George Washington University constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley said former US president Donald Trump’s indictment is political. .“It’s a raw political prosecution,” said Turley in a Thursday interview on Fox News. .A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former US president Donald Trump for his role in paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels on Thursday. .READ MORE: New York grand jury indicts Trump.An indictment will likely be announced in the coming days. Prosecutors working for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will ask Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges which are unknown for now. .He avoided criminal charges for decades despite persistent scrutiny and repeated investigations. Now he is the first former president to face charges. .The video starts off with Fox News anchor Bret Baier saying the moment Americans are facing is historic. Turley acknowledged it is, but it's “not necessarily good history being made.” .The scholar went on to say he does not oppose indicting former and sitting presidents. While the indictment might come out with a crime people have never heard of, he said it's based on a theory. .This theory is taking a misdemeanor under New York law which statute has expired and reviving it by connecting it to a federal crime. He said there are a number of problems with this approach. .The Justice Department under Bragg’s predecessor chose not to prosecute it. Turley said he is trying to “bootstrap that federal crime into a state case.” .“If that is the basis for the indictment, I think it’s rather outrageous,” he said. .“I think it’s legally pathetic.”
George Washington University constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley said former US president Donald Trump’s indictment is political. .“It’s a raw political prosecution,” said Turley in a Thursday interview on Fox News. .A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former US president Donald Trump for his role in paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels on Thursday. .READ MORE: New York grand jury indicts Trump.An indictment will likely be announced in the coming days. Prosecutors working for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will ask Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges which are unknown for now. .He avoided criminal charges for decades despite persistent scrutiny and repeated investigations. Now he is the first former president to face charges. .The video starts off with Fox News anchor Bret Baier saying the moment Americans are facing is historic. Turley acknowledged it is, but it's “not necessarily good history being made.” .The scholar went on to say he does not oppose indicting former and sitting presidents. While the indictment might come out with a crime people have never heard of, he said it's based on a theory. .This theory is taking a misdemeanor under New York law which statute has expired and reviving it by connecting it to a federal crime. He said there are a number of problems with this approach. .The Justice Department under Bragg’s predecessor chose not to prosecute it. Turley said he is trying to “bootstrap that federal crime into a state case.” .“If that is the basis for the indictment, I think it’s rather outrageous,” he said. .“I think it’s legally pathetic.”
