According to former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., President Trump technically has committed obstruction of justice.
In an appearance on MSNBC, the nation’s former chief law-enforcement cautioned that there is a distinction between committing a crime and a prosecutor being able to build a winnable case.
Still, Mr. Holder told host Rachel Maddow that Mr. Trump’s firing of his FBI director and a series of other actions related to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe add up to obstruction of justice.
“If one looks at the dismissal of James Comey and the reasons why the president told Lester Holt he did that, if you look at the president’s attempts to get the heads of the intelligence agencies to get involved in this matter, if you look at the president’s on the airplane with regards to that statement, and a variety of other things, I think you technically have a case of obstruction of justice,” Mr. Holder said.
Nevertheless, Mr. Mueller might not be able to bring a case yet.
“I’m not saying that this is a case you would necessarily bring at this point, and I don’t know what other evidence the special counsel has, but I think just from the basis of what’s been reported in the media, and assuming that those reports are accurate, I do think that you have a technical case of obstruction of justice,” he added.
SEE ALSO: Eric Holder considers run for president
Despite saying Mr. Trump had committed obstruction of justice, one of the two crimes for which President Bill Clinton was impeached, Mr. Holder did not mention the I-word.
But earlier in the day, Mr. Holder said he is at least considering a run for president as the nominee of a party whose base loathes Mr. Trump and wants to see him impeached.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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