Former independent counsel Kenneth Starr and Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz have joined President Donald Trump’s impeachment legal team ahead of the Senate’s upcoming trial.
“Professor Dershowitz will present oral arguments at the Senate trial to address the constitutional arguments against impeachment and removal,” a spokesperson for the legal team said in a statement Friday. “While Professor Dershowitz is non-partisan when it comes to the constitution—he opposed the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and voted for Hillary Clinton— he believes the issues at stake go to the heart of our enduring Constitution.”
Dershowitz, one of the country’s most high-profile constitutional lawyers, confirmed the news to CNBC. “The president asked me to do this, and the legal team asked me to do this,” he said.
Starr, a former appeals court judge who headed up the investigation into the Whitewater the Monica Lewinsky scandals, has yet to confirm the news.
Robert Ray, an ex-federal prosecutor and independent counsel who took over for Starr in the Whitewater probe, is also expected to join the president’s legal team, CNN reports.
Ilhan Omar calls Trump ‘creep’ as president revives ‘fake name,’ marriage allegations
Meghan Markle’s Statement Triggers Internal Police Investigation Amid ‘Disturbing Allegations’ Against Her Father
Watch: Kamala Harris Turns Back the Clock to 2024, Confuses Crowd with Jumbled Motivational Quote That She Has to Repeat
‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says
Treasury traces SPLC to debanking of Christians after group dismissed it as conspiracy
Mass shooting at Jordanian church kills at least seven and wounds dozens
Polish Left pushing abortion liberalization through parliament despite looming presidential veto
LeBron James Brushes Off Trump Criticizing His Disrespectful National Anthem Antics
Two Former Top FBI Officials Arrested in Connection with Hunter Biden Investigation
Former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden investigations
Chicago’s 12-language ballots make elections ‘harder to monitor,’ Illinois GOP chair warns
Sheriff says evidence ‘leaning one way’ in shooting deaths of disabled toddler and grandparents: report
Ex-FBI officials arrested in Hunter Biden laptop probe as testimony comes under scrutiny
Israel shuts down West Bank after two soliders shot dead by Palestinian gunmen
Ilhan Omar hit with expulsion threat as GOP lawmaker vows to boot her from Congress over DOJ probe
“You can confirm that I expect an announcement this afternoon,” Ray told CNBC of the report.
White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and Jay Sekulow, President Trump’s personal attorney, will lead the defense team.
The development comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) bowed to pressure on Wednesday from Republicans and several Democrats to transfer two articles of impeachment — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — to the Senate after a near four-week delay. Additionally, Pelosi announced the seven House Democrats who will serve as impeachment managers in the trial, naming: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Val Demings (D-FL), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Jason Crow (D-CO), and Sylvia Garcia (D-TX). Schiff was appointed lead impeachment manager.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said this week that the trial will likely start next Tuesday.
Ilhan Omar calls Trump ‘creep’ as president revives ‘fake name,’ marriage allegations
Meghan Markle’s Statement Triggers Internal Police Investigation Amid ‘Disturbing Allegations’ Against Her Father
Watch: Kamala Harris Turns Back the Clock to 2024, Confuses Crowd with Jumbled Motivational Quote That She Has to Repeat
‘Can’t trust Amy Acton’: Viral ad distracts from what’s really at stake in critical race, GOP strategist says
Treasury traces SPLC to debanking of Christians after group dismissed it as conspiracy
Mass shooting at Jordanian church kills at least seven and wounds dozens
Polish Left pushing abortion liberalization through parliament despite looming presidential veto
LeBron James Brushes Off Trump Criticizing His Disrespectful National Anthem Antics
Two Former Top FBI Officials Arrested in Connection with Hunter Biden Investigation
Former FBI officials charged with lying to Congress about Hunter Biden investigations
Chicago’s 12-language ballots make elections ‘harder to monitor,’ Illinois GOP chair warns
Sheriff says evidence ‘leaning one way’ in shooting deaths of disabled toddler and grandparents: report
Ex-FBI officials arrested in Hunter Biden laptop probe as testimony comes under scrutiny
Israel shuts down West Bank after two soliders shot dead by Palestinian gunmen
Ilhan Omar hit with expulsion threat as GOP lawmaker vows to boot her from Congress over DOJ probe
“We’ll be able to go through some preliminary steps here this week, which could well include the Chief Justice coming over and swearing-in members of the Senate and some other kind of housekeeping measures…which would set us up to begin the actual trial next Tuesday,” McConnell confirmed at a Capitol Hill press conference.
President Trump has repeatedly criticized the Democrats’ impeachment effort as a “hoax” and an “illegal, partisan attempted coup.”
Story cited here.
