Trump may have committed at least 8 crimes that have nothing to do with Russia: Ethics watchdog

Government ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) on Monday issued a blistering report laying out evidence that President Donald Trump has committed multiple crimes during both the 2016 presidential campaign and during his time in the Oval Office.

In all, CREW claims that there is "compelling evidence" that Trump has committed up to eight criminal offenses over the past three years.

Among the crimes they allege Trump may have committed include causing National Enquirer parent company American Media, Inc. to make an illegal campaign donation to former mistress Karen McDougal; causing his campaign to file false reports with the Federal Elections Commission; and conspiracy to defraud the United States "by undermining the lawful function of the FEC and/or violating federal campaign finance law related to 'hush money' payments, false statements, and cover-ups of reimbursement payments to Cohen made by the Trump Organization."

CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said that the report shows the president has significant criminal exposure -- and that's without even talking about potential obstruction of justice charges for his efforts to undermine criminal investigations into him and his associates.

"There has already been significant attention to the President’s possible exposure for obstruction of justice, but it is deeply troubling to discover that he also may have been personally involved in a whole other set of criminal offenses for causing or accepting illegal campaign contributions and then covering up those payments," he said.

Read the full report here.