Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

How the DOJ has built a case against Trump for obstruction
New York Post ^ | 09/01/2022 | Andrew McCarthy

Posted on 09/01/2022 8:24:08 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

I’ve been a naysayer on the notion that the Justice Department is trying to make a criminal case against former President Donald Trump based on the Mar-a-Lago raid, at least with respect to the offenses most often touted: mishandling classified documents and illegally retaining government records.

But that has come with a significant caveat: If the evidence of obstruction of justice proved to be convincing, there’s a very good chance the government would indict.

The court filing made by the Justice Department on Tuesday night, in response to Trump’s lawsuit seeking a special master to review materials seized by the FBI, indicates that prosecutors have amassed formidable evidence of obstruction. That’s a game-changer.

As I explained in The Post last week, “The Justice Department typically takes very seriously any tampering with witnesses or evidence.” Moreover, if it turned out that the FBI had damning “proof of attempts to conceal or destroy government records, especially highly classified ones,” that would amount to criminal conduct that is virtually always prosecuted.

Classified information cases are very difficult to do, even without the added complication of a suspect who happens to have been the only official in government with the power to declassify any intelligence. It is hard to prove the case without risking disclosure of the intelligence. And a prosecution centering on unlawful retention of government records has its own complications. Post-Watergate, when Congress enacted the Presidential Records Act, lawmakers did not include criminal enforcement provisions. The Justice Department now believes that gap has been filled by a different statute (sec. 2071), which criminalizes the removal or concealment of government records. Maybe so, but the question would have to be litigated.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 3rdworld; andrewmccarthy; bananarepublic; doj; fbi; nevertrumper; obstruction; rinopost; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
By contrast, obstruction is uncomplicated and easy to prove. There would be no need to get into the content of government documents, classified or not. The case would focus on Trump’s allegedly lying about having government records and concealing them. What’s in the documents is beside the point.

And just as important, given the certainty that the former president and his supporters would claim that he is being selectively prosecuted because the Biden administration fears him as a potential 2024 opponent, an obstruction case is easy to understand. It involves the kind of misconduct — energetically concealing evidence, lying to investigators, lying under oath in a certification to a grand jury, and (DOJ suggests) possibly destroying documents and intimidating witnesses — that we would expect any American (or at least any American not named Clinton) to be prosecuted over.
1 posted on 09/01/2022 8:24:08 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

2 posted on 09/01/2022 8:27:40 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

DC Court DC Jury. The jury will be out long enough to take role and then vote to convict. Our country is gone.


3 posted on 09/01/2022 8:28:40 PM PDT by gibsonguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

He was working with NARA to return the docs in question, so how was that obstruction? And if he has evidence of the DOJ trying to railroad him throughout his presidency, you expect him to turn that evidence over to the ppl coming after him? Lastly, he declassified the docs so they’re no longer classified; therefore, no crime was committed.


4 posted on 09/01/2022 8:32:10 PM PDT by Prince of Space (Let’s Go, Brandon! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Prince of Space

Spot on!


5 posted on 09/01/2022 8:34:31 PM PDT by july4thfreedomfoundation (Disband and Defund the putrid FBI. America does not need an out of control Gestapo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Prince of Space

Ham sandwich.


6 posted on 09/01/2022 8:38:18 PM PDT by Right Brother
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Trump is going to be indicted.


7 posted on 09/01/2022 8:40:09 PM PDT by bigbob (z)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

IIRC, McCarthy is a neverTrumper.

Could that be coloring his claims?


8 posted on 09/01/2022 8:40:15 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Truth is not hate speech.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

McCarthy is and always will be a never Trump putz. His legal analysis isn’t worth spit.


9 posted on 09/01/2022 8:44:41 PM PDT by VTenigma (Conspiracy theory is the new "spoiler alert")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I’m beginning to wonder if Trump’s legal eagles are putting together a case to insist on a change of venue, claiming there is no way he can get a fair jury in the District of Columbia. Especially with the press coverage by the usual suspects.


10 posted on 09/01/2022 8:56:26 PM PDT by asinclair (What doesn't kill you makes you stronger)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Obstruction doesn’t get the job done. Trump can still be president. The regime wants insurrection.

