Donald Trump will temporarily be without one of his most-trusted and high-profile defense lawyers, who is undergoing surgery, new court papers have revealed.
Christopher Kise is scheduled to have planned surgery on Monday, April 29, and will be unavailable until at least May 14, a notice to the court filed on Wednesday said.
The attorney's unavailability may continue during "the post-surgery recovery period which will restrict his ability to work and travel during that time," it added.
Kise, a former solicitor general of Florida who has won four U.S. Supreme Court cases, has been a key figure in the former president's ongoing documents case and in the New York civil fraud case, which Trump is appealing.
The filing didn't reveal the reason behind the surgery nor how long Kise's recovery period could last.
Trump faces 40 charges in the documents case, including violations of the Espionage Act. He denies them all.
Trump's other criminal case, often dubbed the "hush money" trial, began last week.
Kise also represented Trump in his three-month New York civil fraud trial, which the former president lost on February 16 and was ordered to pay $454 million. Trump is appealing the ruling in the case, which he has dubbed a "witch hunt."
The Context
FBI agents in August 2022 searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, retrieving boxes containing classified documents, which authorities allege they were obstructed from retrieving. Trump sought Kise's counsel days after the raid.
But a firm trial date has still yet to be set.
The Trump-appointed judge overseeing the case, Aileen Cannon, is still weighing several motions to dismiss the case, while the prosecution and defense wrangle over whether or not government witnesses' names can be disclosed.
Trump's five-strong legal team is led by Todd Blanche and includes former federal prosecutor Emil Bove, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lazaro Fields, and most recently Blanche-associate Stephen Weiss.
Kise, along with another high-profile Trump lawyer, Alina Habba, has also been representing the former president in his New York civil fraud case.
On Monday, Kise played a key role in overcoming a challenge from New York Attorney General Letitia James about the validity of Trump's $175-million bond, which delays the state from potentially seizing his assets.
During a 20-minute hearing, Kise clashed with the judge, Arthur Engoron, calling his arguments "hypothetical...wildly speculative," and saying of New York prosecutors: "It appears that no matter what we do they're going to find fault with it," the AP reported.
What's Next?
In the latest development in the documents case, Judge Cannon ordered the grand jury testimony of Trump's co-defendent in the case, his driver Walt Nauta, be released with partial redactions by April 26. The other defendant is Carlos De Oliveira. Both accused men deny all charges.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
