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Schiff: 'Real Prospect of Jail Time' For Trump Post Presidency

rep. adam schiff
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

By    |   Sunday, 09 December 2018 01:29 PM EST

President Donald Trump may face “the real prospect of jail time” because of his link to former lawyer Michael Cohen’s campaign finance violations, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee declared Sunday

In remarks on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who’s poised to take over the gavel on the intel panel in January,  said the alleged violations - and accusations Trump directed Cohen to commit them — could lead to an indictment when Trump leaves office.

“There's a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office the Justice Department may indict him, that he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time.”

Schiff added the question of a presidential pardon will be particularly relevant.

“The bigger pardon question may come down the road as the next president has to determine whether to pardon Donald Trump,” he said.

“I think the prosecutors in New York make a powerful case against that idea,” he added. “All the arguments they make about Michael Cohen, the idea that people doing what they should do in campaigns, the rich and powerful seem to live by a different set of rules. This was the argument for putting Michael Cohen in jail on these campaign violations, that argument I think was equally made with respect to Individual One, the president of the United States.”

In the Cohen case, special counsel Robert Mueller’s team used the term “Individual One” to refer to Trump as the person allegedly directing Cohen to violate campaign finance laws in paying hush money to women who claimed to have had sexual affairs with Trump. 

Schiff said he wasn’t certain about impeachment prospects for Trump.

“I think we need to wait until we see the full picture,” he said, adding:. “I think we also need to see this as part of a broader pattern of potential misconduct by the president and it's that broad pattern I think that will lead us to conclusion about whether it rises to the level to warrant removal from office. “

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Politics
President Donald Trump may face "the real prospect of jail time" because of his link to former lawyer Michael Cohen's campaign finance violations, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee declared Sunday.
TrumpSchiffCohen
348
2018-29-09
Sunday, 09 December 2018 01:29 PM
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