Drew Findling: Donald Trump's critic to defend him in election case

Drew Findling, one of the renowned celebrity lawyers in the US and a staunch critic of Donald Trump, has been hired by the former president to defend him in the election case in Georgia, the BBC reported on Sunday.

Former clients call him the "biggest lawyer in the game" and a "Robin Hood with Jesus swag." Findling has previously criticised Trump and donated to his current prosecutor, Fani Willis.

He is also a respected figure in Atlanta, which he calls "Hip Hop Hollywood."

The 64-year-old, who calls himself a liberal, posted on X in 2017 saying that then-president Trump's decision to fire the Manhattan federal prosecutor was "a sign of FEAR that [the prosecutor] would aggressively investigate the stench hovering" over him.

Two months later, he criticised the president once more for his attitude towards the Central Park Five, a group of adolescents who were falsely convicted of raping a white jogger in New York City's Central Park in 1989.

Donald Trump's unretracted support for the death penalty, despite overturned verdicts, was criticised by Findling as "racist, cruel, sick, unforgivable, and un-American."

Later, in 2018, Findling exacerbated a feud between Trump and basketball star LeBron James, calling him "pathetic" and "the racist architect of fraudulent Trump University."

Why is Findling defending Trump?

While sharing why he was defending Trump despite previously criticising him on various occasions, Findling compared his choice to that of John Adams, the second US president who, in his previous legal career, had rejected anti-British feelings and defended British soldiers against murder accusations resulting from the Boston Massacre of 1770.

"I do not believe that we choose our client or clients based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, political belief or the substantive issues involved in the crime," he told the New York Times last year.

"We have our personal lives and we have our personal politics, and I don't apologise for my personal politics."

In addition to his criticism towards Donald Trump, Findling also contributed $1,440 (£1,130) to Democrat Fani Willis's successful campaign for Georgia's top prosecutor position in July 2020.

In her capacity as Fulton County district attorney, Willis on Monday indicted Trump and 18 cronies for allegedly attempting to rig the state's 2020 election, which Joe Biden narrowly won on his route to the White House.

The defence team for the former president has said it will rely mainly on a free speech defence to refute the allegations in this case and a second federal prosecution for electoral subversion.

Humble beginnings

Drew Findling began his career as a public defender, a taxpayer-paid attorney assigned to low-income clients and founded his law firm in 1987, and later represented a wide range of high-profile figures, including athletes, comedians, and reality stars.

However, Findling is most famous for representing Atlanta rappers, who call him  "the go-to lawyer" for any issues.

"If there's a hip hop artist in trouble, I'll get a phone call," he told MIC in a 2018 interview despite admitting to never listening to a rap song when defending a rapper.

Demetrius Flenory, also known as Big Meech, was acquitted of murder in 2003 by Findling. This case highlighted the vulnerability of some individuals to criminal prosecution due to their racial backgrounds to Findling.

Findling's name gained attention after he helped negotiate a plea deal for Gucci Mane and his early release, leading to his career resurgence.

He has counselled other prominent entertainers, including Cardi B, Waka Flocka Flame, and the Migos. In 2017, Young Dolph named him "the Billion Dollar Lawyer."

In addition, Findling's rap-heavy clientele has made him acutely aware of how free speech in the hip-hop community is sometimes misconstrued as proof of criminal activity or intent.

"Somebody listens to a rap song that lasts for four minutes and 11 seconds, and pulls one verse out, and tries to conjure up some type of criminal case out of it," he told the Times.