Apprentice contestant secures subpoena for infamous Donald Trump tapes
Wednesday, reports confirmed that Summer Zervos, who filed a defamation lawsuit in New York against Donald Trump early last year, has obtained a subpoena for the “Apprentice tapes”. Ms. Zervos, a former contestant on “The Apprentice” who accused Trump of sexual assault, is seeking records to prove that Trump defamed her by calling her a liar. Zervos, a Republican, was one of more than 10 women who came forward during the 2016 presidential campaign and accused Mr. Trump of inappropriate sexual contact. Trump has denied all the women’s claims.
A legal spokesperson for Ms. Zervos, Mariann Wang, confirmed subpoenas have been issued to both Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which owns archives of the reality show; and to the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Ms. Zervos says Trump groped her in 2007. The subpoena asks M.G.M. to turn over all documents, video, or audio that feature Ms. Zervos or Mr. Trump talking about Ms. Zervos. The subpoena also seeks any recording in which Mr. Trump speaks of women “in any sexual or inappropriate manner.” The hotel subpoena requests records of any stay by Mr. Trump from 2005 through 2009, as well as documents related to his longtime bodyguard, Keith Schiller; his longtime assistant, Rhona Graff; or Ms. Zervos.
Much like the damning footage of the infamous Access Hollywood tape, the “Apprentice tapes” are rumored to be scathing, even compared to what we currently expect from Trump. Hundreds of hours of footage are said to be archived, spanning over 11 seasons, including copious outtakes that reveal lewd and racist comments made by Trump. During the presidential campaign, opposition research teams from both parties reveled in the possibility of obtaining scraps of tape, rumored to be salvaged by stage and production crews. People associated with The Apprentice say they had received calls from reporters at the Associated Press, BuzzFeed, Politico, The New York Times, CNN, the Huffington Post, and The Washington Post. In a December 2016 Vanity Fair interview, a source involved with the show claimed that the tapes of Trump were “insane.” This source suggested that the comments were more provocative than anything Trump had made during the campaign trail, even at the rancorous crescendos of his MAGA rallies.
This news comes a week after Stormy Daniels escalated her own legal battle with Trump, filing a defamation suit against Trump’s false and derogatory Tweet made last week about her case. Meanwhile, investigators are pouring over a mountain of evidence seized by federal agents last week, after a subpoena in Daniels’ civil case granted an FBI raid of Trump’s longtime attorney and consigliere, Michael Cohen. Evidence taken from Cohen’s office, home, and hotel room include computer equipment, 16 cellphones, a safety deposit box, and a multitude of documents.
Cohen remains under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. Charges include bank fraud, wire fraud, and campaign finance violations associated with Cohen’s taxi medallion business, his personal hush-money payment to Daniels just 11 days before the presidential campaign, and the role he played in trying to block the release of the Access Hollywood tape.
Evidence of Trump’s and Cohen’s business activities not only assist NY prosecutors, but may also be vital as it pertains to the Special Counsel’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. Prosecutors are looking into Cohen’s decades-long business dealings with international criminal organizations, particularly those originating from the former Soviet Union. Evidence obtained could shed light on Cohen’s and Trump’s efforts to build a Trump-branded property in Moscow in late 2015 and early 2016.
Gina Bradbury is a freelance writer with 20 years experience working in both the federal government and private sector. She is active in grassroots advocacy for progressive policy.