Targets of Trump's Justice Department must pay up, even if they win

Targets of Trump's Justice Department must pay up, even if they win

Carrie Johnson

October 16, 2025 / 2:01 am

This year, President Trump has been calling on the Department of Justice to prosecute his perceived enemies — and the DOJ seems to be taking direction.

In the last few weeks alone, prosecutors secured indictments against former FBI Director Jim Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James . The White House has signaled more cases may be on the way.

For those defendants, the costs of fighting criminal charges in a high-profile case are enormous, and they can reverberate for years, according to veteran attorneys who represent people in the headlines.

Lisa Wayne has tried 150 cases before juries in the course of her decades-long career. Wayne, now executive director