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Trump parts ways with his lead impeachment lawyers a week before trial

Trump has parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers little more more than a week before his trial, two people familiar with the situation said Saturday

President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. Trump is en route to his Mar-a-Lago Florida Resort. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

AP Washington

Former President Donald Trump has parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers little more more than a week before his trial, two people familiar with the situation said Saturday.

The change injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of his defense team.

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, have left the defense team in what one person described as a mutual decision that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case.

The two people familiar with the legal team discussions insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations. One said new additions to the legal team were expected to be announced in a day or two.

 

Bowers and Barbier did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Trump is set to stand trial on the week of Feb. 8 on a charge that he incited the riot inside the U.S. Capitol. Republicans and Trump aides have made clear that they intend to make a simple argument: The trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office.

CNN was first to report the departure of the lawyers.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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First Published: Jan 31 2021 | 7:46 AM IST

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