Evan Corcoran, a lawyer representing former President Donald Trump, has hired a personal attorney as prosecutors ramp up their investigation into handling sensitive documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. According to sources familiar with the matter, Corcoran has retained the services of Michael Levy, a prominent white-collar lawyer in Washington.
Levy was hired by Corcoran’s law firm, Silverman Thompson Slutkin & White, to represent Corcoran in the probe. Levy, a principal at the Washington law firm Ellerman Enzinna Levy, has declined to comment on the matter.
Corcoran has appeared before a grand jury in connection with U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s term in office and possible attempts to obstruct that probe. Corcoran appeared before the grand jury in early January, according to a person familiar with his appearance.
The New York Times reported that U.S. prosecutors are asking Corcoran again, asking a U.S. judge to pierce attorney-client privilege by arguing that they’ve uncovered evidence of a crime. The prosecutors are investigating the mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and the potential obstruction of justice related to the investigation.
Corcoran communicated with the National Archives and U.S. Justice Department last year as the government sought the return of presidential records taken to Mar-a-Lago, according to documents released as part of a lawsuit Trump filed last year seeking an independent review of materials the FBI seized at Mar-a-Lago.
Another Trump lawyer, Christina Bobb, signed a certification that all classified documents had been returned before the FBI found about 100 additional classified documents during an August 2022 search, according to prosecutors.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and claimed, without offering evidence, that all documents at his residence had been declassified. However, the ongoing investigation into the mishandling of classified documents and possible obstruction of justice highlights the seriousness of the matter.
Levy previously worked with Corcoran in the 1990s as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C.
He has been involved in several high-profile cases throughout his career, including representing Enron executives following the company’s 2001 implosion. Levy has also previously worked as a white-collar partner at big law firms Paul Hastings and Mayer Brown.
The retention of Levy by Corcoran’s law firm suggests potential legal troubles for the lawyer and underscores the seriousness of the investigation. The prosecutors’ request to pierce attorney-client privilege is unusual and indicates that they may have uncovered evidence of a crime.
As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what further developments will arise and what legal implications they may have for Corcoran and other parties involved.
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Exclusive: Trump lawyer hires own attorney in classified documents probe