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Recently, the legal drama surrounding former President Donald Trump has taken an intriguing turn, with attorney Timothy Parlatore speaking out about the challenges he faced while representing Trump. In a candid interview with CNN’s Paula Reid, Parlatore accused one individual, Boris Epshteyn, of obstructing their efforts to defend the former president.
According to Parlatore, Epshteyn, a member of Trump’s team, served as a filter, blocking crucial information from reaching Trump and impeding their defense strategies. Parlatore expressed his belief that Epshteyn was not forthcoming with him or their client, highlighting the difficulties faced when fighting against the Department of Justice and special counsel investigations. He emphasized that dealing with internal obstacles within their own legal team made it even more challenging to fulfill their duties as attorneys.
Parlatore also alleged that Epshteyn interfered with searches of Trump’s properties for government documents. This revelation aligned with prior reports suggesting that Epshteyn sidelined another lawyer, Chris Kise, who had been retained with a $3 million payment from the Save America PAC. Kise had advised Trump to cooperate with the Justice Department and return all documents to mitigate potential criminal prosecution. However, Epshteyn’s actions contradicted this advice, exacerbating the legal complexities surrounding the case.
Additionally, reports indicate that Epshteyn may have influenced Trump to pursue frivolous lawsuits, such as the one against the Pulitzer board for defamation and another against New York Attorney General Letitia James for biased prosecution. These lawsuits were filed in Florida state court, adding to the questionable decisions made within Trump’s legal team.
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Parlatore attributed Epshteyn’s behavior to his limited legal experience and overconfidence. Having spent only 18 months working on transactional matters at a large firm, Epshteyn appeared to believe that his knowledge surpassed that of the rest of the legal team.
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Parlatore’s departure from Trump’s legal team comes at a crucial juncture in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s grand jury investigation into Trump’s handling of classified documents. Recent reports indicate that Judge Beryl Howell revoked attorney-client privilege between Evan Corcoran, another attorney representing Trump, and the former president. As a result, Corcoran was compelled to provide prosecutors with approximately 50 pages of notes, which revealed his counsel to Trump regarding the retention of government documents after receiving a subpoena.
Oddly, Parlatore mentioned that his testimony before the grand jury was not in his capacity as an attorney but as a custodian of records. The Department of Justice wanted someone to testify about the searches conducted and potentially challenge the attorney, but they lacked a suitable candidate. Consequently, Parlatore took it upon himself to provide testimony, during which he revealed information that prosecutors did not appreciate. Parlatore claimed that he offered to return for further questioning, but his offers were refused.
The interview with Parlatore echoes a similar situation involving Robert Costello, who testified before a grand jury convened by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Costello expressed his lack of trust in Michael Cohen, Trump’s previous attorney and fixer, similar to Parlatore’s criticisms of Epshteyn. Epshteyn has yet to cooperate with authorities or be disassociated from Trump.
While the legal saga surrounding Trump unfolds, it remains unclear how the allegations against Epshteyn will impact the overall outcome. As Trump faces multiple charges related to false business records, the role of Epshteyn and the internal dynamics of Trump’s legal team may play a crucial role in the proceedings. The public will undoubtedly continue to closely follow this legal battle to see how it unfolds and what implications it may have for the former president.
