May 9, 2019

Prosecutors: Trump would’ve been charged if he weren’t president

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/prosecutors-trump-wouldve-been-charged-if-he-werent-president?fbclid=IwAR1yOuwT1PrRzRQnvvH4Lqc128I5uCaiSC_eB4giDs-VLURxqgaq0kcNRCk
"When this joint letter was first released, it was signed by more than 300 veterans of the Justice Department. The total then topped 400. Then 500. Then 600. As of this very moment, there are 634 former federal prosecutors who’ve signed on to the document – and there’s every reason to believe that number will grow as today progresses. Neal Katyal, the former acting solicitor general, told MSNBC’s Ari Melber yesterday, “I’ve never seen anything quite like it…. [I]f this were anyone else but a sitting president, this person would be labeled a felon and staring down the barrel of a federal indictment.” All of which tells us a few things. First, when Trump says he’s been fully exonerated, his claims aren’t just wrong, they’re ridiculous. Second, there are 634 new reasons to question Attorney General Bill Barr’s judgment, competence, professionalism, and independence. Third, the statute of limitations on Trump’s alleged crimes won’t expire for a few years, so if these hundreds of prosecutors are correct in their legal analysis, and the president loses his re-election bid next year, the possibility of a Trump criminal indictment is very real. (If, however, Trump wins a second term, the statute of limitations would expire.) And finally, it’s worth pausing to appreciate the courage of those who signed their name to the joint statement. Each of these prosecutors must realize they’re taking a political risk – especially those who served in Republican administrations – but they signed it anyway."