More Columbia lawyers could be joining Trump’s legal team. Here’s who’s considered.
Two more Columbia lawyers are being considered for the legal team to represent former President Trump in his upcoming impeachment trial.
The two lawyers are Greg Harris and Johnny Gasser, sources have told The State newspaper and CNN reported Wednesday morning.
Neither Harris nor Gasser could be reached for comment.
Like Columbia lawyer Deborah Barbier, whose appointment to Trump’s legal team was made public earlier this week, Harris and Gasser are both former federal prosecutors who are now longtime defense attorneys representing clients accused of a wide range of crimes, from drug dealing to white collar.
Harris and Gasser, whose offices near downtown Columbia are close to Barbier’s office, often work with Barbier on cases.
All three have a reputation for being scrappy, competent lawyers who have done well financially in their defense practice. All three have appeared in high-profile cases.
Columbia lawyer Butch Bowers, known for representing Republican officials and Republican causes, has already agreed to be on Trump’s legal team.
Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington Law School in Washington and an expert in constitutional law, is also being considered for Trump’s legal team, a source said.
Trump’s impeachment trial is set to begin Feb. 9 in the U.S. Senate. He is charged with “high crimes and misdemeanors” for his alleged role in inciting an insurrection in connection with the Jan. 6 mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Trump “gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States,” the bill of impeachment passed by the U.S. House of Representatives says.
If two-thirds of senators vote to find Trump guilty of the charge, the Senate will then vote on whether to prohibit Trump from ever holding office again.
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 10:54 AM.