Defense attorney Barry Pollack is threatening to challenge the Trump administration in court, arguing that federal sanctions are being used to unconstitutionally block deposed leader Nicolás Maduro from using Venezuelan government funds to pay for his legal representation.
In a major legal escalation following the January military capture of Nicolás Maduro, defense attorney Barry Pollack filed a court notice on Wednesday alleging that the Trump administration is unconstitutionally blocking the deposed leader’s access to legal funds. According to the filing, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control revoked a license that would have allowed the Venezuelan government to pay for Maduro’s defense, a move Pollack argues interferes with his client’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel in what he calls “perhaps the highest-profile criminal prosecution in the country.” While Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, reportedly maintains her licensed funding, Pollack warned that he may seek court intervention if the administration does not reinstate Maduro’s authorization. “Counsel explained that the government of Venezuela has an obligation to pay Mr. Maduro’s fees, Mr. Maduro has a legitimate expectation that the government of Venezuela would do so, and Mr. Maduro cannot otherwise afford counsel,” Pollack wrote, as Maduro remains in a New York detention center awaiting a March 17 hearing on narco-terrorism and weapons charges.