Ken Starr, celebrity lawyer Dershowitz join Trump defense team
January 18, 2020, 9:27 am

Ken Starr, celebrity lawyer Dershowitz join Trump defense team

Alan Dershowitz will bring celebrity firepower to US President Donald Trump's impeachment defense team File photo AFP

Ken Starr, who was at the center of Bill Clinton's impeachment in the 1990s, and America's biggest celebrity lawyer Alan Dershowitz were announced Friday to be joining President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment defense.

The administration has yet to unveil the full team but confirmed that White House counsel Pat Cipollone will be lead lawyer, backed by Trump's attorney Jay Sekulow.

"President Trump has done nothing wrong and is confident that this team will defend him, the voters, and our democracy from this baseless, illegitimate impeachment," the White House said in a statement Friday evening.

But where Cipollone is ultra-discreet, and rarely speaks on the record, Dershowitz and Starr will bring the legal world's equivalent of rock stardom when the trial begins on Tuesday.

US media reports said Starr, the special prosecutor in the 1998 Clinton impeachment saga, was joining the Trump legal team. He is a hero to many on the right, even if Clinton ultimately was acquitted in the Senate.

Among the first to react -- with expletive-laden astonishment -- was Monica Lewinsky, whose affair with Clinton was the subject of Starr's investigation.

"This is an 'are you fucking kidding me?' kinda day," she tweeted.

No less controversial is the choice of Dershowitz, whose past clients include disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, as well as film director Roman Polanski and former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, both embroiled in notorious rape cases.

Dershowitz himself has been accused of being a witness and participant in Epstein's sex crimes -- allegations he strenuously denies.

Dershowitz's most famous case was the successful defense of former NFL star O.J. Simpson, whose televised 1995 murder trial riveted the nation.

In the Senate, Dershowitz, who teaches at Harvard University, says he'll be pursuing loftier matters.

In a post on Twitter Friday, Dershowitz said he would "present oral arguments at the Senate trial to address the constitutional arguments against impeachment and removal."

Lead lawyer Cipollone is the author of the Republican president's uncompromising strategy to stonewall the Democrats' impeachment investigation, calling it "partisan and unconstitutional."

Another high-powered player will be Sekulow, a stalwart in the White House pushback against a two-year probe by special counsel Robert Mueller into Trump's controversial dealings with Russia.

A Supreme Court veteran and a big name on the right-wing evangelical Christian scene, he won't be dazzled by the bright lights of Washington's ultimate fight.

Rounding off the roster will be Robert Ray, another figure from the investigations into Clinton that rocked Washington in the 1990s, US media reported.

Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives on accusations that he abused his office to try and force Ukraine into digging up dirt on leading Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

He was also impeached for allegedly obstructing Congress.

But the White House enters the Senate trial with a massive advantage: Trump's Republicans have 53 of the 100 seats and the party is in lockstep.

The majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, echoes Trump's claim that the impeachment is a political hit job.

As a man who has been fighting legal battles for decades -- including rape allegations, multiple real estate disputes, and bankruptcy -- Trump is no stranger to colorful lawyers.

His former longtime attorney Michael Cohen is serving a three-year sentence and has turned on his old boss. Before going behind bars for a variety of crimes last year, Cohen called Trump a "con man" and a "cheat."

Where Cohen left off, an even bigger firebrand, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, stepped in to serve as an attorney and roving political fixer.

Giuliani's relentless attempts to prove conspiracy theories around Biden's family activities in Ukraine are interwoven with the whole impeachment case against Trump. Although Giuliani is not a government employee, he has traveled to Ukraine to lead the search for dirt on Biden.

And the outspoken former federal prosecutor who was in charge of New York on 9/11, has pushed to be allowed in on the Senate impeachment trial team. A wary White House has shut the door.

Friday evening, House Democrats released documents showing Lev Parnas, who served as Giuliani's envoy to Ukrainian officials, had been in extensive contact with an aide to Representative Devin Nunes, the highest-ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee.

The WhatsApp messages, which run from February to May of last year, indicate that Nunes's office was aware of the alleged efforts to try and force Ukraine into investigating Biden.

Parnas made headlines Thursday when hours before Trump's impeachment trial opened, he broke ranks to charge that the president "knew exactly what was going on" regarding his and business partner Igor Fruman's efforts to influence Ukrainian authorities.

Trump denied knowing Parnas. "I don't believe I've ever spoken to him," he told reporters.

But Parnas told MSNBC that Trump was lying. "We're not friends," the Ukrainian-born businessman said. "But he knew exactly who we were."

source: AFP

Libya’s Haftar thanks ‘dear friend’ Putin for peace efforts Australia's farmers count cost after bushfires wipe out livestock

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.