Stanford’s criminal defense lawyers ask to quit case 12 days before trial

Lawyers for R. Allen Stanford, the Texas financier scheduled to go on trial this month on charges of leading a $7 billion fraud, have asked a judge to let them quit the case. Bloomberg reports attorneys Ali Fazel and Robert Scardino, who are being paid from public funds because Stanford’s assets are frozen by court order in a related case, filed the withdrawal request with U.S. District Judge David Hittner in Houston on Wednesday, saying budget restrictions are hampering their effectiveness. “The rulings of this court, the budget matters made public by this court, and matters still under seal have placed counsel in an untenable position,” they said. “Counsel cannot represent the accused competently.” Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Jan. 23. Stanford is accused of defrauding investors who bought certificates of deposit issued by his Antigua-based Stanford International Bank. He has denied the charges. Laura Sweeney, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Justice Department, declined to comment on the lawyers’ request, citing a court gag order barring lawyers from discussing the case. Stanford has been in federal custody since he was indicted in June 2009. His lawyers have complained since the first of the year about a decision by the Fifth Circuit, which controls budgets for the ex-financier’s taxpayer-funded defense, to limit funding available for experts and support staff.