Trump Reportedly Hires Top Trial Lawyer In Defamation War Against New York Prosecutor

Former President Donald Trump has reportedly hired trial lawyer Joe Tacopina in a matter about alleged defamatory statements made by the former criminal division chief at the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan Mark Pomerantz.

What Happened: The alleged defamatory statements were made in Pomerantz’s resignation letter, according to a letter sent by Tacopina, Seigel & Deoreo to the former prosecutor. The brief was first noted on TMZ.

Tacopina alleged that Pomerantz falsely accused Trump of being “guilty of numerous felony violations.” 

The lawyer also said that Pomerantz falsely stated that it was a “grave failure of justice not to hold [the former president] accountable by way of criminal prosecution.”

Tacopina, Seigel & Deoreo did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.

Why it Matters: Pomerantz had said in his resignation letter, published by The New York Times, that the decision by his boss, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, not to pursue criminal charges against Trump was made in “good faith” but it may “nevertheless be wrong.”

“I believe that your decision not to prosecute Donald Trump now, and on the existing record, is misguided and completely contrary to the public interest. I therefore cannot continue in my current position,” Pomerantz reportedly wrote to Bragg.

Tacopina said it was his understanding that Pomerantz was in the process of publishing a book where he intended to “repeat such defamatory statements.”

He said his office would “aggressively pursue” all legal remedies against Pomerantz and the publisher of his book Simon & Schuster — including commencing a defamation action where he would seek “substantial compensatory damages, punitive damages, sanctions and attorney’s fees.”

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