An attorney for adult film actress Stormy Daniels gave the Manhattan DA communication between his clients and former President Donald Trump’s current attorney dating back to 2018, CNN reported Tuesday, possibly spelling trouble for the Trump legal team ahead of a possible indictment for the 2024 candidate. Daniel’s attorney Clark Brewster told the outlet the email exchanges came from when Daniels was looking for a lawyer five years ago.
The communications reportedly include information about Daniel’s then situation, which Brewster said contains confidential information she disclosed to Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina. In an interview with Insider Tuesday, Tacopina denied ever speaking with Daniels. He said Daniels reached out to his office, saying she was looking for representation for some nondisclosure agreement regarding Trump and a settlement and whatnot. When a paralegal in his office brought it up with him, he declined to take the case he told insider.
The Manhattan DA Now Has Stormy Daniels And Trump’s Communications
Even if Tacopina didn’t take on Stormy Daniels as a client then, New York Bar rules would outline certain obligations that attorneys have for prospective clients. A judge may disqualify Tacopina from the case if they find that Daniels shared confidential information with him, according to Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at New York University law school. If Daniels shared confidential information with Tacopina he may be personally disqualified.
The scope of disqualification can be from the entire case or from cross-examining her. Tacopina told Insider that the communication from Daniels didn’t rise to a level that would raise a conflict. Tacopina is defending Trump in an ongoing case stemming from accusations that the former president was involved in a hush money payout to Daniels during his first campaign.
