President Donald Trump’s claim that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s filings on Friday “totally clears” him resulted in legal experts laughing at him.
In a monumental filing on December 7, 2018, another date that will live in infamy, Mueller released highly anticipated information about the ongoing investigation, including a document in which the Justice Department and the Southern District of New York identify “Individual 1” as the president of the United States and report that “Individual 1” coordinated with and directed Michael Cohen to commit felonies.
“Individual 1” of course is President Donald Trump, and Cohen is his former longtime lawyer and “fixer” who recently reached a plea deal with Mueller.
The documents are damning, yet Trump had the gall to claim on Twitter that they vindicate him:
Totally clears the President. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 7, 2018
Except the documents clearly implicate Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator, and legal experts were quick to school to him, including Kellyanne Conway’s husband George Conway:
Except for that little part where the US Attorney’s Office says that you directed and coordinated with Cohen to commit two felonies. Other than that, totally scot-free. https://t.co/YXmgY9KmXi
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) December 8, 2018
Many legal experts joined Conway in educating Trump:
This is significant. The Justice Department is alleging in court that the president directed his onetime lawyer to commit two felonies.
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) December 7, 2018
In trouble: Individual-1.
Also in trouble: John Barron.
Not in trouble: President Trump. https://t.co/kV3vCjckYd— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) December 7, 2018
You want to read that line on page 11 where federal prosecutors conclude that you directed Michael Cohen to commit a felony. https://t.co/Wo4gSR7uHx
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) December 7, 2018
Tillerson was right. The president doesn’t read. https://t.co/6qVE8pd8eY
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) December 8, 2018
Trump’s former Sec’y of State Rex Tillerson described him today as “a man who is pretty undisciplined, doesn’t like to read, doesn’t read briefing reports, doesn’t like to get into the details of a lot of things, but rather just kind of says, ‘This is what I believe.’” https://t.co/0otDk7NGbP
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) December 8, 2018
“Who is Individual-1?” is the mystery we all want to solve. I was able to narrow the possibilities, based on the charging document for Michael Cohen! It’s someone who “had become the President of the United States” by January 2017. You’re welcome. pic.twitter.com/ULOqHLUvQH
— Sean Hecht (@seanhecht) December 8, 2018
If I am reading the Govt filing correctly, it says Cohen committed campaign finance violations at the “direction” of President Trump.
That means they are saying Trump committed a felony.
And the memo goes on to explain how serious the felony is to the integrity of our system
— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) December 7, 2018
DOJ prosecutors say that @realDonaldTrump committed a felony in his campaign. There is NO WAY that a new attorney general appointed by Trump can control the investigation of Trump and his campaign. William Barr must recuse! https://t.co/pv48R9W344
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) December 8, 2018
This unambiguously *condemns* the President. If Trump truly feels “cleared” by it, either he just can’t read or he’s totally delusional. https://t.co/CfftRTV7Al
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 7, 2018
Clearly, these new releases severely damage Trump and his presidency. At this point, impeachment is required and Trump must be indicted and charged. And Mueller hasn’t even released his final report yet.
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