(Since I began to write this Lawrence O’Donnell was talking about the same thing.)
This Politico story about Mueller and the NY attorney general led me to wonder who else from the Trump entourage (including Trump himself) committed state crimes in New York.
These could be prosecuted by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. If convicted only Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, could pardon them.
I wonder who else from the Trump entourage (including Trump himself) committed state crimes in New York which could be prosecuted by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Of course, if convicted only Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, could pardon them. Half of Trump’s adult family could end up being indicted for financial crimes.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is working with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman on its investigation into Paul Manafort and his financial transactions, according to several people familiar with the matter.
The cooperation is the latest indication that the federal probe into President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman is intensifying. It also could potentially provide Mueller with additional leverage to get Manafort to cooperate in the larger investigation into Trump’s campaign, as Trump does not have pardon power over state crimes.
This answers a question which has puzzled me. My understanding of the pardon powers of the president was that he could only apply them to those charged with of convicted of a federal crime.
Many or most of Trump’s financial transactions involve his New York business. New York State could investigate and indict anyone from Trump on down if a grand jury said that felonies were committed. I
Lawrence and his guests also discussed how facing a serious state charge could lead Manafort might be willing to testify against high-ups. I assume this might apply to other associates of Trump.
ADDENDUM
It’s black letter law that the president cannot pardon anyone for a state crime.
Under the Constitution, only federal criminal convictions, such as those adjudicated in the United States District Courts, may be pardoned by the President. In addition, the President's pardon power extends to convictions adjudicated in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and military court-martial proceedings. However, the President cannot pardon a state criminal offense. Accordingly, if you are seeking clemency for a state criminal conviction, you should not complete and submit this petition. Instead, you should contact the Governor or other appropriate authorities of the state where you reside or where the conviction occurred (such as the state board of pardons and paroles) to determine whether any relief is available to you under state law. If you have a federal conviction, information about the conviction may be obtained from the clerk of the federal court where you were convicted. Read entire webpage
As Lawrence O’Donnell just said, it would extraordinary if the federal government turned over prosecution to New York of a case this extraordinarily major that they both had standing to charge.
Thursday, Aug 31, 2017 · 3:08:02 AM +00:00 · HalBrown
The story is going over into the Late Night show.
Remember Manafort’s lobbying work, financial transactions, and real estate deals many in New York.
According to Politico, about Schneiderman and his history with Trump: the sadistic bully has mocked him “relentlessly on social media and TV, denouncing him as a “hack” and “lightweight.”
And then there was the $25 million settlement last November due to the fraudulent practices at Trump University.
Politico also reports that “The New York prosecutor’s office also is looking into some of Trump’s business transactions and could potentially share those records with Mueller’s team, one of these people said. Those inquiries are in the preliminary stage.”