Trump Univ. prosecutor to Fani Willis: Counterattacks can't 'divert you from the mission'
The New York prosecutor who spearheaded a landmark civil fraud case against Donald Trump’s for-profit school has advice for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
“You cannot let his counterattacks in any way, shape, or form divert you from the mission,” said former assistant state attorney general Tristan Snell.
Snell, the prosecutor who secured a $25 million settlement for Trump University students who said the former president scammed them, is also the author of the soon-to-be-released book “Taking Down Trump: 12 Rules for Prosecuting Donald Trump by Someone Who Did It Successfully.”
The attorney spoke recently with Vanity Fair’s Chris Smith, who asked for Snell’s take on the recent misconduct accusations levied against Willis, the Georgia prosecutor charging Trump with election racketeering.
“We really don’t know what happened there,” Snell said. “I think the better questions, frankly, are who’s paying for all of that counterattack and where did it come from.”
The accusations center around Willis’ working relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she brought onto the Trump case and whom opponents contend she’s conducted an affair. Neither has publicly responded to the claims.
Snell suggested in the interview, released Monday, that he was not surprised by those claims because they echo a tactic Trump tried with then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
“In our case,” Snell said, “Trump filed an ethics complaint.”
Snell had advice for special counsel Jack Smith, the prosecutor who has accused Trump of election inference in Washington D.C. and concealing confidential documents in his Florida social club. (Trump has pleaded not guilty in both.)
“One of your rules,” noted Smith, “is that it’s important for prosecutors to rally public support by pushing back against Trump’s rants.”
Snell expanded on the idea.
“Find someone on the team who can at least be out there on the courthouse steps,” Snell suggested. “Stick to the facts.”
He also gave a hat tip to current New York Attorney General Letitia James, who recently concluded her $370 million civil fraud case against Trump and the Trump Organization.
"There’s no fear,” he said of James’ office. “Its tendency to value heads-down hard work over flashiness also makes it peculiarly well placed to be an effective opponent against Trump.”