Post by trueblue on Aug 31, 2022 22:37:25 GMT
'Justice Department is likely to wait past midterms to reveal any charges against Trump, sources say'
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are likely to wait until after the November election to announce any charges against Donald Trump, if they determine he broke laws, according to people familiar.
The unprecedented prospect of bringing charges against a former U.S. president is creating intense scrutiny of the Justice Department in the aftermath of its search of his home at Mar-a-Lago. A separate DOJ probe is focused on his effort to overturn the 2020 election, which he lost to President Joe Biden.
Under long-standing department policy, prosecutors are barred from taking investigative steps or filing charges for the purpose of affecting an election or helping a candidate or party, traditionally 60 days before an election. This year, that would be by Sept. 10, which makes it unlikely anything would be announced until after Nov. 8, said people who asked to remain anonymous speaking about potential Justice Department actions.
To be sure, the department has ignored that policy in recent years with moves interpreted as political interference. Most notable was when former FBI Director James Comey revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was reopening a probe into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server just days before the 2016 presidential election, which critics say damaged her campaign.
Under long-standing department policy, prosecutors are barred from taking investigative steps or filing charges for the purpose of affecting an election or helping a candidate or party, traditionally 60 days before an election. This year, that would be by Sept. 10, which makes it unlikely anything would be announced until after Nov. 8, said people who asked to remain anonymous speaking about potential Justice Department actions.
To be sure, the department has ignored that policy in recent years with moves interpreted as political interference. Most notable was when former FBI Director James Comey revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was reopening a probe into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server just days before the 2016 presidential election, which critics say damaged her campaign.