Trump’s Lawyer Alan Dershowitz says Abuse of Power isn’t an Impeachable Offense

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U.S President Donald Trump has hired high-profile lawyers to defend him in the Senate impeachment trial. They will argue that abuse of power is not an impeachable offense. One of Trump’s lawyers, Alan Dershowitz has formerly represented clients including Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein and, OJ Simpson. He said only criminal-like conduct should see a president impeached. Trump is alleged for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives concluded last year that Trump had abused his office and forced the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate into his political opponent Joe Biden by withholding military aid. He also obstructed their investigation by stopping key staff from testifying and refusing to hand over documents.

The President insists he has done nothing wrong and that the case against him is a Democratic plan to seize him winning re-election in November. Now, the Senate will begin a trial during the current week triggered by the impeachment. It is noteworthy that the Republican majority in the upper chamber is expected to forgive him. Dershowitz was added to Trump’s defense team on Friday as one of several high-profile legal experts, including Kenneth Starr. Dershowitz joined CNN’s State of the Union show and said, “I will be advocating against the impeachment of this president based on the constitutional criteria”.

Dershowitz cited Justice Benjamin Curtis (who defended President Andrew Johnson during his impeachment in 1868) in arguing that criminal-like conduct is required. He also spoke to ABC’s This Week, he said, “Trump should be cleared even if his behavior was wrong. If the allegations are not impeachable, then this trial should result in an acquittal, regardless of whether the conduct is regarded as OK by you or by me or by voters. That’s an issue for the voters”. Moreover, Adam Schiff is leading the case against Trump for the Democrats. He informed This Week and said, “You had to go so far out of the mainstream to find someone to make that argument. You had to leave the realm of constitutional law scholars and go to criminal defense lawyers.