Alex Kent//Getty Images
I am not biting on this one. If El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago gets indicted tomorrow and busted by the end of the week, I will turn the required cartwheels. Figuratively, anyway. But until then, I chose to concentrate on the fact that he seems to be clear-cutting the legal profession, one lawyer at a time.
Why does anyone take on this guy as client? Even if you avoid professional sanctions and criminal charges, he's odds-on to stiff you on the bill. Anyway, let's take a look at the most recent developments in his culling the defense.
First there's this Robert Costello fellow, whom the Trump side threw as chum before the New York grand jury that took up the Stormy Daniels matter. Costello, it seems, was called in at the last minute to rebut the testimony of Michael Cohen, the man of many receipts. From CNN:
Costello is expected to offer evidence that contradicts testimony provided by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who has admitted to paying $130,000 to Daniels just before the 2016 election to stop her from going public about an alleged affair with the former president. Trump has denied the affair. Costello’s appearance is unusual for grand jury proceedings, particularly because he has previously served as Cohen’s legal adviser.
Unusual? I'll say. How does Trump keep finding them, these educated men and women who worked until their eyes bled to get through law school, but are willing to throw themselves on the pyre of this grifter's career?
...
On September 18, 2026, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release announcing two revisions to the Justice Manual—which publicly sets forth internal DOJ policies and procedures—concernin...