Oct. 11 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that former Rep. Trey Gowdy must wait a “couple months” before joining his personal legal team one day after his new role was announced.
Trump said lobbying rules are preventing the former Republican congressman from South Carolina from joining the team immediately.
“I think there’s a problem with … he can’t start for another couple months because of lobbying rules and regulations,” the president said. “So you’ll have to ask about that. I just heard that Trey Gowdy can’t start til some time after January because of the lobbying rules and regulations. So I don’t know. We’ll have to see.”
The president’s personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, announced Gowdy’s new role as an outside adviser Wednesday.
“I have known Trey for years and worked with him when he served in Congress,” Sekulow said. “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.”
A Fox spokesperson said Gowdy’s role as a contributor with Fox News was terminated amid rumors of his new role due to it being a conflict of interest.
Gowdy declined to seek re-election in 2018 after four terms in the House. He was first elected to Congress in 2010, and chaired of the House oversight committee and the House Benghazi committee.
His addition to Trump’s legal team comes as the president prepares for an impeachment battle over his pressure on Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, who is seeking to unseat the president in the 2020 election. It’s unclear how the delay in joining the legal team will impact Gowdy’s role in impeachment proceedings.
