Lawyers for disgraced former President Trump on Tuesday notified Judge Juan Merchan that they intend to assert an advice of counsel defense in the upcoming Stormy Daniels hush money payoff trial, except that it’s not “formal” in that he doesn’t want to waive attorney-client privilege between himself and whichever lawyer he claims gave him the bad advice that led to the indictment.
“While President Trump intends to elicit evidence concerning the presence, involvement and advice of lawyers in relevant events giving rise to the charges in the Indictment, he does not intend to assert a formal advice-of-counsel defense that would require him to prove at trial that he ‘(1) made a complete disclosure to counsel [concerning the matter at issue], (2) sought advice as to the legality of his conduct, (3) received advice that his conduct was legal, and (4) relied on that advice in good faith,'” the lawyers wrote, whatever the hell that means.
Sounds like Trump just wants to blame Michael Cohen without having to waive whatever privilege that may or may not still exist with him and/or avoid testifying taking the stand during the trial.