Butch Bowers and another lawyer are no longer set to defend Trump during his impeachment trial, which is just days away.
Former President Donald Trump has lost his top impeachment lawyer just days before his trial is to begin, a person familiar with his legal strategy and two attorneys close to the team confirmed on Saturday night.
Butch Bowers, a South Carolina lawyer who was reportedly set to play a major role in the Senate’s trial of the former president, is now no longer with the team. Deborah Barbier, another South Carolina lawyer, won’t be either. The person described it as a “mutual decision” and said new names will be announced shortly.
In addition, CNN reported on Saturday night that a third member of Trump’s prospective legal team, Josh Howard, was also leaving. The network reported that the ex-president had wanted his lawyers to focus on erroneous arguments of mass election fraud rather than the constitutionality of impeaching an ex-president.
The decision by Bowers, Barbier, and Howard to not join the team raised immediate questions, both about what compelled them to part ways and who actually will play the role of lawyer to Trump when the impeachment trial starts in early February.
Trump has had difficulty finding legal help for his second impeachment, with some of the lawyers who worked on his first trial saying they wouldn’t do the same this go around.
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Butch Bowers and another lawyer are no longer set to defend Trump during his impeachment trial, which is just days away https://t.co/6DLlZhCj0n
— POLITICO (@politico) January 31, 2021
Other reports say five lawyers who were supposed to represent Trump at his impeachment trial quit or declined to represent him.
I’m going to guess the lawyers couldn’t trust Trump to pay the legal fees. Perhaps also, there was a matter of trust. Trump lies constantly. Or maybe Trump wanted the lawyers to do something illegal or unethical.
I just can’t see reputable attorneys wanting to represent him.
This clip from CNN offers a possible explanation of why the lawyers quit:
I read it was because Trump was insisting they continue to say the election was rigged, and use that as the defense – and the lawyers did not want to do that (It would be a great way to lose the case, wouldn’t it!).
Giuliani’s gonna be the lead defense lawyer. He’s the only one willing to argue the lie.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) January 31, 2021
Woodcutter — it could also be suborning perjury. I don’t think these lawyers are willing to go to jail for Trump.
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