By Andrew Goudsward
(Reuters) – An attorney for former President Donald Trump has hired an attorney to represent him while prosecutors step up their investigation into the handling of sensitive documents at Trump’s Florida residence, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
Evan Corcoran, who has represented Trump in interactions with the government over the presidential paperwork brought to his resort town of Mar-a-Lago, has reached out to Michael Levy, a prominent Washington business attorney, according to people familiar with the matter.
According to one of the people, Levy was hired by Corcoran’s law firm, Silverman Thompson Slutkin & White, to represent Corcoran in the investigation.
Levy, a director at Washington law firm Ellerman Enzinna Levy, declined to comment.
Corcoran has appeared before a grand jury in connection with US Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into classified documents brought to Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s term in office and possible attempts to obstruct that investigation. He appeared before the grand jury in early January, according to a person familiar with his appearance.
The New York Times reported this week that US prosecutors are trying to re-examine Corcoran and are asking a US judge to violate attorney-client privilege by arguing they uncovered evidence of a crime.
Corcoran communicated with both the National Archives and the US Department of Justice last year when the administration requested the return of the president’s papers brought to Mar-a-Lago, according to documents released as part of a lawsuit filed against Trump last Year had filed to obtain an independent review of the materials FBI seized in Mar-a-Lago.
Another Trump attorney, Christina Bobb, signed a certificate stating that all classified information was returned before the FBI found about 100 more classified documents in an August 2022 search, according to prosecutors.
Trump has denied wrongdoing, claiming without providing evidence that all documents at his residence were declassified.
The story goes on
Levy worked for Corcoran as a US Attorney in Washington, DC in the 1990s. He has been involved in several high-profile cases throughout his career, including representing Enron executives following the company’s implosion in 2001.
Levy was previously a white-collar partner at major law firms Paul Hastings and Mayer Brown.
(Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Amy Stevens and Sonali Paul)
