A news agency has confirmed that Trump’s attempt to hire former South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy for his legal team has unraveled. This happened due to the concerns about lobbying rules restricting his activities.
It was announced last week that Gowdy would be the new member of Donald Trump’s legal team. However, a source came forward and revealed that there is a statute that clearly says that any former lawmaker cannot communicate with or appear before their former colleagues, for a year atleast, after leaving Congress.
Gowdy retired from Congress this year, meaning he would have to follow a one-year restriction that will end in January 2020. However, as far as his role with Trump’s legal team is considered, he was expected to appear on TV news programs, which was considered as a communication with former colleagues and which was in violation of the statute. A source said that President’s legal team wanted Gowdy making the case now, and not several months after.
These post-Congress restrictions, once violated, are considered a felony. These restrictions are intended to prevent the lawmakers from lobbying immediately after leaving Congress. However, just last week, Trump’s attorney Jay Sekulow welcomed Gowdy to their team saying, “I am pleased to announce that former Congressman Trey Gowdy is joining our team as counsel to the president”.
He further added, “I have known Trey for years and worked with him when he served in Congress. His legal skills and his advocacy will serve the president well. Trey’s command of the law is well known and his service on Capitol Hill will be a great asset as a member of our team.”
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But, as The New York Times reported, Gowdy would not be joining Trump’s team after all. Gowdy was also a Fox News contributor. A source related with Fox News said that he was terminated last week and is no longer serving the company.
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