Trump impeachment lawyers open defense in Senate trial. Here’s what to know about them
The leaders of former President Donald Trump’s legal team are opening his defense in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday as his second impeachment trial kicks off.
In the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump — who had continuously made false claims that the election was fraudulent and stolen from him — on charges that he incited an insurrection.
During a rally before the attack, Trump told his supporters to march on Capitol Hill. A mob then breached the building as Congress was certifying then-President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College — forcing lawmakers to evacuate and leaving five dead.
Lawmakers from both parties have, at least in part, pinned the attack on Trump’s rhetoric surrounding the outcome of the 2020 election.
Now, the Senate is holding a trial on whether to convict Trump on that charge.
Following Tuesday’s debate on the constitutionality of trying a former president, the Senate voted 56 to 44 that it was constitutional and the trial could continue as planned. Six Republicans voted with the Democrats on the question after hearing arguments from both the House impeachment managers and Trump’s lawyers.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat and the lead impeachment manager, opened with an emotional recounting and graphic footage of the Capitol riot while presenting the case in favor of Trump’s conviction.
One of Trump’s lead lawyers, Bruce Castor, then opened his side’s case with the argument that the trial is a political effort to bar Trump from running for office again. David Schoen, another of Trump’s head lawyers, presented further arguments.
Schoen was originally slated to speak first, CNN reports. But Castor said the two changed their plans because “the House managers’ presentation was well done.”
Trump’s office announced earlier this month that the two would lead his defense. Unlike during his first impeachment, Trump had struggled to find lawyers willing to represent him, the Associated Press reports.
Here’s what to know about Schoen and Castor:
Who is David Schoen?
Schoen has offices in New York and Alabama but says he “takes on cases from all around the country and overseas.” His work mainly focuses on “the litigation of complex civil and criminal cases before trial and appellate courts.”
He serves as chairperson of the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice subcommittee of the Civil Rights Litigation committee.
Schoen is also a frequent legal commentator on television, the AP reports.
Recently, he represented Trump ally Roger Stone during a sentencing appeal in April, CNN reports. Stone dropped that appeal, however, after Trump commuted his prison sentence. The former president later granted him a pardon for lying to Congress to protect Trump.
Schoen also met with accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein before his death, NPR reports. He’s said publicly that he doesn’t believe Epstein killed himself in a New York prison, CNN reports.
In the release from Trump’s office, Schoen said it’s “an honor to represent the 45th president, Donald J. Trump and the United States Constitution.”
Who is Bruce Castor?
Castor served as district attorney in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, from 2000 until 2008.
During that time, he decided against charging actor Bill Cosby in a “sex crime case,” the AP reports. He had said he thought Cosby should have been arrested but that there wasn’t strong enough evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Cosby was later convicted in 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004.
After serving as district attorney, Castor served as commissioner for Montgomery County until 2016 and later as acting attorney general, a position the AP reports he ran for unsuccessfully in 2004.
Castor said in the Sunday release he considers it a “privilege” to represent Trump.
“The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history,” he said in the release. “It is strong and resilient.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2021 at 7:45 AM with the headline "Trump impeachment lawyers open defense in Senate trial. Here’s what to know about them."
