One of Washington’s top scandal specialists is representing President Joe Biden’s son Hunter in a gun charges trial underway in Delaware.
Abbe Lowell is a white-collar defense and trial lawyer, with a long history of working with Democrats and Republicans before a recent stint in representing Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Now, he is defending Hunter Biden who faces three felony charges related to purchasing a gun in 2018. Biden officially added Lowell to his legal team after a plea deal fell through in July that would have covered tax charges and the gun charges. It was seen at the time as a way to take a more aggressive response to the investigation into him, which have been going on for more than five years.
Here is what to know about Lowell:
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Abbe Lowell recently represented Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump
Lowell has represented a host of politicians on both sides of the aisle.
Lowell represented Ivanka Trump while she was a White House aide, chiming in as an ethics adviser. He also defended Kushner when House members questioned his use of WhatsApp to communicate with foreign leaders.
While some lawyers in Washington commonly take clients on both sides of the aisle, Lowell has taken it a step further by representing the children of the current and former president, who are bitter rivals.
Some Democrats applauded bringing Lowell on to use some hard-hitting tactics against Republicans, according to the New York Times.
Hunter Biden lawyer once lawyer on impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton
Lowell has a long history of working with congressional committees, both on behalf of those who are called to testify and the committees themselves.
He was the chief minority counsel during the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton.
Even beforehand, he was known as a go-to for Democrats with scandals, according to the Washington Post. He moved to D.C. shortly after graduating from Columbia Law School in 1977, and took his first role as a special assistant to the attorney general in the Carter administration, the Post reported.
Other Lowell clients include Jack Abramoff and Sen. Bob Menendez
According to Lowell’s biography on Winston & Strawn LLP, he has also represented the following prominent politicians:
- Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff who served time in federal prison
- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NY, who is on trial for federal bribery charges (He has pleaded not-guilty.)
- Former Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, a Republican
- Former New York Gov. George Pataki, a Republican
