@Blickers,
Blickers wrote:It would be illegal in every state. This is a Federal law, but every state has a law similar to this, (and the Trump-Comey thing is Federal anyway):
Quote:§ 2635.702 Use of public office for private gain.
(a)Inducement or coercion of benefits.
An employee shall not use or permit the use of his Government position or title or any authority associated with his public office in a manner that is intended to coerce or induce another person, including a subordinate, to provide any benefit, financial or otherwise, to himself or to friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity.
That federal law applies to employees, not to the President. If a state law were similar, it would only apply to employees, not to the Governor.
But who knows if a state law would be similar.
Blickers wrote:Trump admitted he fired Comey because Comey would not back off the Russia investigation.
Yes. A rogue agent should expect to be fired when he pursues an unauthorized investigation.
Blickers wrote:That investigation obviously could lead to Trump. Trump has received a benefit from firing Comey because Comey would not back off the Russia investigation, ie, Trump has eliminated for the moment the possibility of being investigated.
I see no basis for concluding that the investigation could lead to Trump.
Although, it doesn't seem to matter much either way. Trump still had the authority to close down the investigation.
Blickers wrote:It's a measure of Trump's arrogance that he actually went out of his way in the TV interview to establish that he fired Comey, at least in part, because of the Russia investigation. That just made the case of Obstruction Of Justice all the more apparent and provable.
Except obstruction of justice is about interfering with an investigation that the government is trying to pursue, not about the government deciding not to pursue an investigation.
