DERSHOWITZ: Mueller’s Statement ‘Absolutely Inappropriate,’ Only Motive is to ‘Help the Democrats’
High-powered attorney and legal analyst Alan Dershowitz spoke with Sean Hannity Wednesday night about Robert Mueller’s last-minute press conference; calling the event “absolutely inappropriate.”
“You have tried, up until today, to defend Mueller, to respect the process… What did you see today that changed your mind?” asked Hannity.
“What I saw today was him putting his thumb, his elbow on the scale. When he said, ‘If we had confidence the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.’ That was absolutely inappropriate. It was worse than anything Comey said when he exonerated Hillary Clinton,” said Dershowitz.
“This is much, much worse. It does show that he had a motive to help the Democrats. There’s no other possible motive,” he added.
Top Democrats and a handful of 2020 presidential candidate are now using Robert Mueller’s Wednesday address to push the impeachment of Donald Trump; saying the special counsel’s comments were a clear “tipping point.”
“Prominent Democrats are ramping up calls to impeach President Trump in the aftermath of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s statement on Wednesday recapping his investigation’s findings and emphasizing his report did not exonerate the president of obstruction of justice,” reports Fox News.
“With respect to [the] impeachment question, at this point all options are on the table and nothing should be ruled out,” said House Judiciary Chairman Nadler.
“Robert Mueller’s statement makes it clear: Congress has a legal and moral obligation to begin impeachment proceedings immediately,” posted Cory Booker on social media.
Robert Mueller’s statement makes it clear: Congress has a legal and moral obligation to begin impeachment proceedings immediately.
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 29, 2019
“Mueller’s statement makes clear what those who have read his report know: It is an impeachment referral, and it’s up to Congress to act. They should,” added Elizabeth Warren.
Mueller’s statement makes clear what those who have read his report know: It is an impeachment referral, and it’s up to Congress to act. They should.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) May 29, 2019
“What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral. Now it is up to Congress to hold this president accountable. We need to start impeachment proceedings. It’s our constitutional obligation,” posted Sen. Harris.
What Robert Mueller basically did was return an impeachment referral. Now it is up to Congress to hold this president accountable.
We need to start impeachment proceedings. It's our constitutional obligation.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 29, 2019
“There must be consequences, accountability, and justice. The only way to ensure that is to begin impeachment proceedings,” said Beto O’Rourke.
There must be consequences, accountability, and justice. The only way to ensure that is to begin impeachment proceedings.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 29, 2019
Read the full report at Fox News.
REPORT: Paul Manafort to Serve his Prison Sentence at New York City’s Infamous Rikers Island
Fox News is now reporting that Paul Manafort will likely serve his seven year prison sentence in solitary confinement at New York City’s Rikers Island; a decision Alan Dershowitz describes as “abusive and possibly illegal.”
“The decision to move Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman who was sentenced earlier this year to nearly seven years in prison in connection with two federal cases, from the decent federal prison to which he was sentenced to solitary confinement to the dangerous hell hole that is New York City’s Rikers Island seems abusive and possibly illegal,” writes Alan Dershowitz.
“I know Rikers well having spent time there visiting numerous defendants accused of murder and other violent crimes. It is a terrible place that no one should ever be sent to,” he adds. “It should be shut down. It is so bad that defendants often plead guilty, even if they have defensible cases, simply to move to a safer and better prison.”
“Whatever the reason for the transfer, it seems like the selective application of the law for partisan purposes. The tactic of squeezing a potential witness by making his imprisonment unbearably harsh is generally reserved for mafioso, terrorists and other violent criminals who may have evidence against their bosses,” Dershowitz concludes.
A federal judge added an additional 43 months to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s prison term earlier this year; making his total incarceration time 7 ½ years for tax and bank fraud charges as well as witness tampering.
The decision came weeks after Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison for charges uncovered -yet unrelated- to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 election.
#BREAKING: Second Manafort sentencing puts total prison time at 7 1/2 years https://t.co/FGcr0uow9T pic.twitter.com/BAVPB4ZhrZ
— The Hill (@thehill) March 13, 2019
“I am sorry for what I have done and for all of the activities that have gotten us here today,” said Manafort during the sentencing. “I know that it was my conduct that brought me here today. For that, I am remorseful.”
The additional time is related to charges of witness tampering and foreign laundering.
Read Dershowitz’ full response here.