Exclusive: Trump lawyer hires own attorney in classified documents probe

Feb 16 (Reuters) – A lawyer for former President Donald Trump retained an attorney to stand for himself as prosecutors phase up their inquiry into the dealing with of delicate documents at Trump’s Florida residence, two people common with the make any difference advised Reuters on Thursday.

Evan Corcoran, who has represented Trump in interactions with the government in excess of presidential documents taken to his Mar-a-Lago vacation resort, has turned to Michael Levy, a outstanding white-collar lawyer in Washington, according to people today familiar with the make a difference.

Levy was hired by Corcoran’s law business, Silverman Thompson Slutkin & White, to stand for Corcoran in the probe, according to just one of the individuals.

Levy, a principal at the Washington law company Ellerman Enzinna Levy, declined to remark.

Corcoran has appeared prior to a grand jury in relationship with U.S. Unique Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into classified documents taken to Mar-a-Lago following Trump’s term in office environment and possible tries to impede that probe. He appeared before the grand jury in early January, according to a human being acquainted with his overall look.

The New York Situations claimed this week that U.S. prosecutors are in search of to dilemma Corcoran again, asking a U.S. choose to pierce lawyer-consumer privilege by arguing that they’ve uncovered proof of a criminal offense.

Corcoran communicated with each the Nationwide Archives and U.S. Justice Office past 12 months as the federal government sought the return of presidential documents taken to Mar-a-Lago, according to documents unveiled as portion of a lawsuit Trump filed final year searching for an impartial assessment of products the FBI seized at Mar-a-Lago.

Another Trump attorney, Christina Bobb, signed a certification that all classified files had been returned in advance of the FBI located about 100 more categorised documents all through an August 2022 search, in accordance to prosecutors.

Trump has denied wrongdoing and claimed, with out supplying evidence, that all documents at his residence experienced been declassified.

Levy worked with Corcoran in the 1990s as a federal prosecutor in Washington, D.C. He has been involved in quite a few high-profile scenarios throughout his vocation which includes representing Enron executives adhering to the firm’s 2001 implosion.

Levy formerly labored as a white-collar companion at large regulation companies Paul Hastings and Mayer Brown.

Reporting by Andrew Goudsward editing by Amy Stevens and Sonali Paul

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