President Donald Trump's Justice Department is headed into illegal territory with their latest move to prosecute 15 protesters from Minnesota for interference with immigration authorities, former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann told MS NOW's Ari Melber on Tuesday.
Weissmann has a number of questions about how this was conducted — which would likely paint a damning picture of the current state of the DOJ.
"Andrew, your view on what we saw out of Minnesota and where it fits in with what I call the declining credibility of DOJ under this administration?" asked Melber, himself an attorney.
"Absolutely," said Weissmann. "That is something that indeed you worry about, which is how is this presented to the grand jury? What were they told?" He brought up the case of the so-called "Broadview Six" in Chicago, whose indictment for protesting immigration officials was found to be tainted with severe misconduct.
"But I think there's somethingelse in addition to all that,which is what I would ask [acting Attorney General] ToddBlanche at his confirmationhearing ... andthat is, can you tell me, Mr.Blanche, why you're so concernedabout what these people did inprotesting ICE?"
Weissmann continued that even stipulating to their guilt in this matter, "how does this compareto the protests on January 6th,where those people were pardoned, where you have calledthat a 'grave national injustice'?Can you explain to me why youare bringing a caseagainst ICE protesters, whenyou have said that for conductthat is at least as egregious, and I think many people listening to this would say more egregious because of the true assault on police officers — why you called that a grave injustice?"
Ultimately, he said, "Doesn't that speak to exactly what the law prohibits, which is vindictive and selective prosecution?"