MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2021) Two of Former US President Donald Trump's impeachment lawyers, Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, have left the legal team, Politico reports citing sources close to the team.
One of the sources told Politico on Saturday that neither of the South Carolina lawyers were going to join Trump's team and it was a "mutual decision."
CNN reported on Sunday that North Carolina attorney Josh Howard, as well as attorneys Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris, have also left Trump's team. The lawyers had not yet been paid any advance fees.
The US House impeached Trump earlier this month, charging him with inciting the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. Trump has rejected the allegations, saying the speech he delivered before the protesters stormed Capitol Hill was "totally appropriate." Trump supporters were trying to prevent Congress from certifying US President Joe Biden's election victory.
Trump's impeachment trial is set to start in early February. Although Trump is no longer president, the Senate could still convict him and vote to ban him from ever running for office again. However, the required two-thirds threshold is unlikely to be hit in the Senate.
The first time that Trump was impeached by the Democratic-controlled House was in December 2019. He was then acquitted by the Senate in February of last year (with only 1 Republican voting in favor of one article of impeachment).
