discarded

Alina Habba is the latest Trump attorney who’s now facing serious legal trouble

By · 12 comments

It wasn’t that long ago when Alina Habba appeared to be a rising star in MAGA world. The Trump attorney was constantly seen with the disgraced ex-president, leading some to wonder whether she was replacing MIA Melania.

But now, Habba is facing legal peril, just like many of her litigious predecessors. Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey recently paid $82,500 to settle a lawsuit brought by a former waitress, Alice Bianco, who says she was tricked into signing an illegal nondisclosure agreement in 2021 after being sexually harassed by a supervisor.

According to Bianco, Habba posed as a friend to then-21-year-old, offering to guide her through her harassment suit. But simultaneously, Habba was also ingratiating herself with Trump. Before long, she “fraudulently induced” Bianco to “quickly agree to unconscionable and illegal terms,” the lawsuit says.

The hush-money payment wound up only being $15,000, which was taxed, meaning Bianco took home even less. If Bianco violated the NDA, she would lose her money, and be penalized $1,000 per day.

Sounds like a pretty awful deal, right?

When Bianco realized the NDA money would be taxed, she went back to Habba, who was already representing Trump in a myriad of cases. As a result, Habba told Bianco she couldn’t provide any more legal advice, reports The New Republic.

Bianco’s attorney, Nancy Erika Smith, told the Daily Beast her client is “certainly considering” suing Habba for fraud. And her settlement with Bedminster specifically carves out room for her to do that. The contract says “both parties agree that Alina Habba is not a party to this release.”

In other words, Habba is being left open to further litigation, while Trump skates.

Tough break!

It’s been quite the downfall for Habba, whose legal work is so shoddy, she’s been skewered by her own peers for being awful at her job. During Trump’s defamation trial against E. Jean Carroll, the presiding judge lectured Habba a whopping 12 times in a single day for her outlandish behavior.

Trump lost the case, and was ordered to pay Carroll $83.5 million. That’s on top of the $467 million he owes to the city of New York for real estate fraud (the self-proclaimed billionaire is unable to finance his $450 million appeal bond).

One of Trump’s former attorneys, Timothy Parlatore, said in an interview with CNN’s Kaitlin Collins that Habba was horribly ineffective in the Carroll case.

“From my perspective, I would regret having her represent him,” he said. “I think in both these trials, he was essentially un-defended.”

Trump appears to agree with that assessment. He fired Habba on social media shortly after the Carroll verdict. “I am in the process, along with my team, of interviewing various law firms to represent me in an Appeal of one of the most ridiculous and unfair Witch Hunts our country has ever seen,” he wrote on his Truth Social website.

Habba, however, denies she’s been fired. She told Queerty in an email she’s still representing the quadruple-indicted, twice-impeached, one-term ex-president.

“Of course I am. We are hiring appellate firms,” she said.

Related:

Alina Habba denies Trump fired her via social media last night

Is the clock ticking on Habba’s time with Trump?

Instead of helping Trump find additional legal help, Habba might be better off trying to secure some representation for herself. There is a long list of Trump lawyers who are facing financial penalties, or even jail time.

Rudy Giuliani is at the front of the line. Formerly known as “America’s Mayor,” Giuliani is now desperate and broke. He was involved in his own high-profile defamation case, with a jury awarding two Georgia election workers $148 million for his false and unrelenting attacks against them.

In addition, Giuliani is facing racketeering charges for his efforts to help Trump overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. That case also involves Sidney Powell, the crackpot conspiracy theorist who pleaded guilty to six counts of misdemeanor “conspiracy to commit interference with performance of election duties” for her role in the failed scheme.

Jenna Ellis, meanwhile, cut a plea deal with Georgia prosecutors. She tearfully admitted guilt for her actions.

But of course, few ex-Trump attorneys know about his disloyalty more than Michael Cohen, his one-time fixer. Cohen, who spent time in prison for his Trump-related dirty work, warned Habba about her new direction back in 2022.

“For Donald, the only option is victory at any cost,” he told Insider. “This even includes having counsel act in ways detrimental to their reputation and career. If she falls down the garbage chute I did, I predict a very bad ending.”

How prescient! Habba, who once represented a parking garage company, may soon be a defendant herself.

Nevertheless, she continues to party at Mar-a-Lago. This week, she was photographed with pro-Trump rapper Forgiato Blow. The “Boycott Target” singer released his first album to little fanfare, per Wikipedia.

But at Mar-a-Lago, everybody is a star, baby! Even if they’re about to be sued.

May Habba keep that smile going all the way into her next court date.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated