A former Justice Department attorney tore into his old employer on MSNBC over the legality and ethics of President Donald Trump seeking over $200 million from the department, and delivered a stark warning to a pair of appointees who may help him.
Andrew Weissmann joined MSNBC's "The Beat" on Wednesday to discuss the events of the day, calling the ethics "absolutely clear" in this situation.
"You cannot do it," he asserted.
Trump can't be the plaintiff as well as the judge and jury in his own case, said Weissmann. Even if Trump could prove he was targeted by the Justice Department, Weissmann said a career DOJ attorney would handle the case, and Trump would have to prove in court that he was innocent.
"That's the last thing on God's green earth that he wants," said Weissmann, who proceeded to accuse the president of "robbing" taxpayers.
He then warned two Trump loyalists, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, of legal repercussions facing them for helping the president's "shakedown."
"If you are Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche, they do have — there are Bar Associations that can get involved and can look at their conduct if they decide that they are going to handle this matter, in spite of the fact there's an obvious conflict, because it's the president who appointed them," he said.