Former President Donald Trump’s legal team has issued a stern warning to investigative outlet ProPublica, vowing an onslaught of lawsuits over a recent article accusing Trump’s businesses and campaign of incentivizing witnesses in ongoing legal battles.
In a cease-and-desist letter obtained by ProPublica, Trump’s attorney alleges grave defamation and demands an immediate retraction of the article. The letter warns of imminent legal retribution, claiming that if ProPublica persists in what it brands a “reckless campaign of defamation,” Trump will pursue every conceivable legal recourse.
The explosive report, penned by Robert Faturechi, Justin Elliott, and Alex Mierjeski, identifies nine witnesses in criminal cases against Trump allegedly benefiting from lucrative arrangements with his entities.
“The benefits have flowed from Trump’s businesses and campaign committees,” according to a ProPublica. “One campaign aide had his average monthly pay double, from $26,000 to $53,500. Another employee got a $2 million severance package barring him from voluntarily cooperating with law enforcement. And one of the campaign’s top officials had her daughter hired onto the campaign staff, where she is now the fourth-highest-paid employee.”
These benefits, detailed through public disclosures, court records, and securities filings, include eye-popping revelations such as a campaign aide’s salary doubling and a hefty severance package for another, with stringent conditions barring cooperation with law enforcement.
Trump currently faces a litany of legal challenges, including election conspiracy charges in Washington, D.C. and Georgia, alongside allegations of mishandling classified information at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
A recent trial in New York ended in Trump’s conviction on a staggering 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records in a hush payment scheme. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11, with Trump expected to mount a vigorous appeal.
ProPublica revealed the threat against them in a post on X Wednesday.
Trump’s attorney sent ProPublica a cease-and-desist letter demanding this article not be published.
It warned that if the outlet and its reporters “continue their reckless campaign of defamation, President Trump will evaluate all legal remedies.”https://t.co/8hwbUTDVEm
— ProPublica (@propublica) June 26, 2024
