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Can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

independentusa

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I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?
 
Did you seriously just ask us that?
 
I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

What makes you think Trump is "hiding crimes"?

Oh...wait...your TDS-fueled imagination.

Moving on...
 
Trump is not trying to hide the crime, he's trying to hide the witnesses.

You mean like Schiff is (cough cough whistleblower) ? ;)

The problem with these arguments is that they keep putting the cart before the horse.

Typically one is investigating a clear crime that has occurred. There is the dead body on the ground; there is the video of a bank robbery; etc.. You have a crime and you are trying to find the culprit(s).

In this case, as has been true since mid-2016, what we have is a MAN about whom some are trying to find a crime. Thus with the collusion investigation, and the concerns over his income tax records, and his property ownership, and his retaining control over his businesses (to some extent), etc.

So IMO Trump is not trying to hide "witnesses," but rather protecting the Office of the Presidency from allowing a precedent of unfettered Congressional interference based solely on partisan politics.
 
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What makes you think Trump is "hiding crimes"?

Oh...wait...your TDS-fueled imagination.

Moving on...

Because he admitted he did? And he was overheard by Holmes and 2 others ( and probably Russian agents, as well)
 
I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

Congressional Access to Executive Branch Information. | U.S. Constitution Annotated | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
 
I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

Sure he can. Obama did it.
 
Because he admitted he did? And he was overheard by Holmes and 2 others ( and probably Russian agents, as well)

What crime, actual crime, cite the USC, did Trump commit?
 
What makes you think Trump is "hiding crimes"?



Oh, I dunno, could it be:


Trump is the..

1. Most prolific liar.
2. Blatant bigot and self proclaimed nationalist.
3. Foe of women’s rights (including right to choose).
4. Foe of the LGBTQ community.
5. Anti-immigration xenophobe.
6. Plain dumbest, least knowledgeable of history and how the United States government works.
7. Biggest tax giveaway to the wealthiest Americans.
8. Blowing up the national debt by more than $1.7 Trillion (so far).
9. Personally responsible for damaging relationships with longtime U.S. allies and kissing the asses of murderous despots.
10. 10 outstanding counts of obstruction of justice.
11. Unnamed coconspirator (principle actor) involved in campaign finance violation.
12. President who Attempted extortion of a foreign leader.
And much, much, more. To wit

your dear leader has been defecating on the Constitution since he took office, Trump, who called dissed gold star families, war heroes, believed dictators and not his intel staff, who has gutted the EPA, the State Department, and turned America's backs on agreements that took years to put together with foreign nations, tried to deport handicapped children who were invited to America to participate in treatment trials who would die but for the treatment, who put children in cages, who separated children from families such that they are now impossible to find the parents....

Trump who screwed thousands out of millions, who defrauded tax payers out of some 400 million, who screw contractors out of millions, who tried to use eminent domain to screw a widow out of her house so he could build a limousine garage, who screwed the good townspeople of Aberdeenshire in order to build a golf course, who screwed workers out of hard earned money, who hired illegals in many of his hotels, who promised steel workers to bring back steel jobs while he was buying steel from china, who promised to self fund his campaign then started asking for money, who promised to release his taxes but never did, who has told over 13,000 lies to date,

a man who schtupped a porn star while his newly wed wife gave birth, then had his lawyer pay her $130k to keep the press from finding out about it just before the election, whose lawyer went to jail for doing it while Trump was named unindicted co-conspirator in a felony, whose many staff when to jail for hatching corrupt schemes, a man who has turned on many his staff, friends, wives, who has experienced an 80% turnover in his staff since he took office, and on and on and on...

This is the morally bankrupt and corrupt GOP led by Trump.


But, of course, TDS,

yeah, right.
 
I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

No, he can't. But the enforcement mechanisms if he does are impeachment and the courts. He's already called for getting rid of federal judges, and his defying Congress needs Congress to impeach him, which Republicans won't do yet. If Congress doesn't act, he has no law and is a tyrant.
 
I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

A good president in a corrupt government can commit crimes openly. With a complicit media and an oblivious citizenry, Washington becomes "Crimes 'R Us", a gangster's paradise.

