Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance told MSNBC on Friday that President Trump's newest version of his dealings with Russia over a potential Trump Tower development is 'filled with potential illegalities' even if the proposed project was never started.
"Do you see anything here touching illegality?" asked anchor Stephanie Ruhle, noting that Trump was "employing his classic punch back strategy", saying first that accuser Michael Cohen is a liar, then claiming that he had nothing to hide, and finally admitting "even if I was hiding something, it's legal so I'm allowed to do it."
"There's a lot of potential illegality here," replied Vance. "Probably the biggest chunk would be if there's an issue with this story that we heard last night that there had been a promise of a $50 million penthouse to Putin if the project went forward."
Vance added that the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits Americans from bribing foreign officials in pursuit of a business relationship, even if a deal was never reached.
"It can also be illegal to enter into a conspiracy to do something that you don't do actually do," she said. "It can even be illegal to make an attempt in certain circumstances."
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