Brookings Analysis: Trump ‘Likely Obstructed Justice’
A new analysis conducted by the Brookings Institution finds Trump could be impeached for Comey firing.
Trump “likely obstructed justice” when he fired FBI Director James Comey and could face impeachment, according to Brookings analysis.
President Donald Trump “likely obstructed justice” when he fired FBI Director James Comey and as a result could face impeachment, according to an analysis from the Brookings Institution.
Brookings released a 108-page report on the issue Tuesday.
In its analysis, Brookings concluded that despite the fact that presidents have the authority to fire FBI Directors, Trump could not do so if his intention was to interfere with an ongoing investigation.
Trump later admitted during an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt that he fired Comey due to the Russia investigation.
“The fact that the president has lawful authority to take a particular course of action does not immunize him if he takes that action with the unlawful intent of obstructing a proceeding for an improper purpose,” Barry Berke, Noah Bookbinder and Norman Eisen, the authors of the Brookings report, wrote. “There is already evidence that his acts may have been done with an improper intent to prevent the investigation from uncovering damaging information about Trump, his campaign, his family, or his top aides.”
“Attempts to stop an investigation represent a common form of obstruction. Demanding the loyalty of an individual involved in an investigation, requesting that individual’s help to end the investigation, and then ultimately firing that person to accomplish that goal are the type of acts that have frequently resulted in obstruction convictions,” the Brookings analysts noted
The Brookings analysis comes to the conclusion that if Special Counsel Robert Mueller comes to the same conclusion, articles of impeachment could be drawn up.
If Mueller finds that Trump obstructed justice, he could either refer the matter to Congress for impeachment proceedings or he could indict President Trump, according to Brookings.
[image via Wikimedia/CNN screenshot]
