After several lawyers withdraw from Trump's cases, a lesser-known lawyer steps in
Former President Donald Trump. Photo from Shutterstock.
Former President Donald Trump has turned to a small-firm lawyer to represent him in his $100 million suit against his niece Mary Trump and the New York Times for disclosing his tax records in an alleged breach of a confidential agreement.
The lawyer, Alina Habba, is managing partner of a four-attorney firm, Habba Madaio & Associates, which has offices near Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, the Washington Post reports.
Habba is representing Trump in both the tax record suit and in a defamation suit filed by former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, who alleges Trump defamed her when he denied her allegations of groping and kissing her without consent.
The Post found no record that Habba has donated money to Trump’s campaigns, but noted that this summer she represented a former cast member of the Real Housewives of New Jersey who supports Trump.
The former cast member, Siggy Flicker, says her Facebook account was disabled after she posted a happy birthday message to Melania Trump. Habba sent a letter on her behalf to Facebook’s general counsel.
Habba, who has been licensed since 2011, has worked as general counsel for a parking garage company. She has also represented a man in a suit against a New Jersey nursing home, a student who sought a tuition refund after classes were switched to an online format, and a man who alleged he was libeled by two Portuguese news outlets.
The Daily Beast and the Washington Post report on lawyers who have withdrawn from Trump cases, or who are no longer on his current roster. They include:
• Marc Kasowitz, who is no longer representing Trump in the Summer Zervos defamation suit.
• Charles Harder, who was replaced as counsel of record in cases this summer. He had represented Trump and his family in suits against journalists, authors and book publishers.
• Joanna Hendon of Alston & Bird, who withdrew from a suit alleging Trump defrauded investors and consumers by promoting companies that charged people to sell their product. She said Trump made the decision to oust her.
• Jay Sekulow, who told the Daily Beast his responsibilities on Trump constitutional issues “have been concluded.”
• Marc Mukasey, who is no longer representing Eric Trump in a civil suit by the New York attorney general alleging fraud by the Trump Organization. Lawyer Alan Futerfas will continue to represent Eric Trump.
A Sept. 2 order unsealed on Friday orders the Trump Organization to comply with the state attorney general’s subpoenas or submit to oversight by a third-party discovery firm, according to a statement by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
