A former U.S. attorney warned that a declaration by Donald Trump that he’s running for president — possibly as early as Tuesday — will not protect him from potential indictments related to his White House classified document case.
He could even be in for espionage charges, depending on what evidence the Justice Department has uncovered, University of Michigan Law Professor Barbara McQuade said Friday on MSNBC.
“The idea that you can inoculate yourself from criminal charges by just declaring yourself a candidate for some high office is ludicrous,” she said on “The Katie Phang Show.”
McQuade pointed to Attorney General Merrick’s Garland repeated assurances that the law will be enforced “without fear or favor.”
“There has been some suggestion that if Trump is indicted there will be unrest in the streets,” McQuade said. “You have to do the right thing regardless of your fear of those kind of consequences.”
She also added that while the Department of Justice is loath to bring charges close to an election, that’s not the case with a reelection bid by Trump.
McQuade also warned that the several boxes of White House documents that were supposed to be turned over to the National Archives — including classified and even top-secret information seized by the FBI at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home — could result in serious charges.
She hinted at potential espionage charges if there’s strong evidence of obstruction of justice or if the documents were provided to foreign governments. (See more below.)