"Trump Faces Difficulty Finding Lawyer for 'Second Impeachment'... 'White House Counsel and Others Decline'"

"Famous Law Firms Also Affected by Trump-Related Lawsuits"

President Donald Trump of the United States [Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] As the U.S. House of Representatives passed the second impeachment resolution against President Donald Trump, Bloomberg News reported on the 14th (local time), citing sources, that President Trump is facing difficulties in assembling a legal team to respond to the impeachment proceedings.

Bloomberg stated that close aides to President Trump are searching for a legal team to defend him but have yet to find suitable candidates. According to the report, Jay Sekulow, who defended Trump during the first impeachment resolution passed in December 2019, and Pat Cipollone, White House Counsel, have reportedly declined to participate in the legal team defending President Trump this time.

Additionally, other lawyers who previously defended President Trump, such as former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Eric Hirschman, Pat Philbin, and Mark Kasowitz, are said to have no interest in this matter. This contrasts with the first impeachment trial in the Senate, where prominent lawyers like Kenneth Starr and Robert Ray, who served as special prosecutors, participated.

Bloomberg also reported that most major law firms have refused to take on any lawsuits related to President Trump's actions since the November election last year. Princeton University political science professor Case Whittington explained, "It is not surprising that top conservative lawyers are showing this behavior," adding, "Unlike the first impeachment, it is difficult to defend him, so they will avoid anything that could harm their professional reputation."

However, The Washington Post (WP) reported that "Trump still has Alan Dershowitz," noting that President Trump is reportedly considering Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law School emeritus professor who was part of the legal team during the first impeachment trial, as a defense attorney for the second impeachment trial. Dershowitz is one of the most famous criminal defense lawyers in the U.S. and an expert in criminal and constitutional law.

Bloomberg added that although Dershowitz currently has no plans to defend President Trump, he recently stated in an interview that Trump's speech to protesters, who are accused of inciting insurrection, is protected under the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of expression, and that the Constitution does not allow impeachment trials after a president leaves office.