After a new member of Donald Trump’s legal team was allegedly “sidelined” in the investigation into sensitive documents secreted from the former president’s Mar-a-Lago home, some legal experts weighed in on the potential reasons for the shift.
Legal scholar Laurence Tribe tweeted Tuesday afternoon that he wondered if Trump had “yanked” a $3 million fee he’d reportedly agreed to pay Chris Kise.
“Or maybe he never actually paid Kise up front?” Tribes added. “Either way, quitting seems the only smart move Kise made since signing on with Trump.”
Amazing. I wonder if Trump yanked the $3 million fee he’d agreed to pay Chris Kise? Or maybe he never actually paid Kise up front? Either way, quitting seems the only smart move Kise made since signing on with Trump. https://t.co/099k5rcgjF
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) September 27, 2022
Former federal prosecutor and CNN legal analyst Jennifer Rodgers asked if the shift in Kise’s role meant that his team anticipates Trump might be charged soon in a Georgia investigation into his actions following the 2020 presidential election.
“Would make sense for Kise to lead the GA case defense with his state law experience and Trusty to stay on the fed case,” Rodgers said, referring to another Trump lawyer, James Trusty.
Newsweek reached out to a Trump spokesperson for comment and confirmation on the alleged changes involving Kise.

Marco Bello/AFP via Getty Images
CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, reported Tuesday