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Tacopina withdrew from representing Trump in two of the former
president's ongoing legal battles, including a state criminal
case in which Trump was charged with falsifying business records
over a hush money payment to a porn star before his victory in
the 2016 presidential election, the lawyer confirmed in an email
to Reuters.
The New York Times had earlier reported that Tacopina had
withdrawn from the two cases.
Trump has pled not guilty to the charges, and will face a trial
this year, although the timing is uncertain.
Tacopina also will no longer represent Trump in his appeal of a
verdict in a civil case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who
accused him of rape, he confirmed. A jury in May awarded Carroll
$5 million after finding Trump liable for sexual assault and
defamation. Trump has also maintained his innocence in that
case.
The shift in Trump's legal team comes as Iowans are set to cast
the first votes in the 2024 campaign on Monday, with Trump as an
early favorite to claim victory in the early contest in the
Republican presidential primary.
Tacopina is a frequent cable news commentator who has
represented high-profile clients including rapper Meek Mill,
former Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriguez and Donald Trump
Jr.'s fiancée Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Asked about Tacopina's shift, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told
Reuters, "President Trump has the most experienced, qualified,
disciplined, and overall strongest legal team ever assembled as
he continues to fight for America and Americans against these
partisan, Crooked Joe Biden-led election interference hoaxes."
Tacopina is one of several Trump lawyers to have stopped
representing him in ongoing cases. At least three members of his
legal team in Florida stepped down after Trump was indicted in
June on charges he unlawfully kept national-security documents
when he left office.
(Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; Editing by Heather
Timmons and Mark Porter)
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