Trump team hires 2 ex-prosecutors with ethics experience

Donald Trump has ded two more former federal prosecutors from South Carolina to his impeachment legal team, according to one of lawyers. “It is confirmed,” Greg Harris, an attorney in capital city of Columbia, told Associated Press on Thursday when asked if he and former acting U.S. Attorney Johnny Gasser h been ded to team that will craft a defense for Trump's unprecedented second impeachment trial, set for week of Feb. 8.

Harris is a former county and federal prosecutor with expertise in white-collar cases. He's currently in private practice with Gasser, who has also been a prosecutor at local and federal levels, serving as South Carolina's acting U.S. Attorney for more than a year. He went into private practice with Harris.

Both attorneys have experience in public corruption cases, with both representing Republican state Rep. Rick Quinn on charges of misconduct in office. Quinn ultimately resigned in a 2017 deal that resulted in termination of conspiracy and illegal lobbying charges against his far, GOP consultant Richard Quinn who h at times counted former President Ronald Reagan and Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham among his clients.

y also both represented South Carolina Lt. Gov. Ken Ard, who resigned in 2012 after pleing guilty to ethics violations. Harris and Gasser join a team that includes Butch Bowers, a ted South Carolina ethics and elections lawyer called an “anchor tenant” of team by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. It's in part on vice of Graham that Trump is turning to South Carolina team after or legal allies passed on case. It’s a table departure from his 2020 impeachment trial, when Trump h a stable of nationally-kwn attorneys, including Alan Dershowitz, Jay Sekulow and Kenneth Starr.

Bowers has years of experience representing elected officials and political candidates, including former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford. Bowers represented Sanford when state lawmakers mulled impeaching goverr after revelations Sanford h disappeared from state, leaving chain of command for five days, to see his lover in Argentina in 2009. impeachment effort never me it out of committee.

Bowers also successfully guided ar former goverr, Nikki Haley, through an investigation into wher she h violated state ethics law. Ar Trump hire, Deborah Barbier , spent more than a dece as a federal prosecutor and w, in private practice, specializes in white-collar defense. She also represented Richard Quinn in his illegal lobbying case.

House officially transmitted article of impeachment accusing Trump of inciting mob that rampd through U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to Senate on Monday. trial could have officially begun Tuesday, but Republicans pushed to delay it to give Trump a chance to organize his legal team and prepare a defense. If convicted, Trump could be barred from holding public office again, ending any hopes of mounting ar White House bid in 2024.