Trump targets on hook for millions – win or lose: 'Can't imagine anything more stressful'

The Department of Justice is targeting President Donald Trump's enemies, and they're on the hook to pay for their defense no matter what happens in their criminal case.

Trump's hand-picked and inexperienced U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan secured indictments against FBI Director Jim Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, with more charges expected against other political foes, and they might be forced to pay millions in legal fees to defend themselves, reported NPR.

"Most people have to figure out, out of pocket and figure out, do they have the savings?" said Lisa Wayne, executive director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. "Do they have friends and family that can help them? Do they take mortgages on their homes? It can be a very stressful situation for most individuals."

Three longtime criminal lawyers estimated their legal costs between $1 million and $5 million for a small law firm and $25 million or more for a large one, and that doesn't include the cost to their reputation, as attorney Michael Sussman, who was acquitted on charges brought by Trump-appointed special counsel John Durham, has said.

"Despite being falsely accused, I'm relieved that justice ultimately prevailed in my case," Sussman said after a jury found him not guilty of making a false statement to the FBI after a 2022 trial. "As you can imagine, this has been a difficult year for my family and me."

Trump tapped right-wing lawyer Ed Martin, who was unable to win Senate confirmation to serve as U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., to head his Weaponization Working Group to target individuals he blames for his own legal problems while out of office, which he says cost him $100 million in legal fees.

"There are some really bad actors, some people that did some really bad things to the American people, and if they can be charged, we'll charge them," Martin said when starting the job. "But if they can't be charged, we will name them, and in a culture that respects shame, they should be people that are shamed."

Wayne, who has tried more than 150 criminal cases in her decades-long career, said Martin's comments are a sharp break from long-standing Department of Justice policy, which cautions prosecutors from speaking badly about individuals who haven't been charged with any crimes.

"I can't imagine anything more stressful than being accused by the government and carrying the weight of that as an individual in this country," Wayne said.