Posted on 07/08/2023 8:13:37 AM PDT by thegagline
A New York judge on Friday awarded ex-White House adviser Steve Bannon’s former legal team more than $480,000 after the one-time Trump administration official stiffed them on payment.
In her ruling, NY Supreme Court Judge *** awarded the firm Davidff Hutcher & Citron a summary judgment of $480,487.87 – the legal retainer that Bannon refused to pay ***
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron filed its claim against Bannon in February, claiming it was not paid for legal services from November 2020 through November 2022.
The firm’s partner, Robert Costello, regularly represented Bannon over that period and the firm helped secure a presidential pardon for the 69-year-old in 2020.
The law firm represented Bannon through a series of legal problems, including an indictment that accused him of scamming $1 million from donors to the “We Build the Wall” GoFundMe campaign.
Bannon made payments totaling $375,000 out of the more than $850,000***
Bannon contended that he told his lawyers to stop working on his behalf in January 2022 and that Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLC performed work on matters unrelated to the subject matter of the retainer agreement.
He also argued that Costello would be a witness in a case against him and therefore he shouldn’t have to pay.
“Defendant’s assertion that he need not pay legal fees because an attorney for plaintiff might be a witness in the case in the District of Columbia is also without merit,” Bluth wrote in her ruling.
“As plaintiff pointed out, Mr. Costello filed a notice of withdrawal in that case in July 2022, well after the time defendant allegedly told plaintiff to stop representing him. Nor did defendant adequately explain how the fact that an attorney might be called as a witness is a valid defense to not paying legal bills,” she added. ***
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Instead, [Bannonn]claims that “My retainer agreement with DHC [plaintiff-Law Firm] lists my business address in Los Angeles, CA. However, DHC’s invoices list my personal address in Washington, DC. I never personally received or reviewed DHC’s invoices so I do not know the address to which DHC sent them. Likewise, I did not personally pay DHC’s invoices. Rather, as in all my business affairs, I instructed my business team in Los Angeles, CA to pay DHC’s invoices” . This does not state an issue of fact because defendant does not assert that the address listed on the invoices was incorrect or that he never received the invoices.
Instead, he claims that he never “personally received” them while also admitting that he would not have paid them anyway (his team would handle the payment). These assertions, combined with the fact that defendant (apparently via his business team) paid plaintiff $375,000 in connection with these invoices compels the Court to grant the motion. Clearly, someone affiliated with defendant was getting these invoices and defendant admits he instructed his team to pay plaintiff. “An agreement may be implied where a defendant retains bills without objecting to them within a reasonable period of time, or makes partial payment on the account” (Am. Exp. Centurion Bank v Cutler, 81 AD3d 761, 762, 916 NYS2d 622 [2d Dept 2011] [discussing an account stated claim]). That defendant’s business associatespaid certain of these invoices at defendant’s direction does not constitute a defense to the account stated claim.
Moreover, plaintiff also showed in reply that defendant was actively seeking plaintiff’s legal representation well after the time (January 2022) that defendant allegedly told plaintiff to stop providing legal services
The corrupt DOJ should be paying them out of their own pockets..
pay them in pennies.
The posted article does not precisely explain what issue his former attorney is going to testify about.
If the former attorney will be a witness in a Bannon case (or issue) that does NOT involve Bannon's legal fees - then - the demand for legal fees might be a veiled threat by the former attorney to testify in a manner that would be damaging to Bannon's interests.
“As plaintiff pointed out, Mr. Costello filed a notice of withdrawal in that case in July 2022, well after the time defendant allegedly told plaintiff to stop representing him.”
Once Bannon provides the court with the document directing the law firm to cease representation, the case will be over and Steve can tell them to get lost.
If Bannon won’t pay his legal bills why is the DOJ corrupt and a law firm Will about a +400k legal bill
Because the DOJ targeted Bannon like they target every other Trump acquaintance and supporter. If you simply had dinner with Trump, you'll be indicted for something.
Perhaps, if you want legal counsel, do you need a lawyer that charges $400k for a retainer.
Whatever the bogus reason for defending himself was, he still ran up the bill, either pay it or this is what happens, a court orders you to pay it.
Too bad Steve doesn't have friends like the Clintons, and other corrupt Democrats, who have big donors to pay their legal fees for them.
Lawfare.
As in WarFare.
That would be nice but Bannon is facing bogus charges but the charges are real and designed to break him financially, the $400k lawyers didn’t do anything to help him in terms of defeating the case but he still ran up the bill, considering the nature of the charges what did he think was going to happen, of course in Washington they were going to force him to pay
Anyone who is viewed by the left as actually helping Trump in any meaningful way will be destroyed via lawfare.
Fact.
But only if they have money and/or connections.
I understand that, but the charges against Bannon the other Trump Supporters are real, just ask Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.
In Washington DC what do you think will happen if you hire a high powered law firm for $400k and then don’t pay them, they will force you into bankruptcy or pay the bill.
If the $400k law firm gave you a solid chance to beat the case, it might be worth it, that wasn’t going to happen in Washington DC, so a much cheaper law firm would have been a much better choice.
I understand that, but the charges against Bannon the other Trump Supporters are real, just ask Paul Manafort and Michael Flynn.
In Washington DC what do you think will happen if you hire a high powered law firm for $400k and then don’t pay them, they will force you into bankruptcy or pay the bill.
If the $400k law firm gave you a solid chance to beat the case, it might be worth it, that wasn’t going to happen in Washington DC, so a much cheaper law firm would have been a much better choice.
That's the aim of the DOJ and NY State's law cases against Trump, and anyone associated with him. Not only breaking them financially, but hounding and intimidating them so they no longer have the will to fight.
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