The Junk Indictments Against Trump
This newspaper has already called for Donald Trump to not run for President, and for voters to reject him as unfit. But most of the political indictments against him are an affront to the rule of law and are making a mockery of the notion of neutral justice.
The indictments are all also clearly a "Pied Piper" attempt by Democrats to "make a martyr" out of Trump, to help him in the GOP primaries. Democrats believe that Trump will be the weakest possible GOP nominee against Joe Biden (or a last-minute substitute) - and WANT him to be the GOP nominee. By "attacking" Trump, they drive Republicans to defend him. How cynical. How clever. How corrupt.
Trump has already been indicted by the Manhattan DA, Alvin Bragg (D), for alleged "business records" fraud - for "mischaracterizing" a business expense; and by Biden prosecutor Jack Smith (D), for illegal retention of classified documents after he left office. He faces two more imminent indictments: from Jack Smith again for "attempted election fraud" for his maneuvers to challenge the 2020 election results; and by Georgia DA Fanni Willis (D) for lobbying Georgia officials over the 2020 election.
All the indictments are legally dubious - or ridiculous - and thus make Republicans more outraged over the Democrats' politicization - "weaponization" - of the law enforcement process.
Bragg's indictment is an absurdity: Bragg claims that paying-off a prostitute "must be" a "campaign expense" and not a "personal expense" (the federal FEC disagrees) and by listing it as a personal expense, Trump committed "business record" fraud - against... himself. Insane. Bragg's "indictment" should be a mandatory exam question in law school on what NOT to do...
The Smith indictments bundle exaggeration with some meat. Trump was an idiot to keep classified documents. Especially after the National Archives and FBI demanded their return. Then he bragged - on tape - with news reporters about keeping classified documents. A 2022 search turned-up 100 classified documents stored in boxes in his home.
So there is legal basis to indict. But "should we" indict a former US President over such a piffle ? Both then ex-VP Joe Biden and ex-VP Mike Pence had boxes of classified documents in storage. Classified documents lie in piles at the White House - and Congress. Might it have been enough to have searched Trump's home - retrieved the documents - embarrassed him at his sloth, recklessness and stupidity - and left it at that ?
Was it necessary to indict a former US President - the first time in US history ? Or was it politically useful for the Biden administration to use the US Department of Justice as a political tool to terrorize and manipulate the US political process ?
Donald Trump cries and wails that the indictments against him are "political manipulation" and "election interference." They are. But for the moment, they are being used by the Biden gang to promote Trump, not punish him.