SOS: Trump's Legal Heavyweights Swoop In To Rural Western North Carolina Court
DLA Piper is Sending Lawyers from NYC, DC and Raleigh to Bakersville, NC, in Bid to Weasel Trump Out of Accountability – Your Support is Crucial Now More Than Ever
By David B. Wheeler
President, American Muckrakers
Co-Host MUCK YOU! podcast
Dear Muckrakers,
You know the drill by now: In the trenches of truth-telling, the powerful don’t go down without a fight. And when that powerful figure is Donald John Trump, the counterpunch often comes from the gilded halls of elite law firms, armed with delay tactics and procedural sleight-of-hand.If you’ve been riding this rollercoaster with me through American Muckrakers, from exposing grift in high places to holding the line against evasion, you’ll appreciate the latest twist in my NC lawsuit. It’s equal parts predictable and infuriating, but it’s also a sign we’re hitting nerves.
Quick Refresher: The Lawsuit That Won’t Die (Because It Shouldn’t)
For the newcomers: Back in December 2024, I filed David B. Wheeler v. Donald John Trump in Mitchell County Superior Court, North Carolina, alleging:
Violations of the state’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act
Negligent misrepresentation
Intentional infliction of emotional distress
Public nuisance
These stem from Trump’s pre-presidency antics that inflicted real harm, emotional wreckage, reputational hits, and a broader chill on journalism that echoes far beyond my doorstep. I had more than 100 threats on my life, nasty messages, and insults to my family and me. Below are several examples that are part of the lawsuit.
It’s the stuff Clinton v. Jones (1997) explicitly said a president must face in civil court: private wrongs, no immunity shield.
Legal Service on Trump? A Herculean ordeal spanning nearly 11 months. Here’s the highlight reel:
December 2024: Certified mail to Mar-a-Lago—delivered, ignored.
January 2025: Initial default entered by the clerk.
March 2025: Court-ordered re-service via Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy, hand-delivered to a designated rep at the estate.
September-October 2025: Alias summonses via certified mail to Trump Org outposts in Raleigh and Jupiter, FL;
Emails to his inner circle;
Even court-generated notices piling up like unread junk mail at Mar Lardo.
That’s nine attempts. No answer. Zilch. That’s not oversight; that’s a strategy to obstruct and ignore.
Which is why, on October 21, I dropped my motion for judicial entry of default, all done by myself (pro-se) setting a hearing for November 10, 2025. Under Rule 55, default is the hammer that falls when you ghost the court. Game, set, match? Not quite.
The Twist: High-Powered Hired Guns Enter the Fray
Cue the drama: On October 23, just two days after my motion hit the docket, Trump’s camp filed their opening salvo.
Enter DLA Piper LLP (US), a global behemoth with a Rolodex of Fortune 500 clients and a track record of defending the indefensible. Local Raleigh partner Robert H. Bergdolt made a swift “Notice of Appearance,” signaling the cavalry’s arrival. But the real firepower? Motions for pro hac vice admission (that’s legalese for “let our out-of-state stars play in your sandbox”) for two heavy hitters:
Caryn G. Schechtman, New York-based litigator, sworn in via affidavit to tackle this “with full commitment until final resolution.” She’s from DLA’s Manhattan powerhouse office.
Josh Halpern, DC and NY-barred counsel, another DLA alum with Beltway bona fides, pledging allegiance to NC rules while eyeing the exit ramps.
These filings—electronically stamped at 5:00 PM on the 23rd and reek of the classic weasel move:
Swoop in at the eleventh hour
Flash credentials
Tee up delays
Expect a barrage next:
Motions to quash service (despite my ironclad proofs)
Challenges to jurisdiction (Trump’s a Floridian, after all)
Venue transfers to friendlier federal turf
Or even immunity Hail Marys citing Trump v. United States (2024)
All to kick the default hearing down the road, buying time for settlement whispers or political theater. It’s the same playbook from E. Jean Carroll, the NY fraud saga, and a dozen other Trump legal marathons: prolong, exhaust, erode.
But here’s the truth: This isn’t a retreat; it’s reconnaissance. Their presence validates the threat. A pro se journalist from Spruce Pine has the sitting president scrambling for DLA’s $1,500-an-hour defenders? That’s a win already.
It means the November 10 showdown just got spicier and the stakes higher for enforcing any judgment down the line.
Why This Fight—and Your Role—Matters More Now
Muckrakers, this case isn’t just mine; it’s a referendum on whether wealth and power can filibuster justice. Trump’s evasion isn’t victimless, it mocks:
Every North Carolinian denied their day in court
Every reporter silenced by fear
With DLA Piper circling, the costs skyrocket:
Counter-motions
Potential discovery battles
Travel to hearings (or worse, DC appeals)
I’m still pro se, grinding through affidavits and precedents on a journalist’s budget, but their escalation demands escalation from us. A default judgment could pierce the veil, awarding damages and setting precedent: No more ducking service like it’s a bad Tinder date.
Rally Cry: Fuel the Resistance with Your Donations
You’ve been my backbone, shares that amplified our exposés, tips that cracked stories wide open, and donations that kept this engine humming through dry spells. Now, as the suits sharpen their knives, I need you to arm me. Every dollar funds legal ammo:
Filing fees
Expert witnesses
My own legal counsel to match their firepower
It’s 100% to the fight, no salaries, no swag. Tax-deductible via our nonprofit, and it all traces back to holding power accountable.
Chip In Today – Let’s Outlast the Elites
(Your $10, $25, or $100 makes waves.)
If you don’t have cash to spare, that is understandable, but you can still help:
Forward this to allies
Subscribe (free or paid for insider docs)
Drop a tip on Trump’s legal maneuvers
We’re the underdogs who bite hardest. Together, we don’t just survive the weasels, we skin ‘em.
In the fight,
David B. Wheeler
Founder, American Muckrakers
Spruce Pine, NC
P.S. November 10 looms. If default sticks despite the circus, we’ll be in damages territory, proving the human cost of unchecked power. Stay tuned; history’s watching. If you enjoyed this update, hit that share button and let’s flood the feeds with accountability.
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