A president seeking to interfere with the U.S. system of justice is obviously wrong. But it’s not just unethical. It’s un-American. It’s an attack on core democratic values — something that helped lead to Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974.
President Donald Trump attempted just such interference Monday with a tweet rebuking Attorney General Jeff Sessions for indicting “very popular Republican congressmen” Duncan Hunter of Alpine and Chris Collins of New York “just ahead” of the mid-term elections. “Two easy wins now in doubt because there is not enough time,” Trump wrote. “Good job, Jeff.” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, has questioned the timing of Hunter’s indictment, so Trump’s view may resonate with some Republicans.
But while Hunter alleges that he’s the victim of a conspiracy by Hillary Clinton supporters in the local U.S. Attorney’s Office, the thoroughness of the 60-count indictment alleging improper spending of campaign funds shows the claim’s silliness. It also reflects prosecutors’ many months of hard work.
The case against Collins also appears strong. The indictment lays out how his son sold nearly 1.4 million shares of Innate, an Australian biotech company, after allegedly learning from his father — an Innate board member — that a drug touted by the company had failed a key test. At the time, Collins was already facing a congressional ethics investigation because of his dealings with Innate.
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, had the best response to Trump’s tweet: “The United States is not some banana republic with a two-tiered system of justice — one for the majority party and one for the minority party.” But most GOP officials, aware of Trump’s popularity with the party rank-and-file, kept mum. That’s sad. It only encourages further attacks by the president on the ideals and institutions that he is supposed to defend, not demolish.
Editorial by The San Diego Union-Tribune
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