Newly released grand jury transcripts show Donald Trump's attorney in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case refused to answer questions about his client during a contentious exchange.
Timothy Parlatore, who quit the case shortly after Trump was indicted last year, accused a Department of Justice lawyer of not following the rules on attorney-client privilege, setting off a tense dialogue shown in court records unsealed by federal judge Aileen Cannon and reported by Newsweek.
"Are we really doing this?" Parlatore said, and another DOJ lawyer interrupted and reminded Trump's attorney that he was a witness and should be asking questions.
The grand jury ultimately handed up an indictment against Trump on 40 federal charges related to his mishandling of sensitive government documents stashed at his private resort in Palm Beach, Florida, after leaving the White House in January 2021, and Parlatore testified before grand jurors Dec. 22, 2022, at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C.
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"It's privileged, which is something that she knows, if – it's something that every attorney does know," Parlatore told federal prosecutors.
DOJ lawyers Julie Edelstein, Brett Reynolds and Anne McNamara questioned Parlatore, asking the attorney why Trump had not allowed him to discuss their conversations if he was cooperating with their investigation.
"The question you just asked seems to indicate that, for somebody to be cooperative, they should waive their attorney-client privilege, which is absolutely wrong," Parlatore said, after objecting to the line of questioning.
Edelstein told him that she was not asking him to waive attorney-client privilege but said she was obligated to ask about their discussions of the matter.
"Do you understand that that's not something that should be even suggested?" Parlatore said.
Reynolds intervenes and reminded Parlatore he was the witness, and Edelstein steps in and adds that she has asked him a question, which Parlatore again says is improper, but she explains her obligation.
"You made a representation to this grand jury about what was said at a meeting," Edelstein said, "and I asked you the basis of that representation."
Parlatore again said the question is improper, adding that she cannot ask what the former president had said to him, and his testimony ends a short time later, with both sides thanking one another.
"Thank you," Parlatore said, "and I apologize if some of the answers were a little bit more convoluted just because of the weird dynamic here, but I appreciate your time. Thank you."
