'Time is ticking': Expert says Trump is getting closer to dodging federal conviction

Former federal prosecutor Preet Bharara has laid out three potential strategies Donald Trump could use to avoid his federal trials, Newsweek reported.

According to Bharara, who was speaking on his podcast, "time is ticking" in regards to the cases – and it might not be possible to prosecute him if he wins in 2024.

One option Trump could use, Bharara says, could be to simply pardon himself if he becomes president. Another could be to appoint a biased attorney general who would drop the federal charges against him – an option Trump "almost certainly" will employ if elected president, Bharara says.

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The third option would be to claim immunity from prosecution citing constitutional protections for acts he committed while president.

"Bharara said this option could also be used to defeat the state cases Trump faces — election interference in Georgia and hush payments to adult actress Stormy Daniels in New York," Newsweek reported.

"He said this option had already helped Trump with the Mueller report, which investigated alleged links between Trump and the Russian government. The report did not reach a conclusion about possible obstruction of justice by Trump, citing a Justice Department guideline prohibiting the federal indictment of a sitting president."

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Bharara went on to say that it would be no surprise if Trump tries to delay the criminal process until after he becomes president.

Bharara was fired by the Trump administration back in 2017.

Read more at Newsweek.