Trump now faces these four major criminal probes: Mueller prosecutor
Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Prescott Valley Event Center. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)
February 07, 2023
Speaking to MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, Robert Mueller's senior prosecutor Andrew Weissmann walked through the four major criminal cases Donald Trump now faces in court.
Weissmann said it was "remarkable" that a former president of the United States would be facing so many criminal investigations that are headed toward prosecution at the same time.
"That's worth taking a moment just to realize the breathtaking nature of that inquiry," Weissmann said. "The caveat is, we actually don't know everything that the prosecutors know. We're making educated guesses. But we do have quite a bit of information about some of these investigations."
Putting them in order, he began with the Mar-a-Lago documents case.
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It's the "one that we know, probably, the most about, and it seems really strong. What I mean by that is that you are looking for evidence of criminal intent, which is almost always in white-collar cases, you're looking for what is proof of the intent of the defendant. And Donald Trump, through his actions and his statements, has made that case very strong."
He explained that there are always several reasons not to bring a case, but that isn't the legal standard. He said a case should be brought if it is "meritorious" and "righteous, even if there is a risk of loss."
"The Georgia case is also very strong," Weissmann continued. "It's hard to separate the Georgia case from the federal so-called Jan. 6th case because the Georgia case is just one component of that. Except, the Jan. 6 case brings in so much more conduct than what the former president did in Georgia."
He went on to say that it might end up taking more time at the federal level than in Georgia, where things are moving more swiftly.
"We do see some signs of life in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. I've always been saying that's the sleeper case to keep your eye on, particularly because the state cases can stick. No matter who is president after Joe Biden, if it were to be a Republican, there is no ability to pardon for a state case. So, keeping your eye on Georgia and Manhattan is really key."
Finally, he noted that the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, which sent Michael Cohen to prison, is another major case.
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