Professor Jack Goldsmith at Harvard Law School, a well-known opponent of former President Trump, wrote a “guest essay” for the NY Times this week in which he warned that the ongoing investigations against Trump might have “terrible consequences” for the nation.
During the George W. Bush era, Goldsmith cautioned Times readers that while they would love the thought of Trump being charged with a crime and perhaps imprisoned, it seemed that the other half of the nation did not share their perspective and would seek retribution.
“Even while the timing of the charges is terribly sad, it appears political and has significant political ramifications. And the Biden administration is to blame because, according to reports, its Justice Dept. delayed looking into Mr. Trump for an entire year before moving quickly to arrest him during the G.O.P. primary period. If the Biden campaign or its go-betweens use the prosecution as a tool against Mr. Trump if he is selected, the prosecution’s unsavouriness will probably get worse.”
“The department has once again broken the fundamental rule of avoiding any appearance of improper activity in a politically sensitive case, as seen by the apparent injustice in the way it treated Mr. Biden’s son Hunter. Credible informants have raised allegations of impropriety and bias in the probe, while the prosecutor chosen by Trump disputes them. And in answer to a few straightforward inquiries from a federal court, the department’s plea bargain with Hunter Biden fell through, fueling accusations of a sweetheart deal.”
“It’s possible that the prosecution will have severe effects on our politics as well as the rule of law in addition to those that affect the department. Future Congresses including administrations belonging to the opposing party will likely be motivated to launch even more ferocious ‘tit-for-tat’ probes of the president’s performance while in office, which would harm good governance.”
