Chris Kise has been sidelined from the Mar-a-Lago documents investigation less than a month after he was brought on to represent former president of United States, Donald Trump in the matter, two sources familiar with the move have told CNN.
Kise is the newest addition to former President Donald Trump’s legal team.
Kise is expected to remain on Trump’s legal team but is not leading the work related to the federal government’s investigation into how the former President handled 11,000 documents seized from his Florida home in August following a lengthy effort by the government to retrieve them.
The reason for the shift in Kise’s role remains unclear and he may instead focus his efforts on the other investigations Trump is facing, which range from his business practices to the January 6 insurrection.
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The move is notable given Kise, the former solicitor general for Florida, was brought on to the team after a weeks-long search and struggle to find someone willing to take on the case who was also experienced in Florida law.
The legal strategy for fighting the Justice Department following the August seizure of over 100 documents marked as classified was also in disarray.
Kise’s hiring came with an unusual price tag of $3 million, paid for by Trump’s outside spending arm. The retainer fee, paid upfront, raised eyebrows among other lawyers on Trump’s team, given the former President has a developed a reputation for not paying his legal fees.
His sidelining will likely be read as another setback for Trump as he faces multiple investigations.
Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich said: “Chris Kise’s role as an important member of President Trump’s legal team remains unchanged, and any suggestion otherwise is untrue.”
CNN