Who are Trump’s lawyers in New York? The former president’s defense team
Christopher Kise is a new addition to Donald Trump’s legal team, and his skills are being put to the test.
On Monday, Donald Trump testified in the financial fraud case brought against him by the State of New York. The trial has been ongoing since early October, and three of the former president’s adult children, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka, are all slated to testify as well.
Who is Chris Kise?
Former president Donald Trump is currently facing multiple legal battles, and his legal team is working hard to defend him. One of the lawyers representing Trump is Christopher Kise, who served as the second Solicitor General of Florida from 2003 to 2007 under then-Governor Jeb Bush. Despite being a Republican, he has also represented Democratic politicians, such as Andrew Gillum, who narrowly lost to Ron DeSantis in the 2018 Florida Gubernatorial race. Kise is an experienced Florida lawyer who has even argued cases in front of the US Supreme Court.
Earlier this year, Kise joined Donald Trump’s legal team. On October 2nd, he appeared in a New York City court as part of the team defending Trump in a civil suit related to a financial fraud case. The suit was brought by Letitia James, New York’s Attorney General.
According to his website, the Florida lawyer and his associates specialize in appellate law, complex litigation, and white-collar defense, which makes him well-equipped to represent Donald Trump. Kise has over 30 years of experience and was one of the few high-profile lawyers who agreed to take on the former president as a client. Forbes reported that many other lawyers declined the opportunity, fearing the possible consequences of representing such a polarizing figure.
A Florida native, Kise earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Miami, going on to earn his JD from the Florida State University College of Law.
In addition to Kise, Trump is also being represented by Alina Habba, who joined his legal team in September 2021.
During the court proceedings this week, Kise and Habba made a splash after questioning the professionalism of the judge in the case, Judge Arthur Engoron, and the court clerk, Allison Greenfield. Kise pointed out that the two had been passing each other what seemed to him to be an unacceptable number of notes. The judge responded that the allegation had misogynistic undertones. Habba responded that was “not the issue” and that she has also had “issues with the person sitting on the bench, and I’ve made that clear on the record.”
Challenges for Donald Trump in putting together a legal team
Donald Trump has faced two primary challenges in assembling a legal team. The first challenge pertains to the diverse jurisdictions in which indictments have been filed against him. To practice law in those courts, at least one member of the legal team must have adequate credentials. In addition, the indictments encompass a wide range of charges and the legal team must consist of lawyers with expertise in constructing defenses that align with those charges.