Judge orders Trump lawyer to hand over notes and transcripts about classified ... trends now
A federal appeals court panel in D.C. ruled Wednesday that Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran must hand over documents to Justice Department prosecutors investigating classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
The three-judge panel upheld a ruling last week by District Court Judge Beryl Howell that Corcoran must provide notes and transcripts to Special Counsel Jack Smith.
The ruling ended a temporary stay blocking the order and directed the unidentified parties to comply with the sealed order.
Donald Trump's campaign is pushing back against a report based on a judge's sealed letter on potential criminal violations in conversations being shielded by Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran. An Appeals Court panel on Wednesday upheld a lower court's ruling that Corcoran must provide documents and information Special Counsel Jack Smith's office is seeking
Prosecutors in Smith's office had asked the judge to find a 'crime-fraud exception' to communications between Trump and his lawyer, which ordinarily would be protected by attorney-client privilege.
But it can be pierced if a judge finds the privilege is being used to conceal evidence of a crime.
The process all unfolded rapidly in a court system where long delays are common. The court asked Trump's lawyers to file their arguments by midnight, and the government weighed in at 6 am Wednesday. The court panel's ruling came by 4 pm.
Corcoran is scheduled to testify before a grand jury on Friday in another rapid development, CNN reported.
It was not immediately known if Trump's team would try to appeal the ruling, which came from a panel of three judges appointed by Democratic presidents.
Trump's camp issued a furious response in advance of the ruling to a report based on federal judge's sealed filing indicating a showing of 'criminal violations' by the former president as she ordered a Trump lawyer be forced to testify in the documents case.
A Trump spokeswoman blasted a news report as 'Fake News' and 'ILLEGALLY LEAKED,' after portions of a letter by U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell to Special Counsel Jack Smith about the investigation of the former president's handling of government documents including classified material at Mar-a-Lago.
Judge Howell last week ordered Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran to comply with a subpoena to testify, after investigators invoked a 'crime-fraud exception' that can override attorney-client privilege. Her sealed order would have him face additional questioning before a grand jury.
Judge Howell wrote prosecutors stating there was a 'prima facie showing that the former president had
