'No way to not step into a mess': Dozens of former Trump lawyers facing possibility of ruined careers

According to a report from the New York Times, the quip that "MAGA" (Make America Great Again) also means "making attorneys get attorneys" is particularly apt as dozens of lawyers who rushed to defend Donald Trump now find themselves facing disbarment, investigations, subpoenas and possible criminal charges.

As the report from Michael Schmidt and Luke Broadwater notes, "Over six years and nine major investigations by Congress, the Justice Department and local prosecutors, as Mr. Trump has managed to avoid removal from the presidency and indictment, it has become clear that serving as one of his lawyers is a remarkably risky job — and one that can involve considerable legal exposure. Time after time, his attorneys have been asked to testify as witnesses to potential crimes — or evaluated as possible criminal conspirators themselves."

Pointing out that the danger has become even more acute since Trump became a former president, the report goes on to note that high-profile attorneys such as Rudy Giuliani and more obscure attorneys who fought to have the 2020 election overturned at the state level are all seeing their careers severely damaged by their association with Trump.

The report states, "17 mostly lesser-known lawyers who represented Mr. Trump in battleground states as he tried to overturn the election are facing ethics complaints, putting them at risk of being disciplined or disbarred by bar associations or the courts," adding, "Vigorously defending the client — even one known for unscrupulous behavior or accused of an egregious crime — is part of a lawyer’s basic job description. But attorneys are bound by a code of professional conduct that forbids them from crossing certain lines, including knowingly making false claims, filing frivolous lawsuits or motions, and doing anything to further a crime."

With the Times reporting, "Mr. Trump’s quest for such a lawyer fueled a destructive cycle: As his legal difficulties mounted, he hired more lawyers, who in turn faced problems for their work on his behalf, leading established lawyers concerned about their reputations to balk at representing him," Kimberly Wehle, a University of Baltimore law professor explained, “There’s no way to adhere to your ethical integrity and keep your job. There’s just no way to not step into a mess.”

According to Michael Teter, whose group has "filed complaints against 40 lawyers who took part in suits challenging the 2020 results," he is serving notice to lawyers to steer clear of Trump.

"Ultimately, we want to demonstrate to all the lawyers that the next time that Sidney Powell or Rudy Giuliani calls and says, ‘Hey, will you sign your name to this,’ they’ll say ‘no,’ because they’ll realize that there are professional consequences,” he explained.

YOU CAN READ A RELATED STORY HERE: Trump lawyer may be stripped of 'attorney-client privilege' over Mar-a-Lago obstruction: legal expert

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