Lawyers’ request for Trump’s ex-'right-hand man' poses 'serious risk of witness intimidation': report

16 November 2023

In Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's case against former President Donald Trump's, the 2024 MAGA hopeful's lawyers' latest request for Trump's former "right-hand man" poses threat of "harassment," according to a Thursday report from The Daily Beast.

Per Politico, in Bragg's case, "Trump is charged with 34 felony counts concerning his alleged falsification of business records connected to hush money payments made to silence affair allegations from porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, and "according to the indictment, Trump directed that reimbursements made to former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for money he paid Daniels be falsely recorded as legal expenses in the Trump Organization ledgers."

As the case filed by Bragg "builds toward a trial next year," the Beast reports, Trump's lawyers subpoenaed Cohen—who is a key witness to Trump's porn star hush money coverup."

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According to the report, Trump's attorneys are attempting to gain possession of Cohen's phone, demanding on October 17 that the former Trump attorney hand over "all documents and communications regarding the topics below that are stored on any medium under your possession or control, including but not limited to phones (including encrypted messaging applications), tablets, computers, and hard copy."

In addition to requesting Cohen's personal devices last month, Politico reports Trump also attempted to have the case tossed, which Bragg's office responded to in a new court filing Thursday accusing "Trump of trying to use his presidential campaign to shield himself from prosecution."

The Beast reports:

There's a growing concern that the former president—who has shown no restraint in attacking political enemies as he seeks a return to the White House in 2024—would misuse the text messages, photos, or any other information on Cohen's cell phone. Prosecutors explained that Cohen might be forced to turn over information that Trump 'may then disseminate without restriction, posing a serious risk of witness intimidation and harassment and evading the court's existing protective order that governs the use of discovery materials in this case.'

The news outlet reports Bragg's team suggests that "Trump is trying to abuse the regular document-sharing that occurs before a trial, using that exchange as an excuse to get information that'll fuel his personal vendetta against the guy who once served as his right-hand man at the Trump Organization."

The Daily Beast's full report is here (subscription required). Politico's report is here.

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