A key member of Donald Trump’s legal defense team has reportedly dropped one of the former president’s associates, Boris Epshteyn, as a client. The move came after it became clear that the two were considered adversarial to each other due to a recent Arizona criminal indictment.
The indictment alleges that Epshteyn was involved in a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Arizona. Trump is not named in the indictment, but he is referred to as “Unindicted Co-Conspirator 1.”
Epshteyn’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, has reportedly told him that he needs to find an Arizona lawyer as soon as possible. Blanche previously represented Epshteyn before the Special Counsel. However, he became Trump’s lawyer after Epshteyn introduced him to the former president.
The Arizona indictment is the latest in a series of legal challenges facing Trump. He is currently facing four criminal trials, including two related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. He is also facing civil judgments in multiple cases totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, and is in the process of appealing them.
The new indictments in Arizona are not just bad news for Trump’s allies. They also provide a significant opportunity for special counsel Jack Smith in his prosecution of Trump for the 2020 election plot. The indictment names a number of Republican officials and Trump strategists who were involved in the alleged scheme to stop the electoral count in Arizona.
Smith has a very strong case against Trump, but he needs to get a trial date. The Supreme Court is currently standing between him and accountability. However, the Arizona indictments could put additional pressure on Trump’s allies to cooperate with Smith’s investigation.
One name that is notably absent from the Arizona indictment is Kenneth Chesebro, another Trump attorney who was charged in Georgia. Chesebro has not been indicted in Arizona, which suggests that he may be cooperating with Smith’s investigation. This would be another potential witness for Smith in the federal case if it ever goes to trial.
