Todd Blanche (born c. 1975) is an American lawyer and former prosecutor. Blanche is best known for representing former U.S. president Donald Trump in the 2024 criminal trial in New York, where a jury found Trump guilty of 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records, making him the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime.[1]
Education and career
[edit]Blanche was born c. 1975.[2] He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and interdisciplinary studies from the American University School of Public Affairs.[3] In 1999, Blanche worked as a paralegal for the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and attended night classes at Brooklyn Law School.[2]
After law school, Blanche was a prosecutor in New York's Southern District and co-chief of its violent crimes unit and the White Plains, New York division.[3] He worked on cases related to bank and wire fraud, public corruption, and racketeering.[3] Blanche was later employed by the law firm WilmerHale.[3] From September 2017 to April 2023, Blanche was a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.[4] He represented clients including Igor Fruman and Paul Manafort during the latter's 2016 fraud trial.[3][5]
Blanche left the firm and founded Blanche Law to represent former U.S. president Donald Trump.[5][3] He is a defense attorney in the 2024 criminal trial of Donald Trump.[3] Following Trump's May 30, 2024 conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Blanche stated Trump's defense team plans to appeal the verdict.[6]
Personal life
[edit]Blanche is married. His wife is a medical doctor.[2] Blanche has completed two Ironman triathlons.[2]
In 2023, Blanche was a registered Democrat in New York. In 2024, Blanche purchased a home in Palm Beach County, Florida and registered as a Republican voter.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Gamio, Lazaro; Yourish, Karen; Haag, Matthew; Bromwich, Jonah E.; Haberman, Maggie; Lai, K. K. Rebecca (2024-05-30). "The Trump Manhattan Criminal Verdict, Count By Count". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
- ^ a b c d e Haberman, Maggie; Protess, Ben; Feuer, Alan (2024-04-04). "Trump's Trial Lawyer Gambled a Gilded Manhattan Career to Represent Him". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g Gleeson, Cailey (April 24, 2024). "Who Is Todd Blanche? Trump's N.Y. Criminal Trial Lawyer Left High-Profile Firm Before Joining Legal Team". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ Goudsward, Andrew (June 15, 2023). "Ex-clients sue Trump lawyer Blanche over work in SEC probe". Reuters. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ a b Orden, Erica (April 3, 2023). "Trump taps white-collar attorney to helm indictment defense". Politico. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
- ^ Falconer, Rebecca (May 31, 2024). "Trump lawyer outlines plan to challenge historic guilty verdict". Axios. Retrieved May 31, 2024.