Donald Trump Could Be Called Upon To Testify In Bowe Bergdahl Court-Martial, Attorneys Suggest Candidate Is Influencing Case
Donald Trump knows his way around a courtroom. Indeed, the notoriously litigious billionaire tycoon has been both a plaintiff and a defendant in a slew of high-stakes civil lawsuits during his checkered life in the arena of big business. But his controversial run for president now seems to be moving the GOP frontrunner into new legal territory as the brash businessman might soon find himself appearing in a United States military court where he will be expected to answer for some of his incendiary campaign rhetoric.
According to the Washington Post, attorneys for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl have requested a meeting with Trump regarding the GOP frontrunner’s public comments about the pending case against their client. Bergdahl is facing a court-martial and possible life in prison for leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009. He was later captured by the Taliban and spent almost five full years in captivity until his release was brokered in a prisoner swap.
Bergdahl’s attorneys notified the candidate of their request through a letter sent to his New York office. The correspondence notes that Trump’s repeated and widely disseminated assertions about the soldier’s legal situation have potentially skewed public opinion against Bergdahl.
“I request to interview you as soon as possible about your comments about Sergeant Bergdahl during frequent appearances in front of large audiences in advance of his court-martial,” reads an excerpt of the letter republished by My San Antonio. The document was signed by Army Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Rosenblatt, who is a member of Bowe Bergdahl’s legal team. The letter further indicates that depending upon the outcome of the meeting, Donald Trump may be called upon for a deposition or even compelled to testify in Bergdahl’s court-martial hearing.
At present, an appearance by Trump would be voluntary. But Eugene Fidell, who heads up Bergdahl’s legal defense, will not hesitate to request for a subpoena at some point in the future.
“[I]f necessary, we would certainly make every effort to get him under oath,” Fidell said.
An article by The Hill notes that Bergdahl’s lawyers have asserted that Donald Trump’s public comments about the soldier are “affecting his right to a fair trial.” In October, the candidate spoke in extremely blunt terms about the Bergdahl case during a rally in Las Vegas. Excerpts from the speech were transcribed by Fox News.
“We’re tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who’s a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed… Thirty years ago, he would have been shot.”
A Washington Post story from November recounted similar remarks by Trump in Milwaukee.
“What do we do with Sergeant Bergdahl, 50 years ago?… That’s right,” he said. “Boom. Boom! … Boom, he’s gone. He’s gone!”
In the event that his testimony in a deposition or hearing regarding Bowe Bergdahl is required by a military court, the situation will be one of several legal wranglings for Trump, who presently faces numerous lawsuits regarding his failed business endeavor Trump University. Donald Trump has also threatened to file two different lawsuits against Republican rival Ted Cruz, one over the Texas senator’s citizenship and another over Cruz’s tactics during the primary elections.
The Washington Post noted that neither Donald Trump nor his legal representatives have commented on the correspondence received from Bowe Bergdahl’s legal team.
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
