Trump Taps Florida GOP-Connected Lawyer For Defense: Politico

Chris Kise, a lawyer with strong ties to Florida Republicans, is expected to assist former President Donald Trump in his defense against federal charges, Politico reports.

Trump’s Legal Team: Trump is set to make an initial appearance in a Miami federal courthouse on Tuesday afternoon on 37 counts related to his handling and retention of classified documents he took from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago estate. It remains unclear if Kise will accompany Trump into the courtroom during Tuesday’s hearing.

Kise’s Role: Kise was first brought on to assist with the case last August and has since joined Continental PLLC, a relatively new law firm founded with the help of Carlos Trujillo, a former state legislator appointed ambassador to the Organization of American States by Trump. Kise was reportedly sidelined from the documents probe within months of joining Trump’s team and was sent to work on the New York attorney general’s civil case against the former president.

Florida Connections: Kise has long-standing connections to many of Florida’s Republican power brokers. He played a pivotal role in the 2018 election contest between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum. Kise represented Adam Corey, a lobbyist and former friend of Gillum, amid questions about possibly improper trips Gillum made while he was Tallahassee mayor.

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