Trump's Impeachment Lawyer Has Had Enough of Steve Bannon

Attorney David Schoen, who represented former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, no longer wants to represent Steve Bannon in his fraud case.

Schoen told a New York judge on Thursday that he wanted to withdraw from the case, citing "irreconcilable differences" between Bannon and the legal team and revealing that the two have had "a complete breakdown in communication."

Bannon, a former Trump adviser, is facing charges that he defrauded the donors of the "We Build the Wall" campaign, which sought to help construct a wall along the southern border. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering, conspiracy and scheming to defraud investors.

During Thursday's opening of the session at New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Schoen said that he, Bannon and co-counsel John Mitchell have different approaches and strategies and that Bannon is entitled to the representation of his choice, without caveats.

When told by Judge Juan Merchan to explain the circumstances surrounding Bannon's request to change lawyers, Schoen revealed that he and his client "only communicate through a third-party attorney."

"It became futile even to communicate directly about it once it became clear that the differences were irreconcilable," Schoen told Newsweek. "He might well be right in his approach and we could be wrong, but it is his case and he should proceed as he thinks best."

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Schoen said he and Bannon are still cordial—as he's representing him in another case in Washington, D.C., that he told Newsweek is moving "full speed ahead—we just don't speak about this case." He said after it was determined that they saw the fraud case differently, it was decided that "the best policy on that was just not to talk about it anymore.

"There's no point any further in discussing the issues surrounding this case. We have very different views of how it should be handled," Schoen said. "And when I take on a case, I need to be able to handle it in the way that I see appropriate."

He also told Newsweek he remains convinced that Bannon is "absolutely innocent of the charges and committed no crime."

"I will also tell you that I am not comfortable with being part of a process in which the judge allows the prosecution to place just about all discovery under a protective order in order to keep it from the public and public scrutiny," Schoen said. "I would never want to appear to legitimize such a process."

On Thursday, Merchan and Schoen became entangled in a heated exchanged in court, as the judge shot back at Bannon's request, raising concerns that swapping legal representation was a tactic to delay the case.

"I'm sorry you feel like you were dragged into this courthouse," Merchan told Bannon's legal team. "You and your client will be treated the same as any other defendant in this courthouse."

Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Daniel Passesser said that as long as the case proceeds on schedule, prosecutors "have no position on who is counsel is."

The judge granted Bannon until February 28 to find a new attorney and told Schoen that once there was a new lawyer, "you never need to come back."