Updates | The Week of July 17, 2017
Eve Levin // 7/23/17 //
Despite the President’s control of federal law enforcement, he can commit the crime of obstruction of justice in exercising that control, argue Eric Posner and Daniel Hemel in a new paper.
Leaks from the intelligence community are doing long-term damage, suggests Paul Rosenzweig at Lawfare.
Joel Clement, former director of the Office of Policy Analysis at the U.S. Department of the Interior, has filed a complaint against the Trump Administration arguing that he was unlawfully removed for speaking out about climate change (WaPo).
President Trump has little respect for the rule of law, based on his remarks about Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, opines James Hohmann at the Washington Post.
- President Trump’s disparagement of the law enforcement apparatus reveals that he believes is above the law, concurs Greg Sargent at the Washington Post.
- Through his remarks in the New York Times, President Trump may have harmed his own legal defense against possible charges of obstruction of justice and improper campaign collusion with Russia, contends Bob Bauer at Lawfare.
- The interview may expose President Trump’s family members and associates to legal trouble as well, write Ryan Goodman and Andy Wright at Just Security.
Despite President Trump’s abuse of the removal power to fire former FBI Director James Comey, the FBI director should not be given for-cause removal protection, argues Robert Litt at Lawfare.