'Seditious conspiracy charges in play' for Trump after damning House committee revelations: former US attorney
Appearing on MSNBC on Monday morning, former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said new revelations about what was going on in Donald Trump's White House seem to indicate that sedition charges are being considered by the House committee investigators.
Speaking with host Andrea Mitchell, the former federal prosecutor explained that damning comments made by Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) over the weekend seem to indicate expanded possibilities for prosecuting the former president.
"Congresswoman Cheney was saying that there are several criminal statutes in play as to whether or not there could be some enhanced penalties or some issue regarding the former president's actions that day," host Mitchell prompted. "What laws do you think could be used against the former president if it's approved that he was criminally negligent by not calling off the rioters or do you think new laws would have to be enacted?"
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"No, I think there are current laws on the books that could be applied there," McQuade began. "I don't know that negligence alone is going to be enough, but as Congresswoman Cheney has recited on occasion, there is a crime making it illegal to corruptly impede or obstruct an official proceeding, which includes proceedings before Congress. If he [Trump] had the power to stop that riot from happening and to permit the vote to go forward, his failure to do that could be that effort to corruptly obstruct the official proceeding. It may be, you know."
She continued, "We've got this 187 minutes when he sat and did nothing despite the fact that he knew that this violence and destruction was occurring. Is it because it was all part of a larger plan? So I think, in addition to that obstruction statute that Congresswoman Cheney has mentioned, I think we could also look at conspiracy to defraud the United States -- that just means trying to impede the normal functioning of government -- all the way up to seditious conspiracy. I think all of those potential crimes are in play."
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