Potential blow for Trump as lawyer-turned-witness leaves legal team, report says

A longtime attorney for Donald Trump who is expected to be a key witness in a criminal case targeting the former president’s possession of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago has reportedly left his legal team.

Evan Corcoran, who recused himself from the Florida case last year, is no longer representing the former president in any of his criminal and civil cases, according to CNN, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Mr Corcoran quickly found himself at the centre of the classified documents case after he was hired to represent the former president, who faces a 40-count indictment alleging violations of the Espionage Act, obstruction, and the illegal removal of federal records after he left the White House.

His prolific notes and voice recordings that reportedly detail his exchanges with Mr Trump have become central to special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution, revealing how the former president allegedly misled his then-attorney about his mishandling of sensitive documents and attempts to evade a subpoena.

Mr Corcoran ultimately stepped down from the case one year ago following his testimony to a federal grand jury while his client tried, and failed, to block his communications by invoking attorney-client privilege.

A ruling from a federal appeals court panel last year effectively forced Mr Corcoran to turn over documents – including recordings of Mr Trump – to the grand jury.

Despite his recusal from the case, Mr Corcoran later joined Mr Trump at a federal courthouse in Washington DC when the former president was arraigned on charges connected to his scheme to overturn election results in 2020.

The Independent has requested comment from Mr Corcoran and a spokesperson for the Trump campaign.

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