Today, Trump announced that he does not have any tapes from his conversation with former FBI Director James Comey. Norm Eisen, former President Barack Obama’s ethics attorney, has claimed that Trump’s insinuation that the tapes ever existed amounts to witness intimidation.
This lie increases Trump's legal exposure for obstruction and witness intimidation–more evidence of corrupt intent @Susan_Hennessey https://t.co/qBx7e58XEl
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) June 22, 2017
Susan Hennessey, managing editor of Lawfare blog, corroborated Eisen’s accusation.
https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/status/877929857585356800
Because Trump threatened Comey with the knowledge that there were indeed no tapes, his comment had the express purpose of intimidating the former FBI Director.
James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, “This raises a lot of questions about why he would suggest in the first place there were tapes, what he hoped to gain from that? And, moreover, why he kept the country guessing about this issue for weeks, and weeks and weeks.”
Schiff added that Trump’s prior actions raise questions about “what lengths he will go to to try to intimidate people from speaking out.”
With all of the recently reported electronic surveillance, intercepts, unmasking and illegal leaking of information, I have no idea…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2017
…whether there are "tapes" or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 22, 2017
While Trump may have hoped to intimidate Comey, his own words ultimately came back to hurt the President. The House Intelligence Committee has thus far sent a letter to White House Counsel Don McGahn “requesting information on whether recordings of Comey’s conversations with Trump exist and, if they do, for copies to be turned over by Friday.” The Committee is also considering plans to subpoena the tapes, if they exist.
We should send over a subpoena just to be sure. https://t.co/BHSPNVFwYv
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) June 22, 2017
While the President may have been successful on The Apprentice, the United States government is not a reality show. By virtue of starting speculation about the existence of tapes that would either confirm or deny what may amount to his obstruction of justice, Trump may have effectively fostered suspense, but not before committing an impeachable offense. If he wanted to be a reality star, he should have kept his old job.
What's Your Reaction?
