Day 683: Trump commits witness tampering on Twitter

With Robert Mueller moving closer and closer to wrapping up his investigation, and more Donald Trump associates becoming ensnared as it progresses, it’s clear that Trump is very concerned about the implications for him and his family.

He seemed to hit a breaking point last week when he was blindsided when his former attorney, Michael Cohen, took a plea and seemed to contradict longstanding Trump claims in the process. Trump’s lawyers were worried that they allowed Trump to walk right into Mueller’s trap.

Trump’s big fear is more current and former associates will follow suit. So he’s actually trying to tamper with witnesses in plain view.

Trump is actually imploring potential witnesses to do prison time for him.

The federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1512, states that tampering with a witness includes:

(b) Whoever knowingly uses intimidation, threatens, or corruptly persuades another person, or attempts to do so, or engages in misleading conduct toward another person, with intent to —

(1) influence, delay, or prevent the testimony of any person in an official proceeding;

(2)cause or induce any person to —

(A) withhold testimony, or withhold a record, document, or other object, from an official proceeding;

Trump is pretty obviously trying to corruptly persuade others to withhold or influence testimony. That’s actually exactly what he’s asking for. If a journalist discovered Trump was lobbying witnesses like this behind the scenes, it would be a scandal of epic proportions and would likely trigger nearly immediately impeachment proceedings.

The brazenness of Trump’s pleas are because he’s exceedingly desperate. The stakes are high. His presidency, legacy and liberty — and that of his family — are on the line.

Trump’s criminal actions aren’t hidden behind the cloak of an investigation or buried in the walls of a Trump Tower boardroom. He’s literally committing them publicly right now.

683 days in, 779 to go

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