Top line
President-elect Donald Trump has appointed three lawyers – Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and Dean John Sauer – to serve in his next administration after defending him in court, rewarding his personal lawyers with government roles after his election, which is poised to kill most of his criminal cases.
Attorneys Todd Blanche (center) and Emil Bove watch former President Donald Trump speak at a … (+)
Key facts
Todd Blanche: Trump appointed Blanche as deputy attorney general in his administration – the Justice Department’s number two role – after the lawyer represented Trump at his criminal trial in Manhattan based on secret money payments made before the 2016 election, also serving on Trump’s legal team while in office. two federal criminal cases, for attempting to overturn the 2020 election and allegedly withholding documents from the White House.
Blanche left the law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft to represent Trump, after representing Trump allies like former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and adviser Boris Ephsteyn, according to at the New York Times and entered private practice after working in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as a violent crimes prosecutor.
Émile Bové: Trump appointed Bove as principal deputy attorney general of his DOJ, after the lawyer – a partner in Blanche’s Blanche Law firm – represented Trump at his trial in Manhattan and was also part of his legal team in both federal affairs.
Bove has gone more unnoticed on Trump’s legal team than some of his other lawyers, representing the ex-president after previously portion as Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and co-leads its National Security Unit and Narcotics Unit, where he supervised cases against figures like Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Dean John Sauer: Trump chose Sauer as solicitor general – the lawyer who defends cases on behalf of the administration at the Supreme Court – after Sauer argued to the Supreme Court that Trump should be shielded from criminal charges, and also represented Trump in civil court as a former president appeals case of writer E. Jean Carroll accusing him of defamation and sexual assault.
Sauer previously served as solicitor general of Missouri before moving to private practice, also portion as law clerk to the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and retired appeals court justice J. Michael Luttiga conservative-leaning judge who has since become known for his opposition to Trump and Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
How did the lawyers represent Trump?
Blanche was the key lawyer representing Trump during his secret trial earlier this year, with the lawyer receiving a mixed reception even though the jury ultimately found Trump guilty. Blanche was praised during her cross-examination of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen for apparently catching Cohen off guard by showing him evidence. suggesting A call Cohen claims to have had with Trump over the secret payment in question may actually be about an entirely separate issue, as texts suggested Cohen was actually calling Trump’s bodyguard to discuss pranking a youngster 14 years old. The lawyer was also chastised by Judge Juan Merchan as he tried to argue that Trump did not violate the silence order against him, with Merchan telling Blanche that he was “losing all credibility with the court.” The two other federal cases against Trump in which Blanche and Bove are involved are expected to conclude without a trial before Trump takes office. While Trump’s appeal in the Carroll case is still pending, Sauer’s argument for Trump has led to the Supreme Court. decision in favor of the ex-president, declaring him immune from at least some criminal charges. However, an appeals court ruled against Trump after Sauer argued for immunity, and the lawyer made waves during two court appearances when he suggested former presidents should be immune from prosecution even if they assassinate political rivals.
Surprising fact
Blanche was a Democrat before representing Trump, according to the New York Times (he has since registered as a Republican) and the Financial Times. reports he “shed a tear” when Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Trump.
Large number
$9.9 million. That’s the amount Trump paid Blanche and Bove’s Blanche Law Firm and Sauer’s James Otis Law Group as of Oct. 16, based on federal data. deposits by Trump’s Save America PAC, which is handling his legal bills. It is unclear, however, exactly how much he paid each lawyer individually, as these figures also include other lawyers at these firms.
Tangent
Another of Trump’s personal lawyers, Alina Habba, was reported to be a leading contender for the post of White House press secretary, as Habba has become a staunch defender of the ex-president in the media. Habba denied these reports on Thursday, tweet“As much as I love shouting from a podium, I would be better served in other capacities.”
Key context
Trump began appointing a a slew of officials to the highest positions in his administration after winning the election last week. The president-elect’s announcement tapping his criminal defense attorneys into the administration came after Trump chose former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to lead the DOJ as attorney general, sparking criticism many criticisms, even among some. GOP lawmakers. Other names Trump has named in his administration so far include controversial picks like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary, Fox News host Pete Hegseth to head the Defense Department and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. , as well as more anticipated choices like campaign manager Susie Wiles, Trump’s White House chief of staff. Trump rewarded his personal lawyers commensurate with his legal problems fallen by the wayside following his election victory – at least in his criminal cases – with his two federal cases set to conclude as the DOJ seeks to comply with long-standing precedent against prosecuting sitting presidents. Trump’s criminal charges in Georgia for trying to overturn the 2020 election will also likely be stayed until he leaves office, and although Trump was already convicted in the Manhattan case, he has managed to postpone his sentencing. Proceedings in the case are now on hold while prosecutors consider how things should proceed in light of Trump’s election. Trump’s impending presidency will not get him out of his civil cases, however, and the president-elect’s appeals of the rulings against him in Carroll’s two defamation cases and the civil fraud lawsuit against Trump and his associates will continue.