South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers is looking forward to representing former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial, but isn't giving away his legal strategy, telling The Washington Post on Tuesday "you'll see our case when we present it, and I think the facts and the law will speak for themselves."
Trump is accused of inciting the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. Bowers' friend, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), recommended him to Trump, and he will serve as "anchor tenant" during the trial. He is still rounding out the rest of the legal team, which now includes Deborah Barbier, a fellow lawyer in Columbia.
Bowers, 55, declined to answer several questions from the Post — he remained mum on whether Trump will appear at the trial or if he has received any payment yet for his services — but did say he thinks he'll have ample time to put together his case before the trial starts in less than two weeks. "Just like in any other endeavor, sometimes you get a ton of time as a lawyer, sometimes you get a short period of time, and you just adjust as needed," he said.
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In the early 1980s, Bowers' father, the head of the Federal Highway Administration during the Carter administration, was found guilty of defrauding the government and sent to federal prison. Bowers told the Post he believes his dad was going to run for Congress or governor of South Carolina, and his conviction was unfair and politically motivated. This is why he has spent much of his career representing politicians in hot water, including two former Republican governors of South Carolina: Mark Sanford and Nikki Haley.
"It's who I am," Bowers said. "It's what I do. It's all about the rule of law in the Constitution." He added that he's "not worried about what other people think" and prefers to focus on helping "the people I've retained to represent."
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