Like Donald said, he could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and nobody would say a thing. The Swamp has consumed all.
 
I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

The Executive Branch is both independent and co-equal to the Legislative and Judicial Branches. No one branch of government is stronger or has more authority than any other. Which means the President, or anyone under him in the Executive Branch cannot be compelled by subpoena from the courts, or by Congress if the President evokes Executive Privilege.

Just like what Clinton did in March 1998. Clinton Invokes Executive Privilege in Lewinsky Probe
 
Because he admitted he did? And he was overheard by Holmes and 2 others ( and probably Russian agents, as well)

Trump admitted no crimes and those people you mention didn't hear Trump say anything. All we have from them is them saying they heard Sondland talking and their claims that Sondland said something. And there is nothing criminal in what they claim they heard Sondland say.

So no...there is no crime for Trump to try to hide.
 
What makes you think Trump is "hiding crimes"?

Oh...wait...your TDS-fueled imagination.

Moving on...

You'd have to be pretty naive to think Donald Trump follows the law and the constitution exactly as written, especially behind closed doors if he publicly says off the wall crap like this:

 
You mean like Schiff is (cough cough whistleblower) ? ;)

The problem with these arguments is that they keep putting the cart before the horse.

Typically one is investigating a clear crime that has occurred. There is the dead body on the ground; there is the video of a bank robbery; etc.. You have a crime and you are trying to find the culprit(s).

In this case, as has been true since mid-2016, what we have is a MAN about whom some are trying to find a crime. Thus with the collusion investigation, and the concerns over his income tax records, and his property ownership, and his retaining control over his businesses (to some extent), etc.

So IMO Trump is not trying to hide "witnesses," but rather protecting the Office of the Presidency from allowing a precedent of unfettered Congressional interference based solely on partisan politics.

Once again, the WB, who has nothing to add to the investigation other then he heard something wrong and reported it and the GOP wants him to be outed so they can punish him and intimidate others that might report wrong doing. And is this just partisan politics? A president using his office and the power of the presidency to force a foreign nation to investigate a potential political rival. I would say that the GOP is the one who is involved in partisan political politics to "protect" Trump at any price. And the law allows a warrant when their is "probable cause" to believe a crime has been committed. In the case of the Congress, they use not warrants but subpoenas, there is certainly probable cause in this case involving Ukraine and maybe even the case that Trump lied to the Mueller investigation with his written answers.
 
You mean like Schiff is (cough cough whistleblower) ? ;)

The problem with these arguments is that they keep putting the cart before the horse.

Typically one is investigating a clear crime that has occurred. There is the dead body on the ground; there is the video of a bank robbery; etc.. You have a crime and you are trying to find the culprit(s).

In this case, as has been true since mid-2016, what we have is a MAN about whom some are trying to find a crime. Thus with the collusion investigation, and the concerns over his income tax records, and his property ownership, and his retaining control over his businesses (to some extent), etc.

So IMO Trump is not trying to hide "witnesses," but rather protecting the Office of the Presidency from allowing a precedent of unfettered Congressional interference based solely on partisan politics.

Congressional oversight is not interference.

This is a hearing to decide if a crime has been committed. Tell me when it moves to a trial without specific charges.

If Repugs don't want to hear from hearsay witnesses, why would they want/need the whistleblower whom they insist has no first-hand knowledge?
 
I thought that after Watergate that the SCOTUS had made it clear that a president could not use executive privilege to hide a possible crime. Now we have Trump using what, total privilege to keep any information or witnesses to come forward in the Ukraine and parts of the Mueller investigation. I know a lawyer can not stand behind attorney client privilege if he is part of the crime. So, can a president use executive privilege to hide crimes?

I mean, obviously he can because that's what Trump is doing. Do you mean is it legal or ethical? I don't think so.
 
Trump admitted no crimes and those people you mention didn't hear Trump say anything. All we have from them is them saying they heard Sondland talking and their claims that Sondland said something. And there is nothing criminal in what they claim they heard Sondland say.

So no...there is no crime for Trump to try to hide.

No. You're mistaken. POTUS spoke so loudly that he was heard by at least 3 others at the table. And what was said by 45 was evidence that wanted Ukraine to get so-called dirt.
 
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