>>> IN JUNE LAST YEAR, SHORTLY AFTER THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION
WAS CLINCHED, "USA TODAY" PUBLISHED THIS LONG, SORT OF
EMBARRASSING REPORT ON THE NEW REPUBLICAN NOMINEE.
IT WAS TITLED THIS. ""USA TODAY" EXCLUSIVE.
HUNDREDS ALLEGE DONALD TRUMP DOESN'T PAY HIS BILLS.
AND THE SUBHEADING WAS, AMONG THOSE WHO SAY BILLIONAIRE DIDN'T
PAY? DISHWASHERS, PAINTERS, WAITERS.
"USA TODAY" REPORTED IN JUNE, THEY BASICALLY HAD THEIR
REPORTERS COMB THROUGH LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND CATALOG ALL THE
PEOPLE WHO THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE HAD BEEN
ACCUSED OF NOT PAYING OVER THE COURSE OF HIS BUSINESS LIFE.
AND IT WASN'T JUST OTHER BIG NAME REAL ESTATE PEOPLE.
IT WAS CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS, PLUMBERS,
PAINTERS, DISHWASHERS, WAITRESSES, BARTENDERS,
EMPLOYEES AT EVERY LEVEL. ALSO, LAWYERS.
HIS OWN LAWYERS. AND THAT ENDS UP BEING
IMPORTANT. OVER THE COURSE OF HIS BUSINESS
CAREER, ACCORDING TO WHAT "USA TODAY" REPORTERS WERE ABLE TO
DIG UP THROUGH ALL THESE LEGAL FILINGS, IN SEVERAL INSTANCES,
HE RETAINED LAW FIRMS TO REPRESENT HIM IN THESE CASES
WHERE HE GOT SUED BECAUSE HE HAD ALLEGEDLY STIFFED HIS WORKERS.
HIS PLUMBERS OR DISHWASHERS OR SOMEBODY, SUE HIM BECAUSE THEY
SAY TRUMP HASN'T PAID THEM WHAT THEY OWE HIM.
THOSE SAME LAW FIRMS ENDED UP SUING DONALD TRUMP AS WELL
BECAUSE THEY SAID HE THEN DIDN'T PAY HIS LEGAL BILLS AFTER THEY
REPRESENTED HIM IN CASES WHERE OTHER PEOPLE SAID HE DIDN'T PAY
THEM EITHER. I CAN'T SAY THEY WEREN'T WARNED,
RIGHT? IN 2008, THAT WAS A NEW YORK LAW
FIRM WHO TRUMP HIRED TO HELP FIGHT CONTRACTORS OVER ALLEGED
MISPAYMENTS. SO TRUMP DIDN'T PAY HIS
CONTRACTORS, ALLEGEDLY. HE HIRED A LAW FIRM TO REPRESENT
HIM IN THAT CASE. THE LAW FIRM THEN IN TURN
ALLEGED TRUMP DIDN'T PAY THEM EITHER.
THEY SAID TRUMP DIDN'T PAY THEM NEARLY $500,000 IN LEGAL FEES.
HIM AND THAT NEW YORK LAW FIRM, THEY ENDED UP SETTLING.
FOUR YEARS LATER, IT WAS A VIRGINIA LAW FIRM.
THEY SUED THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION FOR OVER $90,000 WORTH OF
ALLEGEDLY UNPAID LEGAL FEES. THAT RESULTED IN ANOTHER
SETTLEMENT. THEN IT WAS AN ATLANTIC CITY LAW
FIRM, ALSO ACCUSED TRUMP OF SKIPPING OUT ON OVER A MILLION
DOLLARS IN LEGAL FEES THAT HE OWED TO THAT LAW FIRM IN
ATLANTIC CITY. AND THEY SAID THAT HE DIDN'T PAY
THEM. THAT HISTORY OF DONALD TRUMP
HAVING TO SETTLE OUT OF COURT OR BEING SUED BY LAW FIRMS SAYS
THAT TRUMP ENGAGED THEM TO REPRESENT HIM AND THEN DIDN'T
PAY THEM WHEN THE BILLS CAME DUE.
THAT ENDS UP BEING A REALLY INTERESTING RELEVANT BACK STORY
TO A FASCINATING NEW SCOOP FROM YAHOO!'S MICHAEL ISIKOFF.
ISIKOFF SCOOPS THAT TOP LAWYERS AT THE LEAST FOUR MAJOR PRIVATE
LAW FIRMS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY THE WHITE HOUSE ABOUT
POTENTIALLY REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT IN HIS LEGAL WOES.
