Joy Behar was taking a victory lap over the recent news that President Trump and Michael Cohen paid off women as if this is a shocking turn in this sad saga.
It is not even a crime unless they try to twist our impossible to understand campaign finance laws into some hideous new form and charge him.
Prosecutors always have that option – but it will never stick (ask John Edwards) – so Joy’s gloating is premature. Plus, the Senate would never impeach – I don’t think Joe Manchin or even Chuck Schumer would impeach for a technicality like this because they all dealing with these horrible campaign finance laws too.
“I have to admit I’m not convinced that Trump is guilty of committing a crime,” Joy Behar spat out with her usual venom, “but it sure seems like Individual-1 is.”
Enter Orrin Hatch. He told CNN Manu Raju what he really felt about this non-scandal in a series of tweets today.
“Hatch dismisses allegations of Trump crimes over hush money. Asked if he had any concerns, Hatch said: “The Democrats will do anything to hurt this president.” Told it was alleged by SDNY, Hatch told me: “Okay but I don’t care; all I can say is he’s doing a good job as President”
Hatch also told me: “President Trump before he became president that’s another world. Since he’s become president this economy has charged ahead. … And I think we ought to judge him on that basis other than trying to drum up things from the past that may or may not be true.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2018
“Hatch added this when asked if he was concerned about allegations. “No because I don’t think he was involved in crimes but even then, you know, you can make anything a crime under the current laws; if you want to you can blow it way out of proportion you can do a lot of things.”
Hatch also told me: “President Trump before he became president that’s another world. Since he’s become president this economy has charged ahead. … And I think we ought to judge him on that basis other than trying to drum up things from the past that may or may not be true.”
Hatch dismisses allegations of Trump crimes over hush money.
Asked if he had any concerns, Hatch said: “The Democrats will do anything to hurt this president.” Told it was alleged by SDNY, Hatch told me: “Okay but I don’t care; all I can say is he’s doing a good job as President”— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2018
Chuck Grassley agreed telling Raju:
“Grassley, the Senate Judiciary chairman, similarly dismisses the federal prosecutors’ argument: “They based it on what a liar says, so it hurts the credibility of it.”
Grassley, the Senate Judiciary chairman, similarly dismisses the federal prosecutors’ argument: “They based it on what a liar says, so it hurts the credibility of it.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 10, 2018
Rand Paul agrees. From WKMS:
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says that even if President Donald Trump paid hush money to two mistresses during the 2016 presidential campaign, the payments shouldn’t be considered campaign violations.
Paul went on to say that even if federal election officials find the president guilty of breaking campaign finance law, the violations shouldn’t be considered crimes.
Paul made the comments after a press conference in Louisville where he was advocating for a federal criminal justice reform bill.
“I don’t think that campaign violations should be criminal. We make things too criminal,” Paul said.
“Here we are at a criminal justice reform [event] primarily thinking of some of our poor, disadvantaged citizens who have gotten involved with a crime. But it also can happen to people of all walks of life.”
Trump agreed tweeting out: “Democrats can’t find a Smocking Gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey’s testimony. No Smocking Gun…No Collusion.” @FoxNews That’s because there was NO COLLUSION. So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution,…
….which it was not (but even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s – but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me). Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!
