James Trusty, the attorney who represented Donald Trump, made an appearance on “Meet the Press” in Washington, D.C. on April 9, 2023.
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An attorney, Jim Trusty, who was previously part of the legal team defending Donald Trump in a criminal case involving classified documents, has declared he will no longer represent the former president in a defamation lawsuit against CNN.
In a court filing submitted to the U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Trusty stated that his decision to withdraw from the $475 million civil suit is due to “irreconcilable differences” with Trump.
Trusty emphasized that he can no longer effectively and properly represent Trump as the plaintiff in the case.
No comments have been provided by Trusty or the lawyers representing CNN regarding Trusty’s withdrawal as Trump’s legal counsel.
Lindsey Halligan, the remaining attorney for Trump in the defamation suit, directed CNBC to Steven Cheung, the former president’s spokesperson. Cheung stated that the defamation lawsuit is “entering a new phase as more irrefutable facts are revealed” and expressed gratitude for Trusty’s past work on the case.
A week prior to this development, Trusty and another lawyer, John Rowley, had submitted their resignations as Trump’s counsel in a separate federal criminal case, which had resulted in Trump’s indictment on charges related to the retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort after his presidency.
The lawyers stated that it was an opportune moment for them to step aside and allow others to handle the cases in light of the fact that the case had been filed in Miami.
Just four days later, Trump entered a plea of not guilty to 37 counts, including retaining national defense records, concealing documents, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
In addition to withdrawing from the defamation lawsuit, Trusty and Rowley also revealed that they would no longer be defending Trump in a separate federal criminal investigation concerning the events surrounding the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The investigation was overseen by U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith.
Contrary to these federal cases, Trump’s civil defamation suit against CNN, which was filed in October, is distinctive in nature.
Trump, known for his history of criticizing media organizations and specific journalists over unfavorable coverage, accused CNN of orchestrating a “smear campaign” against him and even compared him to Adolf Hitler.
The lawsuit specifically focused on CNN’s frequent use of the term “Big Lie,” which refers to various false claims of election fraud propagated by Trump and his allies who assert that President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election was rigged.
The complaint from Trump’s legal team, which included Trusty at the time, stated that the term “Big Lie” derives directly from Adolf Hitler’s tactics as described in his book “Mein Kampf.”
In November, CNN filed a request to dismiss the case, arguing that Trump’s claims were “baseless and repugnant to journalistic freedom and open political discourse.”
The network highlighted that Trump’s lawsuit was based on only five CNN pieces and contended that none of them suggested that Trump “resembled Hitler in character.”
Trump’s complaint insinuated that CNN was defaming him in order to undermine his potential candidacy in the upcoming presidential election. Trump officially launched his 2024 campaign the following month and has consistently been leading the Republican primary field in various opinion polls.
In the defamation suit, Trump is seeking $475 million in punitive damages and over $75,000 in compensatory damages.
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