Trump’s impeachment lawyers now representing at least three Capitol riot suspects

Bruce Castor and Michael van der Veen defending cases connected to riot on 6 January

Donald Trump’s lawyers who defended him in his second impeachment trial following a failed insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January condemned the rioters who “wrought unprecedented havoc, mayhem and death” in the halls of Congress that day.

Those attorneys now are defending at least three people charged in connection with the Capitol breach. NPR first reported their defence.

Michael van der Veen is representing Jason Dolan, allegedly connected to the Oath Keepers militia and accused of planning a potentially armed assault on the Capitol on 6 January, according to the US Department of Justice.

Bruce Castor is representing two defendants, Kristina Malimon and her mother Yevgeniya Malimon, charged with unlawful entry of public property, a misdemeanor, after they allegedly violated a curfew order and police commands to leave an area outside of the Capitol building that night.

The women have pleaded not guilty in Washington DC Superior Court.

It is unclear how the attorneys came to represent the defendants or how their impeachment arguments inform their defence. The Independent has requested comments from Mr van der Veen and Mr Castor; a law clerk at their firm has relayed a phone message and email to both men.

Other attorneys previously represented the defendants, but Mr van der Veen and Mr Castor replaced them in recent weeks.

Court documents show that Mr van der Veen, whose law firm is in Philadelphia, filed a motion to join Mr Doland’s case on 7 June.

Mr Castor, who also works at Mr van der Veen’s firm, joined as counsel for the Malimons on 8 April, records show.

Kristina Malimon was a vice chairwoman of the Young Republicans of Oregon, a Multnomah County Republican Party delegate and an ambassador to pro-Trump organisation Turning Point USA, according to NPR.

On her Instagram account, which appears to have been deactivated, she posted videos from a pro-Trump rally outside the Capitol on 6 January and posted a selfie with former Trump adviser Roger Stone, the Associated Press reported.

The Oath Keepers, of which federal prosecutors allege Mr Dolan is a member, also provided security to Mr Stone in Washington DC on 5 January before entering the Capitol on 6 January, according to The New York Times.