Trump can't be prosecuted for anything involving Justice Department
Trump has some immunity, justices rule, complicating Jan. 6 case
Decision sends Trumps D.C. trial back to lower court to determine which unofficial acts can be prosecuted
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KEY UPDATE
11 min ago
Trump cant be prosecuted for anything involving Justice Department
By Rachel Weiner and Devlin Barrett
While saying some of the election interference indictment against Donald Trump might survive Mondays ruling on presidential immunity, the conservative Supreme Court was emphatic that the former president could not be prosecuted over any conversations with Justice Department leaders.
While each of the four charges against Trump relies also on other conduct, his pressure on the Justice Department is referenced throughout the indictment as part of the scheme. A Justice Department official who supported Trumps efforts to stay in power is listed as an unindicted co-conspirator.
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The Supreme Court said that even if the demands Trump made were improper and rooted in fraud, the president has authority over federal investigations and prosecutions, and so Trump is absolutely immune from prosecution for the alleged conduct involving his discussions with Justice Department officials.
Part of the decision seems to open the door for future presidents to have a more hands-on role with criminal investigations by the Justice Department.
Lovie777
(14,998 posts)bucolic_frolic
(46,973 posts)Celebrate the new democracy!
CincyDem
(6,934 posts)CincyDem
(6,934 posts)Biden has appropriately committed to do everything in his power to protect democracy.
Today
the legal definition of everything has changed.
Cant want to see what Dark Brandon will do with these new, legal powers.
For example
he could order the Doj to release 100% of all evidence against TFG and his co conspirators. Courts arent allowed to examine his actions or his motives. Its all legal.
Game fing on.
bucolic_frolic
(46,973 posts)Progressive dog
(7,235 posts)bring charges against the judges who made this ruling. They've said he can.
hedda_foil
(16,501 posts)punchergirl
(7 posts)This is strictly a hypothetical what DOJ would prosecute themselves? But would the Presidential immunity cover them as well?
Igel
(36,082 posts)The DOJ is an executive function of the US government.
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.
There is no granting of executive power elsewhere.
If Biden ordered Buttigieg to do something within Buttigieg's official duties and Buttigieg told him no time and time again, would that go over well? I know--maybe if the SecDef did the same?
A wise president knows when to take advice; an authoritarian president should get pushback and resignations. And if that goes on and the prez steps out of line, that's what Congress is for--ideally, you'd expect the two sides to come together to impeach and convict if that happened. But that's the risk in a democracy--if the populace is corrupt, then the system must inevitably be corrupted. It works slower in a system where power is distributed between layers of government and branches of government, "slower" doesn't mean "prevented."