President Trump’s attempt to hire former South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy for his legal team as he battles House Democrats over impeachment has unraveled over concerns about rules restricting his post-Congress activities, Fox News has confirmed.
Last week, it was announced that Gowdy would be joining the president’s legal team. But a source familiar with the situation told Fox News there was concern about a statute that says former lawmakers cannot communicate with or appear before their former colleagues for a year after leaving Congress.
Gowdy retired from Congress earlier this year, meaning his one-year restriction would be up in January 2020.
As part of his role with Trump’s legal team, Gowdy was expected to appear on television news programs — and there were concerns about whether that could be considered communicating with former colleagues in violation of the statute. A source said the president’s legal team needed Gowdy on television making the case now.
Violations of these post-Congress restrictions, intended to prevent lawmakers from lobbying immediately after leaving Congress, are considered a “felony.” But a source stressed this had nothing to do with “lobbying work” but was simply about the rules prohibiting former members of Congress from doing anything to influence lawmakers – even as an attorney for the president. – READ MORE