President Donald Trump is bringing in high-profile legal firepower to help defend him in his Senate impeachment trial with the addition on Friday of former independent counsel Ken Starr, who paved the way for Democratic President Bill Clinton's 1998 impeachment, and prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz.
The team defending the Republican president will be led by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Trump private attorney Jay Sekulow, Trump's legal team and a source said. Trump adviser Pam Bondi and former independent counsel Robert Ray will also be on the team, according to the source who is familiar with the team's composition.
The trial formally got underway on Thursday, though it will start in earnest on Tuesday with opening statements.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump on two charges arising from his dealings with Ukraine - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress - on Dec. 18 after an investigation that centered on his request that Ukraine investigates political rival Joe Biden, the president's possible Democratic opponent in the Nov. 3 election.