AT LEAST FOUR MAJOR LAW FIRMS TURNED DOWN THE OPPORTUNITY TO
REPRESENT THE PRESIDENT IN THIS TRUMP/RUSSIA INVESTIGATION.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SELECTED A PRIVATE ATTORNEY NAMED MARK
KOSOWITZ TO REPRESENT HIM AS HIS PRIVATE LAWYER BUT ACCORDING TO
ISIKOFF'S REPORTING, THERE WERE ATTEMPTS TO ENTICE OTHER KIND OF
BRAND NAME LAWYERS. HIGH-PROFILE D.C. LEGAL EAGLES
TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO COME JOIN THE PRESIDENT'S LEGAL TEAM.
THOSE EFFORTS HAVE PROVED FRUITLESS.
QUOTING FROM ISIKOFF'S REPORT, THE CONCERNS WERE THE GUY WON'T
PAY, AND HE WON'T LISTEN.STEN. THAT'S ONE LAWYER CLOSE TO THE
WHITE HOUSE. QUOTE, OTHER FACTORS THE LAWYER
SAID, WERE THAT IT WOULD KILL RECRUITMENT FOR THE FIRMS TO BE
PUBLICLY ASSOCIATED WITH REPRESENTING THE POLARIZING
PRESIDENT, AND IT WOULD JEOPARDIZE THE FIRM'S
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CLIENTS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, IN THIS
STORY, AND IN EVERY STORY RELATED TO THIS STORY STRANGE
PRESIDENCY, TO SEPARATE OUT WHAT IS TRULY NEW AND UNPRECEDENTED
AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY SORT OF PAR FOR THE COURSE PRESIDENTIAL
BEHAVIOR. AND IT'S UNAVOIDABLE.
IT'S DEFINITELY TRUE IN MODERN TIMES ALMOST EVERY PRESIDENT HAS
HIRED OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL. ALMOST EVERY MODERN PRESIDENT
HAS RELIED ON PRIVATE LAWYERS TO HELP HIM RESPOND TO WHATEVER
SCANDAL THAT ADMINISTRATION IS FACING.
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS AN EXCEPTION TO THAT.
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD A PRIVATE LAWYER BUT THERE WAS NEVER A
MAJOR SCANDAL DURING HIS ADMINISTRATION THAT REQUIRED HIM
TO USE THAT PRIVATE COUNSEL. BUT FOR MOST OTHER MODERN
PRESIDENTS, THERE IS SOMEBODY. PRESIDENT NIXON WENT THROUGH NOT
ONE, BUT TWO OUTSIDE PRIVATE LAWYERS.
HIS FIRST WAS A MAN NAMES CHARLES ALAN WRIGHT, THE
PREEMPENT IN INSTITUTIONAL LAWYER OF HIS TIME.
WRIGHT, HOWEVER, WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN HIS EFFORTS TO
PREVENT NIXON FROM HAVING TO HAND OVER THE WHITE HOUSE TAPES.
AND SO NIXON CANNED HIM. REPLACED HIM WITH ANOTHER
PROMINENT LAWYER NAMES JAMES ST. CLAIR.
ST. CLAIR DEFENDED THE DECISION TO WITHHOLD THE TAPES ALL THE
WAY UP TO THE SUPREME COURT BEFORE THEY LOST THAT CASE.
DURING IRAN/CONTRA, PRESIDENT REAGAN RETAINED REPUBLICAN SUPER
LAWYER TED OLSON AS HIS PRIVATE COUNSEL.
RONALD REAGAN'S SUCCESSOR, PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH HIRED
JIMMY CARTER'S ATTORNEY GENERAL, GRIFFIN BELL, TO BE HIS PRIVATE
OUTSIDE LAWYER WHEN THE IRAN/CONTRA ISSUES FOLLOWED HIM
INTO HIS TERM AS PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON RETAINED
BIG NAME LAWYERS DAVID KENDALL, BOB BENNETT TO REPRESENT HIM
DURING THE MONICA LEWINSKY AFFAIR.
SO PRESIDENTS HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
PRESIDENTS USE OUTSIDE LAWYERS WHEN THEY'VE GOT SCANDALS TO
DEAL WITH. USUALLY HIGH-PROFILE LAWYERS AT
HIGH-PROFILE LAW FIRMS. AND THOSE KINDS OF LAWYERS,
THOSE KINDS OF LAW FIRMS USUALLY LINE UP TO REPRESENT THE
PRESIDENT. NO MATTERS THE SCANDAL, IT'S
REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP BEING REBUFFED BY BIG LAW FIRMS IS NOT ONLY AN
ANOMALY WHEN IT COMES TO RECENT PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY.
IT ALSO RAISES THIS VERY PRACTICAL, IMMEDIATE QUESTION OF
WHETHER OR NOT HE'S GOING TO HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE DEFENSE.
I MEAN, FOLLOWING TONIGHT'S REPORTING, FRONT PAGE OF THE
"WASHINGTON POST," LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT NEED IT MORE THAN EVER.
IS HE GOING TO GET AS GOOD A DEFENSE AS OTHER
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