Lawrenceville Daily Record

Legal system now disturbed with politics



What does it matter that a special prosecutor has now been appointed to handle matters involving accusations of criminal activity by Donald Trump? Well, it would ordinarily have been the job of Attorney General Garland to decide what, if any, charges would be brought in his sole discretion. That aspect of our legal system has been disturbed by the introduction of politics into the conversation by Messer Trump et.al with the accusations of favoritism and so forth. Its not a new thing to say, and its not confined to Republicans.  
It was said by President Clinton’s supporters during his impeachment investigation when Ken Starr got the power to pursue any an all accusations against him. In the legal sense it was a fruitless effort in that he was not convicted and no criminal charges were ever proved. He had an affair with an intern, not a noble deed, but not a crime either. They were consenting adults and while it was improper and degrading to the prestige of the office, it was allowed.  
He was not the first politically powerful person to have his ego overreach the bounds of what is allowed. That was a long time ago now and some are probably too young to have heard anything but the condemnations it brought. It was ineffective in its stated purpose but devastating in its consequences. 
Actually what it accomplished was to wreck his political ambitions and embarrass many involved to no end other than to shame them, including the Democratic party to which he belonged. Ken Starr worked at that, knowing his evidence would not lead to criminal charges but disclosing it anyway.  
He is not well remembered and it probably wasn’t his goal. He had a job, got paid to do it, and did it for his own sake. Now we have Jack Smith, another special prosecutor appointed to take up the legal questions of Trump’s conduct in and out of office as President. It will be broad ranging and without congressional oversight just as Starr’s was. There will probably be reports now and then as thing are revealed by the investigation and of course there will be cries of political foul along the way.
Had the Justice department not be politicized by Trump when in power, then they would be the investigators and might have done things differently. They may have been for all we know, its not their policy to comment on pending investigations. Now they will turn over what they have to a third party and stand down and stand by. Sounds familiar. 
My guess would be that it will take just long enough to derail any effort to have him be re-elected although no one involved would admit that was why it was being done. Cause and effect in the political realm are not as easily ascertained as in a physics experiment and consequential damages are not so readily apparent.  
This much we know for sure; Trump lies, has set schemes in motion that proved to be ultimately illegal, and had legal advice all the while about how he might do as he pleases and not be held responsible. In the corporate world where individuals are insulated from personal liability by their fictional persona doing business they become accustomed to acting with impunity. The corporate veil has been pierced now as it were and we will get to witness the criminal possibilities of every misdeed he has ever committed. More than necessary quite possibly, but American justice in its own way. Too much is never enough.

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