Trump hires two controversial lawyers for his impeachment trial

Former US President Donald Trump has announced he had two new lawyers to lead the legal team for his second impeachment after his top lawyers left him just days before his trial is to begin.

Trump announced Sunday that David Schoen, who met with disgraced businessman Jeffrey Epstein about representing him before his death, is now a member of his defense team.

“It is an honor to represent the 45th President, Donald J Trump, and the United States constitution,” Schoen, who was already helping the former president prepare for the Senate trial, said in a statement.

The other new lawyer Trump has hired is Bruce L Castor Jr, a former District Attorney in Pennsylvania, who declined to prosecute comedian Bill Cosby over accusations he drugged and abused a girl in 2004.

"The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history. It is strong and resilient. A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always," said Castor, who served as district attorney for Montgomery County, outside of Philadelphia, from 2000 to 2008.

Trump has struggled to find lawyers willing to take his case as he refuses to budge from his false claims of election fraud.

Five of his lawyers parted ways with his team because he wanted them to focus on those claims, rather than constitutional issues surrounding his impeachment trial set to begin on Feb. 9.

Butch Bowers, a South Carolina lawyer who was reportedly set to play a major role in the Senate’s trial as well as Deborah Barbier, another South Carolina lawyer, left Trump’s team.

Three other lawyers - Josh Howard of North Carolina and Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris of South Carolina - also parted ways with him.

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives impeached the ex-president over his role in the invasion on the Capitol on January 6 that left five people dead, including a member of law enforcement.

Trump was blamed for inciting an insurrection when the lawmakers were busy certifying the victory of Joe Biden in the November 3 election.

The House introduced an article of impeachment last week to the Senate. Conviction in the Senate could result in a vote to bar him from running for office again, but the conviction is unlikely as only a few Republican senators may vote for impeachment.

ME