Preet Bharara says latest move by Donald Trump’s attorneys is a sign they know he’s in trouble

| 11:34 pm EDT August 31, 2017
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In the months since Donald Trump fired Preet Bharara without a stated reason, it’s the former U.S. Attorney who has continued to get the last laugh. Trump is historically unpopular and plagued by exploding scandals, while Bharara has been freed up to publicly speak his mind. Now that Trump’s attorneys have taken some rather unusual steps in the Russia investigation, Bharara has interpreted it as a sign that they know Trump is in trouble.

Donald Trump’s attorneys filed a series of memos with Special Counsel Robert Mueller which are aimed at demonstrating that Trump didn’t commit obstruction of justice by firing FBI Director James Comey, and that Comey is an unreliable witness. That led Preet Bharara to use his Twitter account to take a quick dig at Trump: “Team ‘outlined why Comey would make an unsuitable witness, calling him prone to exaggeration.’ Maybe Trump lawyers charge by unit of irony” (link). But then came the serious legal analysis.

Bharara added “There may never be any charges, but defense lawyers don’t [usually] waste time on preemptive memos re: frivolous theories of criminal guilt.” That led law professor Joyce Alene to chime in: “In fact, most defense lawyers wouldn’t dignify a prosecutor’s allegation of a specific crime w/a written response unless charges were close” (link). In return Bharara replied “Right. The possibility that POTUS may have obstructed justice is real and serious. Apparently, even Trump’s defense lawyers get that.”

When Preet Bharara says “There may never be any charges” he appears to be referring to the fact that the Special Counsel won’t actually bring charges against Donald Trump, but will instead make recommendations to Congress regarding bringing impeachment charges. In any case it’s clear that Bharara is interpreting these events as a sign that even Trump’s lawyers know he’s in deep legal trouble.