Newest addition to Trump's legal team sidelined in Mar-a-Lago search case [View all]
TFG's $3 million attorney is not leading the fight in the document case
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/27/politics/chris-kise-trump-mar-a-lago/index.html
The newest addition to former President Donald Trumps legal team, Chris Kise, has been sidelined from the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation less than a month after he was brought on to represent Trump in the matter, two sources familiar with the move tell CNN.
Kise is expected to remain on Trumps legal team but is not leading the work related to the federal governments investigation into how the former President handled 11,000 documents seized from his Florida home in August following a lengthy effort by the government to retrieve them. The reason for the shift in Kises role remains unclear and he may instead focus his efforts on the other investigations Trump is facing, which range from his business practices to the January 6 insurrection.
The move is notable given Kise, the former solicitor general for Florida, was brought on to the team after a weeks-long search and struggle to find someone willing to take on the case who was also experienced in Florida law. The legal strategy for fighting the Justice Department following the August seizure of over 100 documents marked as classified was also in disarray.
Kises hiring came with an unusual price tag of $3 million, paid for by Trumps outside spending arm. The retainer fee, paid upfront, raised eyebrows among other lawyers on Trumps team, given the former President has a developed a reputation for not paying his legal fees.
His sidelining will likely be read as another setback for Trump as he faces multiple investigations.