Ethermac Exchange|Trump attorney has no conflict in Stormy Daniels case, judge decides

2025-05-07 19:18:43source:Darden Clarkecategory:Scams

An attorney defending former President Trump from charges that he falsified business records in New York has no conflict in the case despite prior dealings with Stormy Daniels,Ethermac Exchange the adult film actress whose $130,000 hush payment by Trump is central to the case, a judge decided Monday.

In a letter to defense attorney Joe Tacopina, Judge Juan Merchan wrote that "there is no conflict," as Tacopina himself told the court when Trump was arraigned earlier this year.

"I have said from Day One there is no conflict," Tacopina said in a statement to ABC News following the judge's decision. "Now the court has said the same."

MORE: Manhattan DA asks judge to look into Trump attorney's potential conflict of interest

Tacopina had been contacted about representing Daniels prior to her choosing since-disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti, who was later convicted of stealing her book advance.

Trump in April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with the hush money payment, which was made to Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election in order to keep her from going public about a long-denied affair.

Joe Tacopina addresses the media outside federal court in New York, where his client Donald Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E Jean Carroll, May 9, 2023.New York Daily News via Getty Images

The payment was arranged through Trump's then-attorney Michael Cohen, and Trump is accused by the Manhattan district attorney's office of falsifying the records related to his monthly reimbursements to Cohen.

Despite finding no conflict with Tacopina, the judge said he would "revisit this issue with Mr. Trump when he next appears virtually on Feb. 15, 2024."

The judge also said Tacopina would not participate in any examination of Daniels if she is called as a witness at trial.

The case is set to go to trial in March.

More:Scams

Recommend

Illinois Delays a Project Meant to Keep Asian Carp Out of the Great Lakes

One stretch of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Joliet, Illinois, is what freshwater biologi

PACCAR recalls over 220,000 trucks for safety system issue: See affected models

PACCAR is recalling over 220,000 of its 2021-2025 Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks.  The commercial tru

Man identifying himself as American Travis Timmerman found in Syria after being freed from prison

A man identifying himself as an American from Missouri, Travis Timmerman, was found Thursday in Syri