Monday, February 01, 2021

Trump's Entire Team Of Impeachment Lawyers Quits With Roughly One Week Before Trial; Trump Says He Could Argue This "Simple" Case Himself (We Won't Be That Lucky!)

January 21, 2021: Butch Bowers is Donald Trump's new impeachment lawyer. The South Carolina-based attorney was hired with the help of Senator Lindsey Graham.

"The search capped weeks of frantic searching", according to the New York Times. "The former president's lawyers from the first impeachment trial had made clear that they did not want to be a part of the looming trial." Trump says Rudy Giuliani will not be involved.

"Operatives in South Carolina generally said that Mr. Bowers would be a good fit for the president . . . 'He's not a MAGA Republican so it will help with establishment Republicans,' said Bakari Sellers, a Democratic strategist based in South Carolina."

January 31, 2021: Butch Bowers has resigned. The other four lawyers on Trump's legal team have also quit: Deborah Barbier, a criminal defense lawyer who had been expected to be co-lead counsel with Bowers, Josh Howard, Johnny Gasser, and Greg Harris.

The Times reports that Trump "pushed for his defense team to focus on his baseless claim that the election was stolen from him . . . Trump has insisted that the case is 'simple' and has told advisers he could argue it himself and save the money on lawyers. (Aides contend he is not seriously contemplating doing so.) . . . Mr. Trump and Mr. Bowers had no chemistry, a quality the former president generally prizes in his relationships. Mr. Trump prefers lawyers who are eager to appear on television to say that he never did anything wrong; Mr. Bowers has been noticeably absent in the news media since his hiring was announced."

In addition to the inevitable clash of how to argue Trump's case — do we accept reality or not? — there is also the fact that Trump will be using his own money for his defense and is infamous for not paying people (he recently refused to pay Rudy's fees).

How many names do you think are on the list of competent lawyers who are keen to derail their careers by working for free (probably), on a shitshow of a case (definitely), defending a ranting, delusional sociopath who is convinced he knows more about the law than anyone, and are also willing to get on board with only a week to prepare because the previous legal team quit en masse?

1 comment:

  1. Dump could turn up in his Underpants with a Giant Peach & speak in Klingon & he would still garner the necessary 34 votes ......

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