July 19, 2019

So once again, the felon in the White House is off the hook -- not because he's innocent, because the evidence made public yesterday clearly indicates otherwise -- but because it's DoJ policy that a sitting president is immune from prosecution. And yes, under some circumstances, I can see where it would be unusually harmful to the presidency and the country to prosecution over something like, oh, I don't know, lying about a BJ -- but not when a president actually breaks the law in order to become president? The policy no longer serves the office or the people. The people serve the policy. Via USAToday:

WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors' decision to end an investigation into hush money payments to women claiming affairs with Donald Trump relied at least in part on long-standing Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The Justice Department told a federal judge on Monday that it had "effectively concluded" its investigation into efforts to silence the women in the final months of the 2016 campaign, but did not explain why it had done so. Prosecutors have said the payoffs violated a federal law that restricts campaign donations.

A person familiar with the case, who was not authorized to discuss it publicly, said it was unclear whether prosecutors made a determination that they had sufficient evidence to bring a case against Trump or anyone other than his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty last year. But the Justice Department's opinion that a president cannot be indicted factored into the decision to end the probe, the person said.

What other conclusion could we possibly make? Remember, Michael Cohen is in prison right now for his part in a conspiracy to evade campaign finance law and cover up Trump's sexual relationship with a porn star. In a just world, Trump would be in prison, too.

But he has found his Roy Cohn, and until he's gone, Trump is protected.

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