Tristan Snell, former Assistant AG for New York State, successfully prosecuted Trump University, which he dubbed “Trump’s first major legal loss.” Now, the lawyer shares some of his tactics.
Holding Trump accountable
The author of the book “Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who’s Done it Successfully” and a legal analyst for MSNBC and CNN led the investigation and prosecution of Trump University. Writing for The Daily Beast, Snail shared how to hold the former president accountable.
Snell led the 2017 Trump University prosecution
The attorney writes, “While serving at the New York Attorney General’s office, I helped lead the prosecution of Trump University.” The result was a $25 million settlement in 2017, the largest so far for the 45th president.
New cases come with bigger fines
In the defamation case, Trump was ordered to pay over $80 million to E. Jean Carroll, but there are still appeals. Judge Engoron’s decision in the fraud case was delayed until mid-February. Potentially, the Trump Organization could be fined $370 million.
The “playbook”
After the 2017 victory, several other attorneys succeeded as well, so Snell writes, “The playbook for how to defeat Trump is now well-defined.” He gave out several vital elements, “courageous leadership, a stoic refusal to be distracted or daunted by Trump’s counterattacks and diversions, dogged and comprehensive investigation and devotion to savvy communication not only in court filings but with the media and the public.”
Simple yet effective
Snell shared how these elements could play a pivotal role in defeating Trump and continued, “Playbook may seem simple, but it requires exceptional discipline and dedication to playing the long game, grinding it out, and eventually wearing Trump down.”
Trump’s own playbook
Writing for the Daily Beast, Snell also shared Trump’s playbook: “delay, divert, and destroy.” Because of the delays, the date of the D.C. trial is currently unknown.
Presidential immunity
Trump’s legal team claims that the presidential immunity protects him from the election interference charges. Trump attorney John Sauer even suggested a hypothetical, arguing that the president ordering SEAL Team Six to kill a political rival would be an action barred from prosecution.
Justice is slow
Snell noted that “these cases have seemed slow, but, out of public view, they have accumulated massive amounts of evidence that they are pushing forward, every day, until the momentum is unstoppable.”
Playbook in real-time
Snell wrote, “he’ll try to destroy the reputations of the prosecutors, the judges, and even their staff and families.” J. Michael Luttig, a retired federal appeals court judge, talked to NBC about “vicious” attacks, explaining, “The purpose and intended effect of the former president’s attacks on the courts is to delegitimize them in the eyes of the American public.”
But not all attacks are equal
Rolling Stone reported that Trump’s allies were pledging a “holy war” against Taylor Swift. While the musician never endorsed a presidential candidate, Harvard Institute of Politics and Newsweek polls found that 18 to 19 percent of younger voters would be “significantly more likely” to vote for a Swift-backed candidate.
The challenge
The legal commentator and attorney posted on X, “Let’s have some fun. Comment with #TakingDownTrump, and let’s get it to trend.” Indeed, the hashtag trended on January 3.
Inside Snell’s book
According to the publisher, Snell’s book is “a road map for how America can begin to escape the Trump wilderness of fraud and fascism. ” Read the lawyer’s full essay on the Daily Beast.
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