Donald Trump’s lawyer Alina Haba on Monday told the judge presiding over E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit against the former president regarding an alleged conflict of interest between him and the advice columnist’s lead lawyer. requested that all relevant facts be provided.
A jury last week awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages from Trump, but Manhattan federal judge Lewis Kaplan once said, according to information obtained by the Post from sources involved. He was a “mentor” to Mr. Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, and worked with him on the Paul trial in the early 1990s. Weiss Rifkin Wharton & Garrison LLP in Midtown.
“If His Excellency was indeed collaborating with Mr. Kaplan in any capacity, particularly if there was a mentor-to-leader relationship, that fact must be made clear before any litigation involving these parties is allowed to proceed. should have been done,” Hubba wrote in the letter. judge.
“The plaintiff’s other lead solicitor, Mr Sean Crowley, is Her Royal Highness’s legal secretary and we were previously informed that Her Royal Highness would be co-officiating at her wedding. The issue is of particular concern.”
Mr. Haba said the judge could provide information about his alleged relationship with Mr. Kaplan, which could weigh against Mr. Trump’s expected defamation judgment and $5 million judgment in favor of Mr. Carroll for sexual abuse. It was argued that this could affect the appeal.
“Here, unless further information is known (or your Honor’s denial of the specific fact that you had a mentor-mentor relationship with Mr. Kaplan), what specific relief should you seek? We are unable to specify our position on the matter,” Haba wrote. .
“But certainly this court should provide counsel with all the relevant facts. At the very least, this information could certainly prove relevant to President Trump’s upcoming Rule 59 motion.” “There is,” he added, referring to President Trump’s expected request for a new trial or review of the court’s decision.
A former partner of Paul Weiss told the Post about the relationship between Louis Kaplan and Roberta Kaplan when they worked together at the firm, saying, “Lou was like a mentor to her.” Ta.
Roberta Kaplan’s publicist downplayed the possibility that the two were related.
“In the early 1990s, when he was a senior partner and she was a junior associate at a major law firm, their relationship spanned less than two years and she worked for him. never happened,” a spokesperson told the Post.
Haba said that even before he was informed of the alleged conflict, it was clear the court was “blatantly hostile” to Trump and his team.
“We believe, and will argue on appeal, that the court has been blatantly hostile to the defense and President Trump, and has shown preferential treatment to plaintiffs’ attorneys,” Haba wrote. “Indeed, even before the New York Post’s investigative reporting revealed these new facts, the decision and the court’s tone and demeanor were raising serious concerns.”
