Topline
Attorney Jim Trusty has resigned from representing former President Donald Trump in another case, citing “irreconcilable differences,” a move that comes days after he severed ties with Trump in his classified documents case in Florida—raising speculation that he stepped down because Trump is notoriously hard to work for.
Jim Trusty (L) and Lindsey Halligan (R), part of former US President Donald Trumps legal team, … [+] arrive at the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 1, 2022. (Photo by MARCO BELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
Key Facts
Trusty withdrew himself on Friday from a $475 million defamation suit Trump filed against CNN in October in a motion filed with the Southern District of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Division.
Citing “irreconcilable differences,” Trusty told the court he “can no longer effectively and properly represent Trump.”
Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan continues to represent Trump in the case, according to the motion.
Trusty’s latest resignation comes a week after Trusty and a second lawyer, John Rowland, stepped down, without explanation, from representing the former president in the Justice Department’s classified documents case against him.
Key Background
Trusty stepped away from the CNN suit as Trump is reportedly struggling to find new attorneys to represent him in the Justice Department’s classified documents case against him. The former president has a long history of losing lawyers and deterring others from working for him out of fear of being used as “attack dogs or political aides,” the Guardian reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with his search for new attorneys. Rowland and Trusty, hours after Trump was indicted by the Justice Department, explained to the court that it was a “logical moment” to part ways with Trump. Attorney Tim Parlatore also resigned from the Justice Department probe in May, calling the move “personal” and not a reflection of his “belief in the strength of the case,” though Parlatore has remained a loyal defender of the ex-president. Trump—who pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 37 felony counts of mishandling sensitive government material and obstructing the Justice Department’s investigation into his conduct—is now being represented by attorneys Todd Blanche and Christopher Kise in the classified documents case. Blanche is also representing him in the Manhattan District Attorney’s case in which he faces 34 counts of falsifying business records for allegedly orchestrating hush-money payments to women who claim they had affairs with him.
Tangent
Trump sued CNN in October, alleging the network “has undertaken a smear campaign to malign the Plaintiff with a barrage of negative associations and innuendos,” according to the complaint. The suit takes particular issue with CNN’s use of the term “Big Lie” to refer to his unverified claims that he is the true winner of the 2020 presidential election and alleges CNN is “part of its concerted effort to tilt the political balance to the left.” Trump also sued The New York Times in 2021 for publishing his tax records after Trump broke years of precedent set by previous presidents in refusing to release them, but a Manhattan Supreme Court judge dismissed the lawsuit in May and ordered Trump to pay legal expenses for the paper and its reporters. The suits are among many Trump has filed, or threatened to file, against news outlets over the years. His campaign also sued CNN, the Washington Post and the Times over opinion pieces they published, and his social media company, Trump Media, sued the Post in May, claiming the paper falsely accused him of securities fraud.
Further Reading
Jim Trusty Resigns: Here’s A Timeline Of All The Trump Lawyers Who Have Quit (Forbes)
Trump Couldn’t Find New Lawyers For Arraignment, Reports Say (Forbes)
Trump Sues CNN For Defamation In Latest Lawsuit Against Foe (Forbes)
The Thrilling Battle for Sports Culture Is Fueled by the Absurd