Donald Trump spoke to a crowd before boarding Air Force One on January 20.
Photo:
Luis M. Alvarez / Associated Press
According to a person familiar with the case, two lawyers led former President Donald Trump’s defense in his Senate indictment, just over a week before the trial was due to begin.
Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, two South Carolina attorneys, are not planning to sue Mr. To represent Trump, the person said Saturday. The decision was mutual, the person said and did not want to give a reason for the departure.
The departure leaves Trump in a difficult position with the trial opening on February 8.
CNN reported the departure earlier.
The Democratic-led House voted for the second time in January to accuse Trump, claiming he encouraged a crowd to storm Congress to prevent lawmakers from certifying President Biden’s victory in the election. While ten Republicans joined Democrats to vote for Mr. To accuse Trump in the House, Democrats in the Senate have a greater chance of persuading 17 Republicans to agree with them to be convicted.
Mr. Trump accepted no responsibility for the Capitol riot and denied wrongdoing.
Mr. Trump faces a more complicated path to setting up a defense team than in his first indictment, when he had the White House council office and a strong personal legal team behind him. His personal lawyers, Jay Sekulow, Jane Raskin and Marty Raskin, have made it clear that they do not intend to defend him a second time, according to the people familiar with the case, as well as the former White House councilor Pat Cipollone and his deputy, Pat Philbin. .
Write to Rebecca Ballhaus by [email protected]
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