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Ex-Trump attorney Tim Parlatore shaded Alina Habba in an interview after closing arguments wrapped.
Jan. 12 2024, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
A former attorney for Donald Trump questioned the prowess of his legal team after closing arguments wrapped in the 11-week trial for his New York civil fraud case.
"When it comes to this case, I think that in large respect it's been kind of un-led for a while," Tim Parlatore said during an appearance on CNN's Laura Coates Live, RadarOnline.com has learned.
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"When it comes to this case, I think that in large respect it's been kind of un-led for a while," Parlatore said.
Judge Arthur Engoron determined before the trial that Trump is liable for fraud, and the judge is expected to rule by Jan. 31 on New York Attorney General Letitia James' request for $370 million in penalties which she attributed to Trump and his organization defrauding banks and insurers by over-inflating the value of their assets.
Leading up to Thursday, Trump lawyer Chris Kise had requested permission from Engoron for Trump to participate in the case's closing arguments, but failed to accept the conditions.
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Judge Arthur Engoron determined before the trial that Trump is liable for fraud, and the judge is expected to rule by Jan. 31 on New York Attorney General Letitia James' request for $370 million.
Engoron wrote in an email Wednesday that he was under the impression Trump wouldn't speak during the presentation, which as we now know still ended with remarks from the 2024 hopeful.
"If I let you speak for five minutes, you promise to comment on the law, the facts, not go outside of it?" Judge Engoron asked Trump.
"Well I think, your honor, this case goes outside the facts," Trump said against the judge's edict. "This is a political witch hunt that should be set aside."
The judge later asked Kise to "control your client" after Trump accused Engoron of having his own agenda, telling the attorney that it "could have been done differently."
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The judge asked Kise to "control your client" after Trump accused Engoron of having his own agenda, telling the attorney that it "could have been done differently."
Weighing in on the latest, Parlatore pointed out that Kise is not a trial attorney. "He's an appellate attorney. And so, one of the reasons why he's there is probably just to prep this case for an appeal."
As for why he feels the case was unled, "I know earlier on when [late lawyer] Ronald Fischetti was on it, he was handling it appropriately," Parlatore explained.
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"I know earlier on when Ronald Fischetti was on it, he was handling it appropriately," Parlatore explained.
"Of course, he unfortunately passed away. But you know, with Alina Habba handling discovery, that's not something where I think anybody's really at the wheel."
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"So now you get into this trial where it does seem to me to be kind of a combination of building a record for the appeal and putting out things into the media that are helpful to the campaign," he continued.
If anything, Parlatore speculated that he and his legal teams strategy appears to be focused on convincing "this trial judge to get so mad that he makes bigger mistakes for the appeal."
