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Trump Struggles to Find Lawyers as Impeachment Trial Nears

SilentPanda

SilentPanda

Member
Nov 6, 2017
13,869
Earth
President Donald Trump, on the eve of facing a historic second impeachment trial for inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, is having trouble finding a legal team to defend him.
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Allies of the outgoing president have been canvassing Washington's legal landscape looking for representation but so far are coming up short. Lawyers who defended him in the previous impeachment trial, including Jay Sekulow and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, have said no this time, according to people familiar with the matter.
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Other lawyers who have defended Trump at times, including former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, Eric Herschmann, Pat Philbin and Marc Kasowitz aren't interested in joining a team this time, the people said. Some of the lawyers who don't want a role have privately said what Trump did was indefensible.

More broadly, a number of prominent law firms have refused to engage in any legal representation involving the president's actions following the Nov. 3 election.
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There is talk among Republicans in Congress that Jordan and Representative Elise Stefanik may be among those defending Trump at a Senate impeachment trial, according to a person familiar with the matter. Others have suggested that John Eastman, a lawyer who spoke at the Jan. 6 rally near the White House, may be tapped. Eastman declined to comment.

Who pays Trump's legal bills could also be an issue. It's unlikely the White House would since Trump would no longer be president, Turley said. Trump could seek reimbursement from the government, arguing that impeachment is an action against him in his official capacity, he said. "Congress would have to decide what to do about an anomaly of its own creation," Turley said. "We are well into the land of the unknowns."
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www.bloomberg.com

Trump Struggles to Find Lawyers as Impeachment Trial Nears

President Donald Trump, on the eve of facing a historic second impeachment trial for inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, is having trouble finding a legal team to defend him.
www.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com
 
Tokyo_Funk

Tokyo_Funk

Banned
Dec 10, 2018
10,053
No one wants to board a burning ship. Especially one with flaming rats also jumping over the side.
 
Calderc

Calderc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,964
Surakian

Surakian

Shinra Employee
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
10,924
Like super high-key, I'd love to see Trump standing in the senate trying to defend himself.

It's the opposite of what should happen because he should not be the face of his own defense. That will just make his base all the more psycho.
 
viciouskillersquirrel

viciouskillersquirrel

Cheering your loss
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,876
Wait, so is it confirmed that Mitch McConnell is convening the senate for the trial? The article says today is the "Eve" of the trial.
 

TinTuba47

Member
Nov 14, 2017
3,818
CallMeShaft

CallMeShaft

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
3,374
I'll do it, but I want my $20,000 up front at the start of everyday. I'm not a chump like Rudy.

Now, admittedly I'm no lawyer, but Rudy wasn't either so....
 
Hellwarden

Hellwarden

Member
Oct 25, 2017
34,168
But Trump, what about the guy who has been with you through thick and thin?

10180233.jpg


Plus everyone can stiff him on the bill, and it'll be fine.
 
Addie

Addie

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,774
DFW
Trump will be out of office when the trial happens. I wonder if he'll even participate? If he can't find anyone to defend him, seems like another gambit is to claim he's "boycotting" the entire thing and calling the entire trial politically motivated.
 
Coyote Starrk

Coyote Starrk

The Fallen
Oct 30, 2017
53,340
He has thrown every lawyer that works with him under the bus, he has refused to pay Rudy, and at least one lawyer who has argued in his favor has been disbarred for their behavior.


I can't imagine why he is having so much trouble...
 
Latvian Hitman

Latvian Hitman

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,752
Norman, OK
I mean, disregarding all the ethical reasons why lawyers would pass and the PR nightmare it would be for any firm, lawyers also generally like to be paid for their time...
 

Imperfected

Member
Nov 9, 2017
11,737
His lawyers have all been publicly humiliated, etched multiple high-profile failures onto their professional slate, and probably not even been paid for the privilege.

You'd have to be the dumbest or at least the most desperate motherfucker out of law school to consider it.
 
KillingJoke

KillingJoke

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,672
Dude is on video encouraging the terroist attack and a seperate video stating he loves them during it. Gee wonder why no one wants to piss their career away for someone who loses power in 5 days.
 
dejay

dejay

Member
Nov 5, 2017
4,096
For a man who's lived his entire life throwing lawyers at his messes, this might be slightly concerning.

I'm sure there's a LOT of work at the moment for federal defense attorney's, so I don't think they need the work.

Hellwarden said:
She's too busy revealing that Rudy was a double agent all along.

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Isn't Dominion suing her? Can we hand her more shovels?
 
Tovarisc

Tovarisc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
24,486
FIN
Addie said:
Trump will be out of office when the trial happens. I wonder if he'll even participate? If he can't find anyone to defend him, seems like another gambit is to claim he's "boycotting" the entire thing and calling the entire trial politically motivated.
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Isn't there still also questions if trial even can legally occur once Trump is out of office?

It has never been done before and seems like there is uncertainty about legality.
 
Addie

Addie

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,774
DFW
Tovarisc said:
Isn't there still also questions if trial even can legally occur once Trump is out of office?

It has never been done before and seems like there is uncertainty about legality.
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It's unclear. It has been done before with other elected officials; but in some cases, the trial simply ended when the official left office. Basically, like many things Trump, it's unpresidented and unprecedented.

Here's a great CRS Report on it all. The relevant section, on p. 16, states:

It appears that federal officials who have resigned have nonetheless been thought to be susceptible to impeachment and a ban on holding future office. Secretary of War William W. Belknap resigned two hours before the House impeached him, but the Senate nevertheless conducted a trial in which Belknap was acquitted. However, during the trial, upon objection by Belknap's counsel that the Senate lacked jurisdiction because Belknap was now a private citizen, the Senate voted in favor of jurisdiction.
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That said, the resignation of an official under investigation for impeachment often ends impeachment proceedings. For example, no impeachment vote was taken following President Richard Nixon's resignation after the House Judiciary Committee decided to report articles of impeachment to the House. And proceedings were ended following the resignation of Judges English, Delahay, and Kent.
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BlackNMild2k1

BlackNMild2k1

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,340
Bay Area, CA
We need to refer him one of those bottom of the bottle ambulance chasing down on their luck lawyers that would represent just about anyone in barter for anything of value.

Or maybe we can get him to represent himself.... is that possible?
That would be MUST SEE TV.
 
Volimar

Volimar

volunteer forum janitor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,792
Some of them are lawyers with scruples, others don't want to take a PR hit when they know they won't even get paid.
 
Stick

Stick

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,300
Man, his life really has blown up from these last few days. It's like everything he loved is crashing down on him.
 
Palette Swap

Palette Swap

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
11,253
They all know they'd be doing it pro bono because even we had money he stiffed everyone and he's broke now
 
Surfinn

Surfinn

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
28,590
USA
While Dershowitz said he believes Trump's speech during his Jan. 6 rally was protected by the First Amendment, the lawyer expressed harsh sentiment against the president in a previous interview with Today, saying he believed Trump committed a "political and moral sin" by provoking supporters to overtake the U.S. Capitol.
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When even Dershowitz can't defend it
 
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