Trump’s “Gang of Goons,” Bannon, Giuliani, and Lindell Discarded by Lawyers Over Unpaid Fees Amid Court Battles

Jo ShawNov 4, 2023

Minute Read

The legal troubles for Trump’s “Gang of Goons,” consisting of Bannon, Lindell, and Giuliani, are growing increasingly costly. These former Trump allies are not only facing mounting charges but also grappling with escalating legal expenses. Various law firms have begun legal actions against them for unpaid fees and have terminated their representation amid ongoing court cases. Trump finds himself in a precarious situation, as his lawyers are now considering plea deals offered by the prosecution as a way out of their legal woes.

MyPillow CEO Fighting Defamation Lawsuits

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MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell is embroiled in a $2 billion defamation lawsuit filed by electronic voting machine companies following his allegations that they played a role in manipulating the 2020 election against Trump. Additionally, these allegations have led to substantial financial losses for Lindell, who now owes millions of dollars in legal fees to a Minneapolis-based law firm.

Lindell Has Fallen Behind on Fees

Parker Daniels Kibort LLC’s legal team for Lindell and MyPillow in the defamation lawsuits has stated that he has fallen into arrears with his legal fees, and their representation must be withdrawn.

Millions of Dollars in Arrears

The filing stated, “At this time, Defendants are in arrears by millions of dollars to PDK,” and went on to explain, “PDK is a small litigation and trial firm in Minneapolis, MN and cannot afford to finance Defendants’ defense in the Litigations.”

Law Firm Owed Millions in Fees

The law firm officially requested the court’s permission to terminate its representation of Lindell in October, declaring outstanding legal fees amounting to millions of dollars owed to the firm.

Further Costs Would Amount to Millions

The firm emphasized that if it continued to offer legal services to Lindell, the fees would accumulate to millions more, further adding to the outstanding millions of dollars due.

Bannon Stiffs Law Firm

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Furthermore, Attorney Robert Costello of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP has terminated his representation of Steve Bannon, who served as Trump’s former Campaign CEO in 2016 and later as his chief strategist during the early days of Trump’s Presidency. Costello and his law firm, which previously represented Giuliani and Bannon, have independently initiated legal actions against the two individuals, seeking $1.5 million from Giuliani and $480,000 from Bannon.

Bannon Paid Less Than Half of Fees

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In a recently issued order, Judge Arlene Bluth determined that Bannon had only paid $375,000 out of the over $850,000 in legal fees he owed to the law firm.

Current Lawyer Helping With Previous Unpaid Fees

Judge Arlene Bluth’s court ruling demands $480,000 from Bannon, and he is contesting this judgment with the assistance of his present attorney, Harlan Protass.

The Firm Intends to Collect.

Jeffrey Citron, a managing partner at the firm, stated, “The firm intends to pursue every opportunity to collect our fees.”

Bannon Has Ongoing Legal Battles.

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Bannon is scheduled for a court appeal in November and is set to stand trial in New York next May. The trial pertains to state charges of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering, alleging that he defrauded donors in connection with the Mexican project known as “We Build the Wall.”

Giuliani Sued by Former Law Firm

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Rudy Giuliani is facing a lawsuit from the same firm, Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP. Giuliani’s previous legal representatives allege that he has outstanding unpaid legal fees amounting to $1.5 million. Costello, a partner at the law firm, has initiated legal action against Giuliani in the New York Supreme Court due to the unpaid fees for legal services dating back to 2019.

Giuliani Owes More Than $1.5 Million.

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Costello asserts that the firm invoiced Giuliani directly for fees of over $1.5 million, yet Giuliani only remitted a payment of $214,000.

Legal Fees Due From Georgia Racketeering Trial

The legal action stated that the firm’s provided legal services encompassed early representation in the election interference cases in Washington, D.C. and Georgia.

Giuliani Said Fees Were “Excessive.”

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Responding to the firm’s action, Giuliani said his legal bill was “excessive.” “I can’t express how personally hurt I am by what Bob Costello has done,” Giuliani said. “It’s a real shame when lawyers do things like this, and all I will say is that their bill is way in excess of anything approaching legitimate fees.”

IRS Puts Lien on Rudy’s Florida Property

Adding to Trump’s former lawyer’s woes, Rudy Giuliani is said to have an outstanding tax debt exceeding $500,000. Multiple reports indicate the IRS has placed a lien on his Florida property. Still, it has also been reported that Giuliani has “a formal agreement with the IRS to pay off the liability.”

Three of Trump’s Lawyers Plead Guilty in Georgia Trial

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Three former lawyers who previously represented Trump have already reached plea agreements with prosecutors in the Georgia racketeering trial and committed to providing truthful testimony during the proceedings.

Will Giuliani Pursue a Deal With Prosecutors?

Barbara McQuade, a former US attorney, has told the Guardian, “Giuliani must be concerned that Powell and Ellis will testify against him and add to the likelihood of conviction,” She went on to add, “It may not be in Giuliani’s DNA to admit wrongdoing, but now would be the time to pursue a deal from Fani Willis if he is willing to plead guilty.”

Trump’s “Gang of Goons” Guilty

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“Why aren’t there MAGA lawyers lining up to work pro-bono?” one user posted in response to Trump’s allies’ financial troubles. They went on to add, “It’s almost as if almost every lawyer out there, even the conservative ones, know Trump and his gang of goons are guilty as sin and they know he’s going to lose, and being the lawyer who tried to defend Trump and lost would be really bad for business.”