U.S. judge bars Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer, Bruce Fein, from representing Maduro

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that Bruce Fein, the American lawyer also known for representing detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, cannot act for Venezuela’s ousted President Nicolás Maduro in his U.S. narcotics case. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein determined that Fein was never retained or authorized by Maduro to serve as his counsel.

The ruling came after Maduro’s officially recognized lawyer, Barry J. Pollack, filed court papers asserting that Fein had appointed himself without consent. Pollack stated he had confirmed with Maduro that the Venezuelan leader does not know Fein and did not retain him.

Fein, who had managed to appear in court claiming to represent Maduro, told The New York Times he was contacted by members of the president’s inner circle, including his brother-in-law, who suspected betrayal and distrusted the initial legal representation. Fein maintained he acted in good faith and without financial promise, requesting the judge question Maduro privately to verify his account.

Judge Hellerstein rejected this argument, stating unequivocally that “unnamed persons cannot appoint counsel; only a defendant can do so.”

He added that if Maduro wishes to retain Fein, he has the ability to do so directly, but “Fein cannot appoint himself to represent Maduro.”

This incident echoes a 2021 event in Abuja, where Justice Binta Nyako denied Fein access to the courtroom during Nnamdi Kanu’s trial. Kanu had appealed to the court at that time, alleging that Nigerian State Security Service operatives also prevented Fein from visiting him in detention.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts