CRIME
‘Mounting Evidence of Trump’s Criminal Intent’: Experts Say Latest Scandal Leaves DOJ ‘No Choice’ but to Indict

Legal experts are weighing in on Wednesday evening’s bombshell report in The New York Times that the U.S. Attorney in Atlanta resigned on January 4 rather than be fired by then-President Donald Trump for refusing to say the election was rigged and there had been massive voter fraud, which Trump had been falsely claiming.
Trump had appointed Byung Pak to be the U.S. Attorney in mid 2017. Hours after top DOJ officials either warned or pressured him – or both – on Jan. 3, that he would be fired, Pak sent his letter of resignation to the President. On Wednesday he told the Senate Judiciary Committee what had happened.
“DOJ has no choice now, they must open a criminal investigation on Trump,” says attorney Ron Filipkowski, a former Republican turned Democrat, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis infamously fired a Health Dept. data analyst.
The handwritten notes of Dep. AG Donoghue of the call with AG Rosen corroborate this testimony by Pak. The notes also said “GA Legis. is with us.” These are 3 Trump appointees at the highest levels of DOJ. DOJ has no choice now, they must open a criminal investigation on Trump. pic.twitter.com/ic8K6cslpu
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 11, 2021
Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman, now a constitutional law professor at U.C. San Diego and Los Angeles, calls it “repugnant.”
Repugnant in multiple ways:
Byung J. Pak, a former U.S. attorney in Atlanta,told investigators that his abrupt resignation in Jan had been prompted by DOJ officials’ warning that Trump intended to fire him for refusing to say that widespread voter fraud had been found in Georgia— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) August 11, 2021
Former Dept. of Defense Special Counsel Ryan Goodman says there is “Mounting evidence of Donald Trump’s criminal intent under federal and Georgia state law.”
Mounting evidence of Donald Trump’s criminal intent under federal and Georgia state law.
U.S. Attorney in Georgia testifies: Trump was going to fire him for refusing to back up Trump’s false claims (including on call with Raffensperger) of voter fraud.https://t.co/plP12xixS9
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) August 11, 2021
After this latest news Goodman says a “potpourri of criminal provisions potentially apply.”
5. A potpourri of criminal provisions potentially apply.
Here’s @CREWcrew‘s complaint which also applies 18 U.S. Code § 595 (and § 610) to facts involving the removal of Pak.https://t.co/I1KjMDWwkf pic.twitter.com/AcpnrZwkvS
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) August 11, 2021
And he lists “possible” federal crimes Trump may have committed:
4. Among other possible crimes, this one:
“It shall be unlawful for any person to … attempt to intimidate, threaten, command, or coerce, any employee of the Federal Government … [for] refusing to work on behalf of any candidate.”
18 U.S. Code § 610
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) August 11, 2021
3. I put these in a separate thread.
Top candidates for crimes that fit these facts:
18 U.S. Code § 610
18 U.S. Code § 595@CREWcrew‘s complaint specifically cites the facts involving the removal of Pak, for which we now have testimony under oath.https://t.co/1UPLGC7UC4— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) August 11, 2021
Litman adds the firing may have been unconstitutional:
Pres can fire a US attorney for any reason and no reason, but not clear can do it for an unconstitutional reason, such as based on belief or even worse based on refusal to tell a lie.
— Harry Litman (@harrylitman) August 11, 2021
Image via Shutterstock
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