Who is Drew Findling? Here's what we know about Trump's new lawyer

The former president of the US has recruited celebrity lawyer Drew Findling, a vocal opponent of Donald Trump, to represent him in court for the Georgia election case, according to the BBC on Sunday.

Nicknamed the "biggest lawyer in the game" and a "Robin Hood with Jesus swag," by ex-clients, Findling had already denounced Trump and has also donated to Fani Willis, who is now prosecuting the 77-year-old leading Republican candidate for the 2024 US presidential elections.

He is well-known there as well; he refers to Atlanta as "Hip Hop Hollywood."

He is also well-known in Atlanta, which he refers to as "Hip Hop Hollywood."

Drew Findling, who is renowned in Atlanta for which he uses the term "Hip Hop Hollywood," 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.

Later, after two months, the 64-year-old criticised the president again 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.

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

He later went on to exacerbate a feud between Trump and basketball star LeBron James, in 2018, calling him "pathetic" and "the racist architect of fraudulent Trump University."

'I don't apologise for my personal politics'

Although it is unusual to witness Findling defend an individual he has previously criticised, he has compared his choice to that of John Adams, the second US president, who in his earlier legal career had rejected anti-British sentiments 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."

Findling also contributed $1,440 to Democrat Fani Willis's campaign for Georgia's top prosecutor position in July 2020.

Willis indicted Trump and 18 cronies for allegedly rigging the state's 2020 election, which Joe Biden narrowly won. The former president's defence team plans to use a free speech defence and a second federal prosecution for electoral subversion to refute the allegations.

Billion Dollar Lawyer

Drew Findling initiated his career as a public defender, a taxpayer-paid attorney for low-income clients, and later founded his own law firm. He later represented high-profile figures like athletes, comedians, and reality stars, but is most famous for representing Atlanta rappers.

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.