OF THE
TIMES
Thursday, during an appearance on Fox News Channel, law professor Jonathan Turley criticized the merits of the Manhattan grand jury's indictment of former President Donald Trump.Call this 'a third impeachment' in progress.
Turley deemed the indictment "legally pathetic."
"It is, it's historic, it's not necessarily good history that it is being made. It's not that I oppose the indictment of a former president. I don't even oppose the indictment of a sitting president on a constitutional basis. But this indictment, if it is reportedly following the theory that we've been talking about is political. It's a raw political prosecution. Now, the indictment may come out with a crime that none of us have heard of. But for many months, this bootstrapping theory has been put out there. This idea that you could take a misdemeanor under New York law that has expired that has a two-year statute of limitations and revive it by connecting it to a federal crime, in this case, the Federal Election violation."
"Now, there's a host of problems with that. First of all, it's a federal crime the Department of Justice chose not to prosecute. Bragg's own predecessor declined to prosecute it, but he is attempting to bootstrap that federal crime into a state case. And if that is the basis for the indictment, I think it's rather outrageous. I think it's legally pathetic."
"WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service and has encouraged its followers to find jobs at the CIA in order to obtain intelligence,"This was when the CIA first introduced the public to the conspiracy theory that would later make up the core of the Justice Department's indictment against Assange in 2019.
"This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," the former president wrote in a statement. "From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower ... the Radical Left Democrats ... have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement."DeSantis says his state will not assist in an extradition request. From Timcast:
Trump referenced previous efforts to indict him, including claims the former president had ties to Russia, two impeachment attempts, and last year's raid on Mar-a-Lago.
"The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump,' but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference."
"Never before in our Nation's history has this been done," Trump continued. "Weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President has never happened before."
"I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden," Trump concluded. "The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it."
Trump followed up his response in a Truth Social post:These Thugs and Radical Left Monsters have just INDICATED the 45th President of the United States of America, and the leading Republican Candidate, by far, for the 2024 Nomination for President. THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR COUNTRY THE LIKES OF WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. IT IS LIKEWISE A CONTINUING ATTACK ON OUR ONCE FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS. THE USA IS NOW A THIRD WORLD NATION, A NATION IN SERIOUS DECLINE. SO SAD!"This evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan D.A.'s Office for arraignment on a Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal," said a spokesperson for New York district attorney Alvin Bragg. "Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has responded to the news of former President Donald Trump's indictment, saying that it is a "weaponization of the legal system."
DeSantis also said that his state would not assist in an extradition request if one is made for the former president.
News of Trump's indictment by a New York grand jury broke on Thursday, despite previous reports that the grand jury hearing evidence was taking a month-long break.
"The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head," DeSantis tweeted. "It is un-American."
DeSantis accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of "stretching the law" to get the indictment.
"The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent."
DeSantis also said that his state will not assist with any potential extradition requests "given the questionable circumstances."
"Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda," DeSantis said.
George Soros, a far-left billionaire who tends to fund extremist candidates, pledged to donate at least a million dollars to Braggs' campaign through his Color of Change PAC. In their endorsement, the PAC noted that the now-District Attorney would not continue a justice system that "protects and privileges the powerful and well-connected."
Comment: See also: