Legal expert: Trump lawyers "dropping like flies" as he gets "closer and closer to an indictment"

A report from The New York Times indicated Trump only had two lawyers left

By Tatyana Tandanpolie

Staff Writer

Published May 19, 2023 2:03PM (EDT)

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on March 4, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on March 4, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Former President Donald Trump is losing lawyers at a rapid rate ahead of multiple potential indictments.

Former Trump lawyer Timothy Parlatore, who played a key role in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation, announced his departure from the GOP frontrunner's legal team on Tuesday.

"It's been an incredible honor to serve and work through interesting legal issues. My departure was a personal choice and does not reflect upon the case, as I believe strongly the (Justice Department) team is engaging in misconduct to pursue an investigation of conduct that is not criminal," he said in a statement.

Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg expressed confusion about the state of Trump's legal team in an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" Friday, Raw Story reports.

"What stood out with the departure of Tim Parlatore is that he is the same lawyer that wrote a letter to Congress setting up Trump's defenses," Aronberg said during the segment. "He said it was Trump's aides, not Trump, who hastily packed up the boxes and shipped them down to Florida — Trump's hands were supposedly clean."

"Then Trump went on that live [CNN] town hall the other day and said, 'No, no, I did it and had every right to do so,'" he continued. "I think the reason why he withdrew, Parlatore, is because he was exasperated with his client along with perhaps knowing that he would become a witness and possibly a defendant in the case himself — he testified about before the grand jury."

Aronberg also questioned another aspect of the Trump lawyer's departure, citing a report from The New York Times that indicated Trump only had two lawyers left.


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"Here's the other thing that I'm wondering about: the New York Times also reported there were two attorneys left," Aronberg said. "You've got James Trusty and John Rowley leading the defense. What happened to Chris Kise? Chris Kise is a former Florida solicitor general, very well respected; he got a $3 million retainer up front and then he was sidelined by Donald Trump because Trump didn't agree with his advice. Kise wanted Trump to be more conciliatory, more cooperative with DOJ rather than confrontational."

"So, instead, Trump went his own way, the confrontational approach, and look what is happening now," he added. "With each misstep, he's getting closer and closer to an indictment, and his lawyers are dropping like flies."


By Tatyana Tandanpolie

Tatyana Tandanpolie is a staff writer at Salon. Born and raised in central Ohio, she moved to New York City in 2018 to pursue degrees in Journalism and Africana Studies at New York University. She is currently based in her home state and has previously written for local Columbus publications, including Columbus Monthly, CityScene Magazine and The Columbus Dispatch.

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Clip Donald Trump Morning Joe Politics Timothy Parlatore