Stormy Daniels's conflict complaint against Trump hush money lawyer tossed
A New York attorney grievance committee on Tuesday dismissed a complaint filed by adult film performer Stormy Daniels alleging one of former President Trump’s lawyers in his hush-money case has a conflict of interest.
Daniels, who in 2016 was paid the money at the center of Trump’s criminal case, filed the complaint earlier this year after claiming attorney Joe Tacopina had a conflict because of his prior dealings with her.
“Following an investigation of the allegations in the above-referenced complaint filed against you, the Committee has determined to take no further action,” Jorge Dopico, chief attorney for the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department, told Tacopina in a Tuesday letter.
The judge overseeing Trump’s hush money case in September similarly ruled that Tacopina had no conflict, although the Trump attorney did agree to not cross-examine Daniels if she testifies at trial.
“Now both the court and the disciplinary committee have ruled that there was no conflict or ethical violation at all , as I have said from day one. It’s seems that Stormy Daniels and her joke of a lawyer’s 15 minutes of fame have come to an appropriate end,” Tacopina told The Hill in an email.
The development was first reported by The Messenger.
Trump is charged in the case with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over reimbursements he made to his then-fixer and personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who had paid Daniels to keep quiet about allegations that she had an affair with Trump.
Trump, who pleaded not guilty, denies the affair.
Concerns about Tacopina’s involvement were raised around the time of Trump’s arraignment in April.
Daniels’s attorney, Clark Brewster, in a letter had indicated that Daniels previously contacted Tacopina’s law firm seeking consultation about the hush money arrangement.
Tacopina has long said he never represented Daniels and never actually met with her.
"I trust that the grievance committee gave the complaint diligent and careful consideration," Brewster said in an email.
"In reporting the facts to the committee I simply felt obliged under the rules of Professional Conduct to disclose the facts implicating a rules violation and thereupon leave it to a well constituted committee to render its judgment."
Trump’s trial in the case is currently scheduled to begin on March 25. It is one of four criminal cases the former president faces as he looks to return to the White House.
He has mounted various pre-trial attempts to toss the charges, and the judge is set to consider those motions during a Feb. 15 hearing. The judge at that hearing could also change the trial schedule.