A jury of his peers has convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of 8 felonies today: Filing false tax returns for 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014; failure to file reports on foreign bank accounts for 2012; and bank fraud against Citizens Bank ($3.4 million) and Banc of California ($1 million)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-manafort-jury-trial-verdict-day4-1534861860
Michael Cohen, formerly the personal attorney of Trump, plead guilty to 8 felonies today: Tax evasion for the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; making a false statement to a financial institution in connection with a credit decision; willfully causing a corporation to make an illegal campaign contribution; and making an excessive personal campaign contribution
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/21/politics/read-michael-cohen-plea-deal/index.html
Although both cases reflect poorly on the caliber of men with which Trump has chosen to surround himself, most analysts agree that the Cohen plea presents the greatest personal legal jeopardy for Mr. Trump. The last two of the Cohen felonies name Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator (related to the payment of hush money to two women who claimed to have had sexual relations with Trump so that their stories would not come out before the November 2016 election).
Although I am quite confident that there is not sufficient honor left within the Republican controlled legislature to do it, I think that what happened today provides sufficient evidence to impeach this pretender to the presidency (Trump)!
https://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-manafort-jury-trial-verdict-day4-1534861860
Michael Cohen, formerly the personal attorney of Trump, plead guilty to 8 felonies today: Tax evasion for the years 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016; making a false statement to a financial institution in connection with a credit decision; willfully causing a corporation to make an illegal campaign contribution; and making an excessive personal campaign contribution
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/21/politics/read-michael-cohen-plea-deal/index.html
Although both cases reflect poorly on the caliber of men with which Trump has chosen to surround himself, most analysts agree that the Cohen plea presents the greatest personal legal jeopardy for Mr. Trump. The last two of the Cohen felonies name Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator (related to the payment of hush money to two women who claimed to have had sexual relations with Trump so that their stories would not come out before the November 2016 election).
Although I am quite confident that there is not sufficient honor left within the Republican controlled legislature to do it, I think that what happened today provides sufficient evidence to impeach this pretender to the presidency (Trump)!
There is a lot about the convolutions of American politics that I don't understand, but I think I am clear on the idea that it is difficult to impeach a president. The process is really quite different than the simplicity of Parliament in the English style. I imagine that if the President married a cheetah or tried to legislate compulsory suicide, that something would be done. Maybe if the Democrats do really well in the mid-terms, the process would begin, but I don't know how far it would get.
ReplyDeleteIt is a difficult process, but the Constitutional standard is "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." In the legal sense, I believe that any objective evaluation of the evidence would conclude that Trump has met that standard. In terms of the political, I agree that he may never reach that marker.
DeleteAndrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were both impeached, but both failed to be convicted by the Senate. Richard Nixon would almost certainly have been impeached and convicted, but he chose to resign before that could happen. So, yes, I would say that 3 cases out of 45 supports the fact that it is rare and difficult. If the Democrats gain control of the House, the process may begin (he may even be impeached); but it remains unlikely that he would be convicted in the Senate (of course, all of this is contingent on just how bad Mueller's final report turns out to be). Even so, it's beginning to look like Trump will almost certainly be a one-term president.