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Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina struggled over the weekend to defend his client in multiple television interviews ahead of possible indictments in Manhattan.
Tacopina has represented former President Donald Trump in the Manhattan District Attorney’s investigation into paying hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. He said the attack was “unwise” but refused to blame Trump. post.
Trump warned last week that being indicted in the case could lead to “death and destruction,” and an article featuring an image of Trump holding a bat next to Attorney General Alvin Bragg’s head. shared.
“I’m not his social media consultant,” Tacopina said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Trump has since deleted the post containing the bat photo.
“I believe it was an inappropriate post posted by one of his social media contacts. When he noticed the rhetoric and photos attached to it, he quickly deleted it,” the attorney claimed. bottom.
While many critics compared Trump’s increasingly violent rhetoric about possible indictments to his rhetoric before the deadly Capitol riots on January 6, Tacopina said, Refused to denounce “things related to
“Well, the proposition that his rhetoric created violence is unacceptable.” [on Jan. 6]I think there was violence going on that day,” he told anchor Chuck Todd. that’s not what i do. I’m not Trump’s publicist. I am a litigator and attorney. “
Todd presses Tacopina for the details of the payment to Daniels. This was telegraphed by former Trump fixer Michael Cohen. Cohen later pleaded guilty to related charges and testified that he had received a reimbursement from Trump, and that the Trump Organization classified the payment as a legal expense.
“You keep saying it’s personal funds,” Todd said. “It’s not Michael Cohen’s plea. This is funds he was repaid by the Trump Organization, and Trump signed the check.”
“No,” Tacopina insisted. “Personal funds. Not campaign-related funds.”
“But he used a Trump Organization check,” Todd retorted.
“This is not a campaign finance law. But Chuck, it’s personal. It has nothing to do with the campaign,” Tacopina said.
“So the entire Trump Organization is Donald Trump himself?” Todd asked. “I mean, you notice an open door there.”
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Tacopina went on to maintain that the Trump Organization’s funds were personal funds and admitted that the company had written off the payments as legal fees.
“But what should he have put in his ledger?” Tacopina said. “Seriously, what’s going to happen to his personal ledger? ‘Pay hush money to silence an affair he claims he never did, so as not to embarrass his family.'” What should I include? No, there is nothing wrong with having what you want in your ledger.
“What about the truth?” Todd replied.
NBC News Legal Analyst Katie Pang murmured Tacopina’s remarks suggest that Trump “used the Trump Organization as his personal piggy bank.”
“Funding mix-ups open a huge can of worms for Donald Trump. Yuge is possible,” Pang warned.
“Master, please stop talking.” murmured Attorney Bradley Moss. “This guy is not helping clients,” he said. Added.
In a separate interview with MSNBC, Tacopina claimed Trump used personal funds to prevent Daniels from bringing her story forward, avoiding “embarrassment.”
Host Al Sharpton countered that his claim that the funds were “personal” was not relevant in the case because of the “intent to pay.”
“If we were in court, I would ask you to read back your statement. She came forward two weeks before the election. So you were reacting to the election!” Sharpton said. rice field.
In another part of the interview, Sharpton pressed Tacopina about whether Trump should denounce the death threats aimed at Bragg in his attack.
“What someone sent to Bragg has nothing to do with Trump,” Tacopina replied.
“He posed with a bat,” Sharpton countered.
“No matter how ill-advised the post was…he took it down,” Tacopina said.
“So I stabbed you in the back, but I pulled out the knife,” Sharpton said.
“Before the knife does damage,” Tacopina replied with a grin.
“can’t believe it,” surprised Author Tom Nichols. “Nevertheless, this lawyer continues to appear on television.”
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