A law firm that has long represented Donald J. Trump’s political campaign and businesses in employment lawsuits has abruptly requested to withdraw from a case involving a former campaign surrogate, A.J. Delgado, who alleges she was discriminated against for becoming pregnant in 2016. The firm, LaRocca, Hornik, Greenberg, Rosen, Kittredge, Carlin and McPartland, cited an “irreparable breakdown in the attorney-client relationship” for their decision. This move came just days after the court ordered the campaign to provide all complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination from the 2016 and 2020 campaigns, which the defendants had previously resisted.
Lead lawyer Jared Blumetti did not provide specific details about the dispute but requested to discuss the matter privately with the judge. This development comes at a critical time for former President Trump, who is currently facing a criminal trial in a 2016 campaign sex scandal cover-up case involving Stormy Daniels, as well as other criminal and civil charges. The Supreme Court recently heard arguments about Trump’s immunity from criminal charges related to his time in office, and he is appealing over $500 million in civil judgments from last year. Several of his defense lawyers have stepped aside in recent months.
It is unclear whether LaRocca, Hornik, Greenberg, Rosen, Kittredge, Carlin, and McPartland, located in a building owned by Trump in Manhattan, plan to sever all ties with him. Last year, several of Trump’s other lawyers representing him in various cases withdrew, including one who stated he would no longer represent him. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker has ruled that the firm must continue representing the campaign for now and will schedule a conference to discuss the matter further. The firm has represented Trump’s business interests for at least a decade and was paid nearly $3 million for its services in various cases.
In addition to the case involving A.J. Delgado, the firm is representing the campaign in a separate sexual discrimination and abuse lawsuit filed by Jessica Denson, another former campaign worker. LaRocca, Hornik has assisted the campaign in negotiating settlements in previous lawsuits, including a $450,000 settlement in a case challenging the validity of nondisclosure agreements for campaign workers in 2016. They also helped negotiate a settlement in a case where Trump’s bodyguard was accused of assaulting protesters in 2015. Delgado’s lawsuit alleges gender and pregnancy discrimination by the campaign, as well as former advisers Reince Priebus and Sean Spicer, after she became pregnant by her supervisor, Jason Miller.
The suit filed by A.J. Delgado claims she was discriminated against for becoming pregnant by her supervisor, Jason Miller, after the 2016 election. She alleges that she was relieved of her duties and cut off from communications once she disclosed her pregnancy. As part of the litigation, Delgado has been seeking all complaints of gender discrimination within the campaign. While LaRocca, Hornik, Greenberg, Rosen, Kittredge, Carlin, and McPartland have requested to withdraw from representing the campaign in this case due to an “irreparable breakdown,” the judge has ordered them to continue representing the campaign for now. This development adds to the legal challenges facing Trump as he navigates ongoing criminal and civil cases.
