By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
President Trump’s persistent and stubborn Twitter attacks may finally land him in hot water.
Several legal experts said Trump’s drumbeat of criticism of the FBI may amount to witness intimidation.
In less than a week, Trump slammed former FBI Director James Comey, FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and outgoing FBI general counsel James Baker.
In a tweet on Saturday, Trump blasted Comey for helping leak a memo to a reporter. The president also claimed that McCabe’s wife’s state Senate campaign received $700,000 from “puppets” of Hillary Clinton.
On Sunday, Trump suggested that McCabe used “his FBI Official Email Account to promote (his wife’s) campaign. You obviously cannot do this.”
Richard Painter, the top ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, said the president is making special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation easier.
Using Twitter on Christmas Eve to intimidate a witness (McCabe) in a criminal investigation is not a very Christian way to celebrate the holiday. But it does make Mr. Mueller’s job easier and that’s a nice thing to do. Merry Christmas!
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) December 24, 2017
Newsweek wrote:
The FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller are investigating Trump’s 2016 campaign, including whether Trump obstructed justice by firing Comey in May—and it’s possible that Comey, McCabe and Baker could be witnesses in that probe. Comey has already testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee, in June, and McCabe met with the House Intelligence Committee on December 19. Both committees are overseeing their own investigations into Russia’s election meddling and possible coordination with the Trump campaign. On December 21, McCabe also met with members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Judiciary Committee.
Norm Eisen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and special assistant for ethics and government reform for former President Barack Obama, said Trump is at risk of “witness tampering charges.”
Normally, someone being investigated for obstruction of justice who intimidates and threatens three key witnesses against him (here Comey, McCabe and Baker) risks additional witness tampering charges. https://t.co/oLgBbKdus0
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) December 24, 2017
