Donald Trump may have just tipped off his entire playbook to Jack Smith
Donald Trump’s lawyers have asked House Republicans to get him out of the DOJ investigation regarding his mishandling of classified documents. That may sound shocking but given how Jim Jordan runs to Trump’s rescue, it wasn’t a bad idea on the attorneys’ part, though reasoning is ridiculous. According to the Independent, the attorneys claim that the DOJ “is not the appropriate agency to conduct investigations pertaining to the mishandling or spillage of classified material.” Really? Never mind that this agency has been investigating the unlawful retention of classified documents for decades. If it doesn’t coincide with whatever defense Trump is claiming, they’re not the correct agency. Whatever. They also claim that the investigation is not criminal and instead requires a “legislative solution.” The solution is clear: Don’t take things that don’t belong to you, especially things that compromise national security.
This self-serving request by Trump’s lawyers isn’t going to change anything, and in fact, others believe they have given Jack Smith a roadmap to Trump’s prosecution, not that he needs one. Smith has been methodically moving on Trump. Charles Coleman, Jr., a former prosecutor, appeared on The Katie Phang Show on MSNBC and opined that Trump’s lawyers have “tipped off” Jack Smith to their defense strategy. Coleman indicated that Trump is “setting up his legal defense for an imminent indictment.” Coleman said: “I think they are trying to basically stave off the notion of an indictment in a last-ditch effort to try and make a homerun, if you will, to avoid Jack Smith moving forward in front of a grand jury and indicting him.” Too late for that, as Smith has already impaneled a grand jury, and he’s not only looking at the classified documents issue.
News came out late last week that Smith is investigating wire fraud regarding Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Former prosecutor Glenn Kirschner believes this signifies a conspiracy indictment for Donald Trump. Recall that Trump began fundraising on his lies shortly after he lost the election, and according to New York Times, Smith’s team is working to determine whether Trump committed wire fraud in raising $250 million on those lies. This seems to be supported by Smith’s team issuing subpoenas to Trump’s “Save America” campaign, which was set up after the election for the sole purpose of raising money. According to Kirschner, “Wire fraud is the stock and trade of federal prosecutors.” TV, radio, telephone, and the Internet make up “wires,” and using any of them to defraud money from people is a crime. Kirschner further said that wire fraud charges are easy to prove, and California federal judge David O. Carter already ruled that there existed “a preponderance of the evidence that Donald Trump committed the crime of conspiracy to defraud the United States.”
Jack Smith is taking the old “kitchen sink” approach with Donald Trump. In the case of wire fraud, it could well be part of the larger conspiracy Trump employed with his lies about the election. Trump has always thought himself untouchable, but Jack Smith should frighten him.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years