Trump Attorney Overseeing Pennsylvania Lawsuit Quits, Cites Breach of Capitol

Protesters bash an entrance of the Capitol building in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Jon Cherry/Getty Images

A lawyer for President Donald Trump’s campaign moved Thursday to resign from a case in Pennsylvania, citing the storming of the U.S. Capitol the day prior.

Jerome Marcus announced the action in a court filing (pdf). He said he was asking to withdraw as counsel for the case pursuant to the Pennsylvania Rule of Professional Conduct “inasmuch as the client has used the lawyer’s services to perpetrate a crime and the client insists upon taking action that the lawyer considers repugnant and with which the lawyer has a fundamental disagreement.”

In a separate filing, Marcus told the court that he served the motion for leave to a representative of the Trump campaign.

Trump’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Protesters in Washington stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, triggering the evacuation of members of Congress from the House and Senate chambers. Several people were killed, including a pro-Trump protester who was shot while attempting to enter the House chamber.

Trump called on his supporters to be peaceful and respect law enforcement. He later urged them to exit the Capitol and go home.

The group that barged into the Capitol included at least one anti-Trump person, a Black Lives Matter activist.

Marcus was representing Trump’s campaign in a case against the Philadelphia County Board Of Elections.

The campaign alleged the board was blocking poll watchers and campaign representatives from observing the canvassing of ballots. The lawsuit said the board was “intentionally violating state law.”

District Judge Paul Diamond denied a request for an emergency injunction in November 2020. He hasn’t ruled on the broader case as of yet.