Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Lawyers Predict Robert Mueller Will Indict Donald Trump for Obstruction of Justice

Lawyers Predict Robert Mueller Will Indict Donald Trump for Obstruction of Justice
Saul Loeb/Getty Images

Two attorneys working with clients involved in the Russia probe said they believe special counsel Robert Mueller could indict President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice.

Two attorneys working with clients involved in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe who spoke to Politico said they believe Mueller could indict President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice, a historic first for a sitting president, possibly as soon as this Spring.

While neither attorney "claimed to have specific knowledge of Mueller's plans," both "based their opinions on their understanding of the law," and one of them "cited his interactions with the special counsel's team."


"If I were a betting man, I'd bet against the president," said one of the lawyers.

The second attorney, who represents a senior Trump official, believes Mueller could try to bring an indictment against Trump even if he anticipates legal and procedural challenges.

"It's entirely possible that Mueller may go that route on the theory that, as an open question, it should be for the courts to decide," the attorney said. "Even if the indictment is dismissed, it puts maximum pressure on Congress to treat this with the independence and intellectual honesty that it will never, ever get."

Legal scholars have opined that a case against the president would likely move to the Supreme Court because there is no legal precedent for an indictment of a president. Two Justice Department legal opinions––one in 1973, the other in 2000––say it's "not a viable option." As Politico reports:

The 2000 opinion concluded that the indictment or criminal prosecution of a sitting president "would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions."

The memo was written by an assistant attorney general nearly two years after the House impeached President Bill Clinton for lying under oath and obstructing justice about his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Independent counsel Kenneth Starr never tried to indict Clinton. But Starr, who filed a damning report to Congress in 1998, considered the option — and even tasked his lawyers with preparing draft indictments, as well as a legal opinion asserting his power to charge Clinton.

As for the 1973 memo:

The 1973 Justice Department memo was used to shield President Richard Nixon from a possible indictment by Watergate prosecutors, who believed they had the power to bring one. That debate was unresolved after the special prosecutor decided to share his work with the House Judiciary Committee, which was preparing to launch impeachment proceedings against Nixon.

According to Kenneth Starr's legal adviser, Ronald Rotunda, Mueller cannot indict Trump because Starr's powers were defined by an independent counsel statute that expired in 1999. As such, Mueller has the powers of a U.S. attorney, and would be bound by all Justice Department "rules, regulations, procedures, practices and policies," including both the 1973 and 2000 DOJ memos.

Republicans have warned that an indictment against a sitting president would spark a constitutional crisis, and signs that Mueller is closing in have persisted for months.

In October, Mueller's team charged former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime business partner Rick Gates with 12 counts of "conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts."

Shortly afterward, Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pled guilty to lying about conversations he'd had with Sergey Kislyak, the former Russian ambassador. Mueller's team charged Flynn with "willfully and knowingly" making "false, fictitious and fraudulent statements" regarding those conversations. Flynn's plea indicates what outlets had reported for some time: That he is cooperating with the special counsel's investigation.

More from People/donald-trump

Archbishop Thomas Wenski; David and Rena Mourer visit the entrance to "Alligator Alcatraz"
Joe Raedle/Getty Images (both)

Archbishop Rips 'Alligator Alcatraz' In Powerful Statement Condemning Trump's Immigration 'Enforcement Tactics'

Historically conservative Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami issued an official statement on Thursday, July 3, addressing immigration enforcement tactics employed by the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump.

Posted on the Archdiocese's website, it was also shared on the Archbishop's personal X account.

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Nancy Mace
David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Hilariously Claps Back At Nancy Mace After Her Cringey 'Don't California My South Carolina' Debate Challenge

South Carolina Republican Representative Nancy Mace was widely mocked after she challenged California Governor Gavin Newsom to a debate—only for him to directly address her "Don't California My South Carolina' campaign with a list showing the stark differences between their two states.

Mace posted a video on X in which she extends a "FORMAL INVITATION" for Newsom to debate her "common sense policies," chiding him with the following message:

Keep ReadingShow less
office cubicles
Paymo on Unsplash

Things Toxic Coworkers Did That Made The Whole Office Go Silent

Workplaces have professional standards to maintain, or at least they should. While it's great to have fun in the office, there are some things that are appropriate during leisure time that aren't OK at work.

But some people never seem to get the memo.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Andrew Schulz
Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Flagrant Podcast

Trump-Supporting Podcaster Andrew Schulz Turns On Trump In Mind-Numbing Rant

Conservative podcaster Andrew Schulz had social media users rolling their eyes after he criticized President Donald Trump, saying Trump is "doing the exact opposite" of everything he promised during his campaign, like stopping wars and shrinking spending.

Which begs the question: why tf did Schulz believe a word Trump said during his campaign, since he is a well-known serial liar and con man?

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @brigchicago's TikTok video
@brigchicago/TikTok

Plane Passengers Floored Over Flight Attendant's Suggestion While Stuck In 130 Degree Heat

Imagine being on time for your flight, only for takeoff to be delayed while the plane sits on the tarmac, with temperatures inside the plane cabin climbing to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

Due to sweltering heat and complications, TikToker @brigchicago and her fellow passengers waited for their flight to take off. Whie the flight attendants did what they could to keep everyone calm and patient, some found their comments to be disingenuous.

Keep ReadingShow less