Two lawyers who are representing White House officials are warning that Special Counsel Robert Mueller could indict the sitting President Of The United States, Donald Trump, by the spring.
Politico reported:
While many legal experts contend that Mueller lacks the standing to bring criminal charges against Trump, at least two attorneys working with clients swept up in the Russia probe told POLITICO they consider it possible that Mueller could indict the president for obstruction of justice.
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“If I were a betting man, I’d bet against the president,†said one of the lawyers.
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The second attorney, who represents a senior Trump official, speculated that Mueller could try to bring an indictment against Trump even if he expects the move to draw fierce procedural challenges from the president’s lawyers – if only to demonstrate the gravity of his findings.
If Mueller thinks that Congress has been corrupted, he may indict Trump
A Mueller indictment of Trump is very unlikely. It would be out of step with Robert Mueller’s decades-long career for him to go outside the box and establish a new precedent. There is an unresolved debate over whether a sitting president can be indicted, and the Trump/Russia scandal is such a grave case with vast national security implications that it doesn’t seem like the correct avenue to test legal theories about presidential indictments.
The one circumstance where an indictment of Trump could be foreseeable is if the Special Counsel’s investigation implicates members of the Republican Congressional majority in the scandal. Mueller would have to believe that Congress has been compromised and unable to fulfill its constitutional duties. The odds of this conclusion being reached are very low.
The fact that White House lawyers are talking indictment is Earth shaking
The chatter about a potential indictment is the canary in the coal mine. Lawyers don’t warn about indictments unless the situation is grave. With the clocking ticking until the midterm election, events are coming together to form a perfect storm against Trump and the Republican Party. When Mueller’s findings are released, they will change the landscape and discussion of American politics.
Whether or not Mueller indicts Trump isn’t as vital as the signal that the US is heading for a transformative political event as Mueller’s findings may essentially end the Trump presidency.
Buckle up, Republicans. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
