Ex-President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial is due to begin in little over a week. The day after all five of the assembled legal team quit, his office announced two new lawyers — David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor, Jr. will now head Trump’s defense team, reports CNN on Jan. 31, 2021.
Trump was impeached for inciting an insurrection, but the former president wants the defense to focus on the election fraud.
The previous legal team wanted to focus on the constitutionality of the case; they agreed with the Senators who contend it is not Constitutional to impeach a president who has already left office, as does Trump’s new legal counsel.
Schoen reportedly has been working on Trump’s case and other advisors to prepare for the trial.
Both Schoen and Castor stated it was an honor and a privilege “to represent the 45th President.” Castor added:
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.
Who is David Schoen?
Schoen’s website touts his legal practice’s focus as “the of complex and criminal cases before trial and appellate courts.” During his appeal trial, he represented Roger Stone, which was dropped after then-President Trump commuted Stone’s sentence.
He told Fox News last March that he had seen Jeffery Epstein days before he was discovered dead in his cell due to an apparent suicide. Schoen adamantly disagreed that Epstein would kill himself because of the reason for his visit — he was asked to take over the accused sex trafficker’s case.
Who is Bruce L. Castor, Jr.?
Castor is a former-acting Attorney General, Solicitor General, for the State of Pennsylvania and Montgomery County Commissioner, and District Attorney. As a DA, he tried cases for the Major Crimes and Sex Crimes Units.
Trump’s first legal filings for the upcoming impeachment trial are due on February 2. The trial is set to begin the following Tuesday.
Written by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
CNN: Trump names two new lawyers for impeachment trial a day after his defense team collapsed; by Jim Acosta, Kaitlan Collins, Pamela Brown, and Katelyn Polantz
CNN: First on CNN: Trump’s impeachment defense team leaves less than two weeks before trial; by Gloria Borger, Kaitlan Collins, Jeff Zeleny, and Ashley Semler
FOX News: Prominent lawyer with Epstein days before death speaks out: ‘I don’t believe it was suicide;’ by Matt London
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Brett Davis’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
