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Todd Blanche, a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, has resigned from the law firm to join the defense team representing former U.S. President Donald Trump in a criminal case brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. According to reports by Politico and Law.com, Blanche will eventually lead Trump’s representation. A spokesperson for Cadwalader confirmed Blanche’s departure but declined to comment further.
In an email obtained by Politico, Blanche stated that he resigned from Cadwalader because he had been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged Manhattan District Attorney’s case. He further explained that after careful thought and consideration, he believed it was the best opportunity for him and an opportunity he should not pass up. Blanche’s LinkedIn profile indicates that he was a partner at Cadwalader from September 2017 to April 2023 and is now listed as the founding partner of Blanche Law.
Blanche is a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York and a graduate of Brooklyn Law School. He has previously represented Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was found guilty of lying to banks to obtain loans and filing false tax returns to hide assets.
Trump was indicted on March 30, but the charges were not released. The indictment is expected to relate to $130,000 in hush-money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who had alleged an affair with Trump. Trump is likely to be charged with falsification of business records under New York law, which is a felony if the false record is made with the intent to cover up another crime. However, Trump has denied any wrongdoing.
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Blanche will join a defense team that includes lawyers Joe Tacopina and Susan Necheles. In a statement to Law.com, an anonymous source described Blanche’s departure from Cadwalader as a “happy uncoupling.”
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According to Politico, Blanche got the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to drop state charges against Manafort after arguing that they covered the same conduct as the federal charges and would constitute double jeopardy.
In the same report, Blanche called Manafort’s indictment “politically motivated,” which is the same accusation Trump makes about the current Manhattan district attorney. It is still being determined how Blanche’s previous representation of Manafort will affect his representation of Trump.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s case is not the only legal challenge faced by Trump. He is also facing a separate investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office, looking into allegations of financial impropriety by Trump and his organization.
The Manhattan case is expected to be a high-profile and closely watched legal battle with significant implications for Trump’s political future. It remains to be seen how Blanche’s departure from Cadwalader will impact his representation of Trump and the legal proceedings.
