Nat'l Review: Republicans, Don't Fool Yourselves -- Donald Trump Is in Serious Trouble

[kpete]

.................


Here is the fundamental reality, Republicans — there is already far more evidence of legal culpability against Trump than ever existed against Edwards, and a federal judge permitted the Edwards case to go to trial. It is true that, if Trump does eventually face indictment, a different judge may have a different view of the law, but if Trump is counting on a favorable legal ruling, he’s playing a dangerous game indeed.

Campaign-finance law is constructed from the ground up to require candidate transparency and guard against corruption. Thus, it is purposefully very hard for candidates to find a way to legally and quietly use substantial sums of money to cover up dirty deeds. In his essay, Smith argues, “Indeed, it is quite probable that many of those now baying for Trump’s scalp for illegal campaign contributions would be leading a charge to prosecute Trump for illegal ‘personal use’ of campaign funds had he made the payments from his campaign treasury.”


That’s likely correct — and evidence that campaign-finance law is working as intended. In other words, if you’re a campaign-finance lawyer, and a candidate asks your advice on how to buy the silence of a porn star and hide that payment entirely from the American people, your best response should be, “Have you considered not running for office?”

To be clear, I happen to disagree with many elements of the campaign-finance regulatory regime. Its mandatory-disclosure provisions expose ordinary American citizens to reprisals for public participation. But when a candidate’s behavior runs against the plain language and clear intent of applicable law, he should not be shocked when he pays a legal price.



The Rest:

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/12/republicans-dont-fool-yourselves-donald-trump-is-in-serious-trouble/

[dem4decades]

1. I really don't think Campaign Finance. Is going to matter once

The Russia Report comes out.

[marylandblue]

3. I think it will be part of a massive corruption scheme

He brazenly violated campaign finance laws in a variety of ways - ways that were reported at the time. His interactions with Russia also involve campaign finance laws. So I think campaign finance will be one broad theme of the report.

[dem4decades]

4. That i agree with. It goes to Trump's overall intent to win by whatever

Means possible.

Campaign finance, collusion/ conspiracy with a foreign government and the rest.

[at140]

2. All federal elections should be funded by tax payers indirectly

So long as corporations and PACS are allowed to donate unlimited amounts,
corruption will never go away.

[pamela]

5. The judge in the Cohen case made a great point

I think it was the Cohen case anyway.

He talked about the voters who were donating and knocking on doors, not knowing that there was a bombshell that could drop at any minute. That put Trump's actions in the proper perspective. It's not a victimless crime when there are people sacrificing for you.

I know I was furious when I found out about Edwards. When I read Game Change, I realized that all his shenanigans were going on at a time when I was donating to him and campaigning for him. Like Trump, he knew it could all blow up at any time but he was still asking for donations from people like me who had to sacrifice to give. Still pisses me off.