NEW YORK _ The Trump Organization demanded Monday that a powerful House committee stop poking around in its operations because the panel recently hired an attorney whose law firm has represented the Trump company.
In a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, longtime Trump Organization lawyer Alan Futerfas said the committee's outside contracting of Berry Berke poses a conflict of interest, as Berke's firm, Kramer Levin, continues to "provide legal advice" to the real estate corporation "on important and highly sensitive business matters."
"This state of affairs violates recognized ethical obligations and irreparably taints the committee's work," Futerfas said, calling on Nadler to "cease and desist from all investigative or other activities adverse" to the Trump Organization.
Spokespeople for Nadler, D-N.Y., did not return requests for comment, but Kramer Levin rejected Futerfas's demand as "baseless" and said in a statement that Berke's work for the committee meets all applicable ethical requirements and "does not pose any conflicts of interest and respects any obligations the firm may have."
Berke was hired earlier this month on a consulting basis as a special oversight counsel to the House Judiciary Committee as it relates to its investigation into President Donald Trump, his companies and administration.
The judiciary panel is, among other matters, looking into whether Trump tried to obstruct the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
In announcing Berke's hiring, Nadler called the lawyer "a nationally prominent expert on federal criminal law, including public corruption."
Futerfas contended Berke's merits are beside the point since Kramer Levin has been involved in several Trump Organization deals over the past 25 years, including real estate developments in New York and Chicago.
"During the course of this relationship, Kramer Levin has represented the Trump Organization with respect to virtually every aspect of its business," Futerfas said. "For many years, Kramer Levin even served as the company's primary outside counsel."
