Peter Ticktin calls NY prosecution of Trump 'disgrace,' concedes revelations not 'good look'

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that attorney Peter Ticktin was sanctioned in relation to a lawsuit that was filed but dismissed.

A South Florida attorney and past schoolmate of Donald Trump conceded the ongoing trial in New York is "not a good look" for the former president but the Boca Raton lawyer insisted he finds the entire prosecution shameful.

"It's basically weaponizing the legal system against a political candidate. And most of the base sees it the same way," said Peter Ticktin, of the Ticktin Law Group, who attended military school in New York with Trump when both were teenagers. "I look at it as a disgrace."

The first week in the Manhattan trial concluded Friday. It focuses on charges related to falsified business records intended to conceal payments to women to prevent them from going public about extramarital relationships with Trump, all of which he denies.

Opening arguments began on Monday and key highlights included Judge Juan Merchan admonishing Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche, reportedly warning he was "losing all credibility." Then a key prosecution witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, a Trump cohort for decades, described the tawdry machinations behind the alleged payments to cover up the alleged sexual encounter with actress Stormy Daniels, and other payments to a Playboy Playmate, Karen McDougal, who also claims to have had and affair with Trump.

Pecker also detailed efforts to embellish, if not outright fabricate stories, to damage Trump's political rivals. Whether they point to Trump's guilt is for the jury to decide, but the revelations were nonetheless unsavory.

Ticktin spoke at fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago for Arizona Senate candidate

While Trump was in Manhattan Thursday, Ticktin, along with 50 others, was at the former president's Mar-a-Lago club for a fundraising dinner for Arizona Senate candidate Mark Finchem. Also there for the event was Kevin Sorbo, an actor who played Hercules in a 1990s TV series, as well as Roger Stone.

"It was a powerful, star-studded event," said organizer Cameron Moore.

Moore did not reveal how much money was raised.

The event took place as Arizona was in the national spotlight over a battle to vote down restrictions on abortion rights based on a Civil War-era, territorial law. Also this past week, Trump's former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and attorney Rudy Giuliani were among a group of 18 individuals charged in a so-called "fake electors" scheme from the 2020 presidential election.

Ticktin said he agreed to speak at the dinner after Finchem was endorsed by Trump.

"This is a candidate that has Donald Trump's endorsement," he said. "These endorsements are not easily given and they are extremely valuable."

'No way around' details, but New York court case will backfire, Ticktin said

Ticktin acknowledged the details revealed in the New York courtroom could be problematic.

"It can't be a good look and there's no way to get around that," said Ticktin.

But Ticktin said he felt the substance of the testimony will backfire on the prosecution, and against those counting on a political boon from the expectation Trump will be damaged.

"I think a lot of people are having a visceral reaction to the fact that the party in power is prosecuting the lead candidate from the other party," he said. "No matter what most people on the other side may think about Donald Trump, he is really loved by the people behind him, by his base. I mean, it's not just 'He's ok.'"

Despite the judge's reprimand of Trump's attorney, Ticktin said he feels the 2024 presumptive GOP presidential nominee is "getting good legal representation" and added it was difficult for him to draw conclusion without being present in the courtroom. He said a case of this nature would be dealt with differently in Palm Beach County.

"I don't think that would happen here. We've got such a good bench and that's true for most of the courts in Florida," he said. "We're really very lucky because we don't any political animals one way or the other."

Ticktin, who has specialized in divorce, foreclosure, business litigation and other areas, is not involved in representing Trump in any of his cases.

But he was the South Florida attorney of record on a defunct lawsuit Trump filed against Hillary Clinton, some of her top advisers, former FBI Director James Comey and other officials involved in the investigation into whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign had coordinated with Russia to sway the outcome of the election.

That case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks, who last year reprimanded Trump attorney Alina Habba and others, including Ticktin, and sought to have them pay almost $1 million in sanctions. "This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start. No reasonable lawyer would have filed it," wrote Middlebrooks at the time.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Peter Ticktin: New York trial weaponized, admits not good look for Trump