Posted on 08/22/2018 7:27:33 AM PDT by mandaladon
The assertion by President Trump’s former lawyer that he broke campaign finance laws at the direction of then-candidate Trump could spark calls for impeachment hearings — but probably will not have any legal consequences for the president while he is in office, according to legal analysts.
Michael Cohen, who spent a decade as a lawyer for Trump, told a judge Tuesday that he was directed by Trump to coordinate payments to two women designed to prevent them from disclosing alleged affairs with the real estate mogul before the presidential election, in violation of campaign finance law.
Such an explosive assertion against anyone but the president would suggest that a criminal case could be in the offing, but under long-standing legal interpretations by the Justice Department, the president cannot be charged with a crime.
The department produced legal analyses in 1973 and 2000 concluding that the Constitution does not allow for the criminal indictment of a sitting president.
In comments to reporters after Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felony counts in federal court in Manhattan, Deputy U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami said prosecutors were sending a message that they are unafraid to file charges when campaign finance laws are broken. But he did not mention Trump or offer any indication that his office planned to pursue action against the president.
Likewise, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III determined months ago that allegations of campaign finance violations involving payments to women before the presidential election were outside the scope of his mandate to investigate whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia’s operation to influence the vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
President Trump woke up this morning, resulting in calls for his impeachment from Rep. Maxine Waters.
Been there done that, has anyone heard of Maxine Waters?
And now the backpedaling begins. LOL.
If Trump farted sideways that would be “grounds for impeachment.” They have cried wolf too many times.
it’s not as if he paid someone who he raped or assault. a consensual bj? it’s not as if people don’t know Trump and his past with women. He’s been in the public eye for decades.
Peach foty fi. Peach foty fi.
-—could spark calls for impeachment hearings-—
From who? Chuck Schumer?
I’m “sparking calls” for myself to win the Powerball. Since we’re doing stuff like that.
Never change, WaPo....
If he (A) actually has something on Trump and (B) is out to "get" Trump ... why wouldn't he just name him?
I suspect there is something deeper going on here, some other actors who have not been named. There were lots of candidates running for various federal offices .... just sayin'...
Go ahead, poke that bear. Notice he’s not in a cage anymore?
It’s not a campaign violation.
So why would this lead to impeachment?
How is that against campaign finance law? Why didn't Cohen refuse, or at least inform Trump that it could be illegal (even though it isn't.)
If paying money for information, whether to be kept secret or used, is against the law, what about Clinton and the dossier?
-—So why would this lead to impeachment?——
It would “spark calls” for impeachment (from leftist Dem hacks). It wouldn’t lead to impeachment.
See how sneaky the leftist media is?
“Michael Cohen...told a judge Tuesday that he was directed by Trump to coordinate payments to two women designed to prevent them from disclosing alleged affairs with the real estate mogul before the presidential election, in violation of campaign finance law.”
So how does this violate any laws? Because it somehow benefited the campaign? That’s a bunch of garbage. Going out in public with a nice suit, nice shoes, a nice haircut and a smile will also benefit any campaign, even if paid for with the candidate’s own funds...and SO FREAKING WHAT! Everything could potentially benefit (or, on the flip side, hurt) a campaign - that fact doesn’t mean that any laws were violated. Oh, BTW, there is a HUGE loophole in the campaign finance laws which allows a candidate to spend any amount of his/her money on the campaign. So even IF this was deemed to be a campaign contribution, if Trump reimbursed Cohen (and no one is saying differently), then he paid for this campaign activity.
This is a lot of nothing...but, of course, most of the media has the vapors about the impending ‘Peach fohti-fi” action in Congress. My prediction: it’ll never happen, because the Demonrats will never capture the House while Trump is POTUS.
The point of the plea was to legitimatize an endless investigation into Trump and it worked.
Spend your, likely ill gotten, money on useless pursuits lefties.
Right conclusion; wrong reason.
The real reason is that payoffs to women to silence them and/or settle lawsuits (thus influencing elections), appears to be a longstanding tradition in America.
And further, in the case of Congress, they didn't even use their own money to silence these broads.
The hatred of Trump is over the top.
I hope his enemies keep it up.
RE:”President Trump woke up this morning, resulting in calls for his impeachment from Rep. Maxine Waters.”
She’s been doing that for over a year now.
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