Donald Trump just revealed that he has a huge Ty Cobb problem
This morning Donald Trump began bragging about the skills of his attorney Ty Cobb. He’s the guy with the handlebar mustache who looks like a cross between Wilford Brimley and a barkeep from the old west, and was once famously overheard discussing secret details of the Trump case in a restaurant by the New York Times reporter dining near him. But Trump has a Ty Cobb problem that runs much deeper than that, because Trump just revealed that he doesn’t know Cobb isn’t his lawyer.
Here’s what Trump tweeted this morning: “I have agreed with the historically cooperative, disciplined approach that we have engaged in with Robert Mueller (Unlike the Clintons!). I have full confidence in Ty Cobb, my Special Counsel, and have been fully advised throughout each phase of this process.” Trump is correct in that Cobb has the title of “Special Counsel” – but the key word here is “my.” Trump clearly thinks that Cobb represents him. However, that’s not the case.
While Trump did hire attorney Jay Sekulow to personally represent him in the Russia scandal, he had the White House hire Ty Cobb as a “Special Counsel” in the Russia scandal. This was presumably done to force taxpayers to cover the cost of Cobb’s salary. The trouble: this means that Trump and Cobb have absolutely no attorney-client privilege. Trump’s tweet strongly suggests that he doesn’t understand this. Even if he did, his uncontrollable big mouth has surely let slip things to Cobb that are criminal in nature.
So unless Ty Cobb wants to go to prison, which is doubtful, he’s legally compelled to tell Robert Mueller about every crime that Donald Trump confesses to, and turn over every bit of evidence he comes across. Sekulow has no relevant skills or experience for this particular kind of criminal defense, which means Cobb has to be running the show. Yet Cobb will legally have to sell Trump out to Mueller, if he hasn’t done so already. Trump apparently still hasn’t figured that out.
