Criminal defense costs add up for Trump’s perceived enemies : NPR

This year, President Trump called Ministry of Justice to go after their perceived enemies—and the Justice Department appears to be following that direction.

In just the last few weeks, prosecutors have secured charges against the former FBI director. Jim Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The White House has made it clear that new cases are possible.

For these defendants, the cost of fighting criminal charges in a high-profile case is enormous and could linger for years, according to experienced attorneys who represent people in the headlines.

Over the course of her decades-long career, Lisa Wayne has tried 150 cases before juries. Wayne, now executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said there is no “golden rule” when it comes to how expensive legal bills can be.

The cost depends on what charges a person faces, where they live, how experienced their lawyer is and whether the person needs to hire experts before trial, she said.

“Most people have to figure it out of their own pocket,” Wayne said. “And find out if they have savings? Do they have friends and family who can help them? Do they take out mortgages on their homes? This can be a very stressful situation for most people.”

Three other experienced criminal defense attorneys estimated between $1 million and $5 million for a small law firm and up to $25 million or more for a larger one.

Trump himself has described the roughly $100 million in legal fees he faced after his first term on charges of two federal cases and government fees in New York and Georgia.

Help from a former trial partner or defense fund

Comey, a former U.S. deputy attorney general and longtime federal prosecutor, turned to his former partner in the case for help. Patrick Fitzgerald, who famously headed the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago and went on to become a lucrative partner at the Skadden law firm, came out of retirement to help defend Comey.

In private practice, Fitzgerald likely earned more than $2,000 an hour for his legal work. Now he can set his own rates and may not work entirely for free, but he's nowhere near full price.

There is also a Democratic senator. Adam Schiff California. Schiff is a longtime critic who helped investigate Trump's actions during his first term. Schiff is currently under investigation for mortgage fraud.

Trump took note of recent remarks from the Oval Office. “It looks like Adam Schiff really did something bad. They have it. Now let's see what happens.”

The key issue is that Schiff owns homes in both California and Maryland, closer to the US Congress. Schiff's allies said he carefully filled out mortgage paperwork and consulted with lawyers during the process.

His lawyer Preet Bharara, a former U.S. attorney in Manhattan, called the allegations of wrongdoing “patently false, outdated and long since disproven.”

Despite this, Schiff created a legal defense fund in August to help cover legal bills.

The White House said the Justice Department is on track in its prosecution. “The Trump Administration will continue to deliver the truth to the American people while restoring the integrity and accountability of our justice system,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said.

“These should be people who are ashamed”

The driving force behind all these investigations is Ed Martina Missouri lawyer with more experience in politics than in the courtroom. Martin failed to win Senate confirmation to serve as U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., after lawmakers raised concerns about his support for the people who rioted at the U.S. Capitol nearly five years ago.

Instead, Martin headed Armament Working Group focused on people who encountered Trump.

“There are some really bad actors, some people who have done some really bad things to the American people,” Martin told reporters as he began his new post. “And if they can be charged, we will charge them. But if they can't be charged, we'll name them. And in a culture that respects shame, they should be people who are ashamed.”

This is not how DOJ policy has worked in the past. Prosecutors should not speak ill of people who do not have enough evidence to bring charges or those who have not yet been charged.

“I can't think of anything more stressful than being accused by the government and having to bear the burden of that as an individual in this country,” said Wayne of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Where to go “to get your reputation back?”

Even if the accused wins an acquittal, he has gone through all the hardships of facing emotional pressure on himself and his entire family.

Take D.C. attorney Michael Sussman, for example. He was investigated by a special counsel in connection with his work on Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. A jury in the District of Columbia found him not guilty of making false statements to the FBI after a two-week trial in 2022.

Outside the courthouse after his victory, Sussman looked exhausted.

“Despite the false accusation, I am glad that justice was ultimately served in my case,” he said. “As you can imagine, this has been a difficult year for me and my family.”

Back in the 1980s, the former Secretary of Labor under President Ronald Reagan was charged with fraud, but a jury found him not guilty.

Raymond Donovan replied: “Which office should I go to to restore my reputation?”