Bowe Bergdahl Lawyers Want to Talk to Trump

Attorneys for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl said Saturday they may seek a deposition from Donald Trump or call him as a witness, saying they fear his comments could affect their client's right to a fair trial. Bergdahl's attorney Army Lt. Col. Franklin Rosenblatt asked Trump in a letter dated Saturday for an interview to discuss his comments about Bergdahl, who faces military charges after walking off a post in Afghanistan in 2009. The letter sent to Trump's New York office by registered mail says the interview would determine whether they will try to have him give a deposition or appear as a witness at a legal hearing. "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," Rosenblatt wrote.

Defense attorney Eugene Fidell told the AP that Trump's statements "raise a serious question as to whether he has compromised Sgt. Bergdahl's right to a fair trial." Fidell had previously asked publicly that Trump cease making comments about Bergdahl such as Trump's comment in October that the soldier was a "traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed." Fidell has also said that Trump gave incorrect information about rescue efforts for Bergdahl in public speeches. Bergdahl faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, a relatively rare charge that carries a punishment of up to life in prison. His trial had been tentatively scheduled for the summer, but legal wrangling over access to classified documents has caused delays. (More Bowe Bergdahl stories.)