the same letterhead was routinely sent to any member of the public who asked for a judge's financial disclosure report. When Ranjan wrote his article, a review of a Thomas biography, the controversies surrounding Thomas had nothing to do with his financial disclosures. Judges' financial disclosures are only updated annually, and until recently, it wasn't easy to get ahold of them.

☆ Tightening Supreme Court Ethics Rules Faces Steep Hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The drumbeat of revelations that Justice Clarence Thomas did not disclose lavish gifts and significant financial arrangements with a billionaire Republican donor has put a spotlight on the fact that the Supreme Court has the weakest ethics rules in the federal government. But it is far less clear that anything can be done about it. Justice Thomas’s behavior has underscored that financial disclosure rules for justices are porous and that the court has no binding code of ethical conduct like the one that governs lower-court judges. The court has shown no interest in adopting one, and proposals in Congress to force one upon it face steep political and constitutional hurdles. “It’s a mess,” said Stephen Gillers, a legal ethics professor at New York University.

☆ Clarence Thomas didn't recuse himself from a 2004 appeal tied to Harlan Crow's family business, per Bloomberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lauren Steussy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Clarence Thomas previously said his friend Harlan Crow had no business before the court. But a case involving Trammell Crow Residential made its way to the Supreme Court in 2005, per Bloomberg. Harlan Crow was CEO of Crow Holdings from 1988 to 2017, and remains chair of its board, per Bloomberg and The Real Deal. "At the time of this case, Trammell Crow Residential operated completely independently of Crow Holdings with a separate management team and its own independent operations," the statement to Bloomberg said. Neither Harlan Crow nor Crow Holdings had knowledge of or involvement in this case, and a search of Crow Holding's legal records reveals no involvement in this case.

☆ Joe Tacopina risks being disqualified as Trump's defense lawyer because Stormy Daniels considered hiring him 5 years ago, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Depending on what Daniels told Tacopina, he could be disqualified in the case, experts say. Tacopina didn't end up taking on Daniels as a client. And the communications from Daniels didn't create a conflict of representation, according to Tacopina. Even if Tacopina didn't take on Daniels as a client, lawyers still have obligations to prospective clients, legal experts say. That appears to be the position of Daniels' attorney.

☆ Stormy Daniels looked into hiring a lawyer currently representing Trump in hush money case. The Manhattan DA now has their communications.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A lawyer for Stormy Daniels said he gave the Manhattan DA communications between her and Trump's attorney. The communications reportedly include information about Daniels' then situation, which Brewster said contains confidential information she disclosed to Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina. When a paralegal in his office brought it up with him, he declined to take the case, he told Insider. Tacopina told Insider that the communication from Daniels didn't rise to a level that would raise a conflict. He told CNN that he handed over the communications between Daniels and Tacopina following what he said were contradicting comments from the Trump lawyer about his firm's emails with Daniels.

☆ FTX founder's remarks pose challenge for his lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 18 (Reuters) - FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, facing mounting legal challenges over the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, may have harmed his defense by speaking publicly in recent days, legal experts said. Bankman-Fried has sought to explain the implosion of FTX and disparaged government regulators in posts on Twitter and conversations with reporters. Attorneys said such statements will likely make life more difficult for the defense lawyers seeking to manage fallout from the exchange’s demise and navigate multiple federal investigations. His law firm represents many other financial industry clients. Joseph is a former president of the American College of Trial Lawyers who has written about racketeering law and rules of evidence.

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