Trump selects South Carolina lawyer for impeachment trial

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters on Thursday that South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers will be a lead attorney in former President Trump’s impeachment trial.

Graham said Trump is still pulling together a legal team but that Bowers would act as the “anchor.”

“I think [Trump’s] gonna have a good [legal team],” Graham said. “Butch Bowers I think will be sort of the anchor tenant. I’ve known Butch for a long time, solid guy. And I think, you know, over time, they’ll put the team together.”

Bowers did not respond to a request for comment and neither did representatives for Trump.

The House voted Jan. 13 to impeach Trump for a second time during his tenure. The article accuses him of inciting insurrection after a mob of his supporters overtook the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6 in an effort to stop the Electoral College vote count.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has not sent the article of impeachment over to the Senate yet.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has proposed delaying the start of the impeachment trial until February to allow Trump time to mount a defense.

Bowers has represented several high-profile Republicans, including South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, former South Carolina Govs. Nikki Haley and Mark Sanford, and former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.