Trump Adds Ex-Manafort Lawyer Todd Blanche to His Defense Team

(Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump has hired former federal prosecutor Todd Blanche, who once represented Paul Manafort, to help defend him against criminal charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

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Trump attorney Joe Tacopina confirmed Monday that Blanche has joined the defense team. Trump is expected to appear Tuesday in New York state court to face the charges for the first time.

“There is no lead lawyer,” Tacopina said. “See you tomorrow in court.”

Blanche had recently been a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, but told his partners he was resigning from the law firm to represent Trump in Bragg’s case, according to Politico, which first reported the hire. Blanche didn’t immediately respond to a call and text seeking comment.

Blanche represented Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, in a case brought by Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr., alleging mortgage fraud and other crimes.

Vance filed the case in anticipation that Trump would pardon Manafort for his federal convictions on charges of financial crime and illegal lobbying. Trump pardoned Manafort in December 2020, which only applied to federal crimes.

Blanche secured a final dismissal of the Manafort state case in February 2021 by an appellate court. That court agreed with lower courts that ruled Vance’s case was so similar to the federal case that it was barred by the so-called double-jeopardy law — that is, the rules against prosecuting a person twice for the same crime.

“As we have said from the time the district attorney announced charges against Mr. Manafort, this is a case that should never have been brought because the dismissed indictment is a clear violation of New York law,” Blanche said in an email at the time.

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