Donald Trump has sent US Attorney General William Barr globetrotting. His mission was to prove some conspiracies true and debunk the Mueller investigation. Trump has been pressuring the US allies to cooperate. Why is Barr trying to get the Russians off of the hook for attacking our 2016 elections? Does it have something to do with POTUS’ financial records?
Two weeks ago, according to the US Attorney’s Office, it will join the president in a lawsuit against the Southern District of New York. The president sued the Manhattan District Attorney’s (DA) Office. The office sent a grand jury subpoena to his “longtime accounting firm Mazors USA.” The subpoena was to obtain Trump’s tax returns and supporting documents from 2011 until now. Some have speculated that that eight-year window did not go back far enough to capture serious financial manipulations.
At the heart of the investigation was whether a sitting president could be criminally investigated. That wording went way beyond the original law that stated a president could not be convicted of a crime while in office, CNN reported.
The president’s attorneys have argued in the lawsuit that a criminal investigation was “unconstitutional.” They requested the judge “suspend the subpoena” until Trump leaves office.
The district attorney’s office had been investigating the monies that Trump allegedly made to two women just prior to the 2016 presidential election. The so-called hush money was to silence the women with whom he allegedly had affairs.
The prosecutors were investigating POTUS business the Trump Organization. They wanted to know whether the organization violated New York state laws. According to current law, a sitting president cannot be indicted, but New York state law had recently become quite different.
The DA’s office has been investigating the Trump Organization for New York state law violations. That could involve “filing false business records.” The president’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen claimed Trump juggled his books to cover up the hush money Cohen paid to two women.
Cohen was sentenced to federal prison for his crimes, and he has been serving out that sentence.
Last week, the US Attorney’s office filed a brief just a week ago. It requested more time to contemplate whether it would become involved. The brief read:
‘In view of those constitutional issues and the federal interests that they may implicate, the United States is currently considering whether to participate in connection with the pending motion for a preliminary injunction.’
The US Attorney’s Office division chief sent out a letter noting it would probably “file a submission” by the judge’s deadline.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman and Jeffrey Oestericher, chief of the office’s civil division, said:
‘…the U.S. would file a submission in the case by Wednesday as requested, The Wall Street Journal reports. Last week Berman asked the judge to stay the case while it decides whether to join, noting Trump’s “complaint raises a number of significant constitutional issues that potentially implicate the interests of the United States.’
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
