Trump attorneys leave legal team 9 days before impeachment trial

Two lawyers who had joined former President Trump’s legal team amid his looming second impeachment trial have parted ways with his legal team. South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers, who was expected to be the lead attorney, and Deborah Barbier, are no longer part of his legal team, Trump spokesman Jason Miller said Saturday night.

“The Democrats’ efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is totally unconstitutional and so bad for our country. In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that it is unconstitutional. We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly,” Miller said.    

A Trump adviser said the decision was mutual. 

Senator Lindsey Graham announced last week that Bowers, a powerhouse Columbia lawyer with an impressive record defending Republican politicians, would be the “lead anchor” on Mr. Trump’s defense team. Miller confirmed that Bowers would join the team in a tweet on January 21.

Bowers represented former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford when the legislature considered impeaching him after he admitted to lying to aides about hiking the Appalachian trail when he was actually with his mistress in Argentina. Sanford was ultimately censured instead. 

Bowers also represented Trump ally Nikki Haley when she faced ethics charges of illegal lobbying while she was still in the South Carolina legislature. Haley was cleared in that inquiry. 

Bowers is a member in good standing in both the South Carolina Bar and the District of Columbia Bar, according to their directories. Bowers previously told the South Carolina Post and Courier he looks “forward to representing the former president.” 

Barbier, who runs a small firm in Columbia, joined the legal team earlier this week, according to the South Carolina Post-Courier. In perhaps her most high-profile case, Barbier defended Joey Meeks, a friend of the Emanuel AME shooter Dylann Roof. Meeks, who pleaded guilty to telling others not to share with authorities that Roof was behind the massacre, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, according to the Post-Courier.

Barbier also defended a powerful South Carolina political operative charged in 2017 with conspiracy and illegal lobbying at the statehouse, the Post-Courier reported. That case was ultimately dropped. 

Caroline Linton and Kathryn Watson contributed to this report.