Donald Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina has said that the 45th president of the United States would not refuse to surrender to authorities if he were indicted in the Manhattan District Attorney's (DA) probe into a hush money deal of his 2016 presidential run. DA Alvin Bragg is close to making a decision on whether to charge Trump on the case, which former Trump Attorney Michael Cohen testified before the grand jury. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to multiple charges including a campaign finance violation for a $130,000 payment he made to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film star who claims she had an affair with Trump.
Trump was invited to appear before the grand jury himself but declined to testify. However, a federal judge has now ordered Trump attorney Evan Corcoran to testify before the Grand Jury in the case. U.S. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that Corcoran’s legal advice was given in a furtherance of a crime, allowing prosecutors to compel him to discuss communications that would otherwise be covered by attorney-client privilege.
The investigation is focusing on more than 300 classified documents found at Trump's Florida residence. In a warrant to search the property, prosecutors said that removal of the records could violate the Espionage Act. Corcoran is reported to have been the attorney who drafted a letter certifying the return of all remaining records with classified markings at Mar-a-Lago which was signed by another attorney, Christina Bobb.
The Trump campaign attacked Howell for her decision when she is stepping down as the chief judge, claiming that it was an attempt to interfere with the right to an attorney and that they will fight the Department of Justice on all fronts that threaten fundamental American rights and values.
Tacopina described Trump as a survivor who would turn any charges into political boosts, regardless of the outcome of the case. The Trump Organization declared the payment reimbursing Cohen to be a legal expense, and Trump himself admitted to reimbursing Cohen for the payment, but says it was not related to his campaign funds. It remains to be seen what the result of the DA probe will be.