Fourteenth Amendment Citizenship, Equal Protection, and Other Rights of Citizens

Section 3 Disqualification from Holding Office
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.


11 posted on 09/01/2022 9:05:28 PM PDT by hardspunned (former GOP globalist stooge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: asinclair

I was wondering how the DOJ could actually use the DC Court? They got the search warrant in Florida, it would seen they would need to use a Florida based grand jury if they plan to prosecute based on evidence obtained from that raid.


12 posted on 09/01/2022 9:41:00 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage? (Drain the Swamp. Build the Wall.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

turley would be a better source for legal analysis

than mccarthy


13 posted on 09/01/2022 11:14:54 PM PDT by joshua c (to disrupt the system, we must disrupt our lives, cut the cable tv)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

F’ the Trump hater/big govt lover Andy McCarthy. He can take his biased opinion and shove it.


14 posted on 09/01/2022 11:25:50 PM PDT by Bullish (Rot'sa Ruck America. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

If I heard correctly the RATS already have a Federal Grand Jury ready to hear evidence in this case. If that’s true it’s very easy to get an indictment. They will prosecute.


15 posted on 09/02/2022 12:06:07 AM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hardspunned
Obstruction doesn’t get the job done. Trump can still be president. The regime wants insurrection.

Exactly! The regime, its flying monkeys in the media and social media, and the assistant Democrats all want insurrection because they believe they've found the foolproof silver bullet for Trump.

16 posted on 09/02/2022 1:11:38 AM PDT by Dahoser (I finally figured out what to call him: Fakephonyfraudident Biden.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

You are a DISGRACE, Andy!


17 posted on 09/02/2022 4:23:11 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the sgod of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

This will all come to close when it's apparent that Trump will
not be running for President next term. When we get to that
point things will settle down and life will return to normalcy
what ever that is at that time. IMO Trump is just stirring the
pot for his own pleasure. Yours may vary.
18 posted on 09/02/2022 4:39:49 AM PDT by deport
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

NeverTrump McCarthy strikes again. When it comes to Trump, McCarthy is wrong probably 70% of the time. Poor track record, influenced by his hatred.

“The boxes contained prodigious amounts of classified information: 700 pages worth, much of it top-secret. Upon beginning to investigate, the FBI developed evidence (still not described) indicating that Trump continued to hoard classified intelligence”

Idiot McCarthy KNOWS they weren’t “classified.” The were MARKED classifed, but were not; Trump declassified it all in one fell swoop by sending them to Mar-a-Lago.

Bfd.

Disingenuous on McCarthy’s part. As usual.

McCarthy is a big fan (rightly so) of the DOJ OLC. Smart, unbiased, legal brainiacs, who’s job is to give semi-binding internal opinions on complex Executive branch legal issues. But apparently, the cabal running this ops against Trump never ran this investigation and raid by the OLC. Why?

Because they knew they would have been shot down, and shut down, before it got out of diapers.

McCarthy, by not bringing up the OLC, is the dog that didn’t bark. He’s blatantly avoiding it.

He knows they absolutely should have run it past them. He knows, too, it would never have gotten 3 steps if they did.

So his NeverTrump bias blinds him.


19 posted on 09/02/2022 4:48:22 AM PDT by Basket_of_Deplorables (Putin is behaving rationally.The war is on Biden and Obama. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dahoser

And this will be their downfall. The left always overshoots the mark. Even now this “insurrection” narrative doesnt seem to be capturing the nations attention. The evidence doesnt work for them and just the other day Joe was bragging about how no one could actually overthrow the govt without “jets”...basically undermining the entire premise of 1/6 as a coup lol.

This will not stop them from focusing on it.

On the other hand , I think why not indict for any and all “crimes” theyve dreamt up . Democrats have no shame and zero self awareness. The stunt could very well cripple their own party but the need to stop Trump has broken them. It consumes them. The nation is failing and this is where they spend their energy. Biden spending every second now condemning half of America. Should work out well for him. /s

Voters will not forget this.


20 posted on 09/02/2022 4:53:46 AM PDT by MrRelevant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson