Crime & Justice

Trump’s Last-Minute Scramble to Find a Florida Lawyer Fails: Report

GREAT START

Several attorneys decided not to take up the former president as a client.

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as he attends the North Carolina Republican Party convention in Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. June 10, 2023.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters

Donald Trump’s 11th-hour attempt at finding a local Florida lawyer to join his defense team ahead of his arraignment Tuesday didn’t work out, according to a report. The former president and his legal team spent Monday afternoon interviewing possible candidates but none of them were willing to take Trump on as a client. Trump is consequently expected to appear in court in Miami alongside two of his existing attorneys—former federal prosecutor Todd Blanche and Chris Kise, the former Florida solicitor general, people familiar with the matter told The Guardian. People close to the recruitment effort said Trump’s reputation for being a tough client who flagrantly ignores legal advice and attempts to use his lawyers like political aides makes it difficult to find new lawyers. The strength of the indictment—which includes 37 criminal charges over allegations of mishandling classified government documents—was also a problem, sources said.

Read it at The Guardian