If the rule of law and the idea that no person is above the law mean anything, we must hold the man who tried to destroy our government from the inside to account; former President Donald Trump must face criminal indictment. But if New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicts Trump on charges related to his hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, it could threaten every other investigation against him. That’s why, for some of Trump’s biggest critics, the prospect of an indictment related to the Daniels case leads to little but existential dread. That’s not because the facts show Trump engaged in no wrongdoing; quite the opposite. It is because of all the legal cases Trump faces, this one may be the hardest to prove.
Of all the legal cases Trump is facing, this case may be the hardest to prove.
If Trump successfully defends himself against an indictment for his role in the payment to Daniels, we can predict he will use it as vindication that any and all charges brought against him are merely so-called witch hunts. It doesn’t take much to imagine Trump’s ceaseless gloating about a loss by the New York prosecutors. And this could have a cascade effect, not only emboldening Trump’s false claims that he has done nothing wrong, but also making other prosecutors skittish about charging Trump in other cases.
Again, Trump should face criminal charges. He must be held accountable for crimes he (allegedly) committed before, during and after he was in office. At least four other investigations are pending against him, any of which might offer a smoother legal path to punish him for his behavior. Overwhelming evidence indicates that Trump incited or assisted in an insurrection aimed at obstructing an official proceeding, namely the certification of Electoral College votes. A recorded telephone call shows that he tried to commit election fraud in Georgia. The alleged crime spree didn’t stop when Trump left office. An FBI search and…
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