The Worst-Case Scenario, Part 1
The Worst-Case Scenario, Part One
After the election, I chose to step away from political commentary, and let the Trump administration do its thing, and let the Democrats and Republicans do their thing. I felt there were plenty of people commenting on all of this already. I went back to writing my novel, and I made a couple of personal posts here on this blog.
I've been appalled, however, by the Trump administration's blatant disregard for facts and truth, by their careless attitude towards the people's health care, and by their pernicious rollback of financial and environmental regulations which will enrich only billionaires like Trump himself while causing lasting, perhaps irreparable damage to the rest of us.
So, I have returned, interrupted my reflections on my upcoming novel The Gospel of Thomas , to weigh in on the latest Trump scandal.
This past week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was caught having made false statements under oath during his confirmation hearing. He said he had made no contact with Russian officials during the campaign or during the transition, and this was found later not to be the case. He met privately with Ambassador Kislyak in Sessions’ Senate offices during the transition.
This incident is only the latest in a string of scandals relating to the Trump campaign/administration and their ties to Russia. Democrats have accused Sessions of perjury, lying under oath. Perjury is a word that brings up bitter memories from the darkest days of the Clinton administration. For the benefit of my young readers, I wanted to review the details of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, and draw connections to the current case.
In 1997, Bill Clinton gave a deposition related to a sexual harassment case dating back to his days as governor of Arkansas. The lawyers in the case, attempting to show a pattern of misbehavior by President Clinton, confronted him with questions relating to a young intern by the name of Monica Lewinsky. Clinton had conducted an affair with Lewinsky in 1996-1997, and news of the affair had come to his political opponents. Clinton was evasive in his answers, and eventually a judge ruled him in contempt of court for his misleading testimony.
This was a petty manner – a married man being reluctant to admit having an affair with a younger woman. But, this was the President of the United States, and he could have committed perjury. Both Democrats and Republicans treated this matter with grave seriousness.
The worst-case scenario for the President and his supporters wasn’t perjury, however, but another legal term called subornation of perjury. The lawyers had also deposed Lewinsky, and she had flatly denied the affair in her deposition. Did Clinton use his office as President to force Lewinsky to commit perjury on his behalf? That would be an egregious abuse of power. Had there been evidence of subornation, Clinton would most certainly have been forced from power.
The Republicans could make the case that Clinton had committed perjury, but, despite their best efforts, they could not prove subornation. The House, led by Newt Gingrich at the time, brought Articles of Impeachment against Clinton anyway, and the Senate acquitted him. Clinton was given a stinging rebuke, but he remained in power though the end of his presidency.
Sessions’ denial to Senator Al Franken was hardly vague or evasive. Session said he had not met with Russian officials, yet he had. If Sessions misspoke, he was obscenely negligent in his preparation for his confirmation hearing. The Democrats had been hurling tough questions at each nominee, and the Russian story was both juicy and relevant. He should have anticipated a question about the Trump campaigns ties to Russia and prepared an answer after a careful review of his past schedule.
More likely, he was lying under oath. Perjury. I agree with those who say Sessions should resign.
If Trump forced Sessions to lie, then that would be subornation of perjury, an impeachable offense.
But that is not the worst-case scenario here. Not by a long shot.
After the election, I chose to step away from political commentary, and let the Trump administration do its thing, and let the Democrats and Republicans do their thing. I felt there were plenty of people commenting on all of this already. I went back to writing my novel, and I made a couple of personal posts here on this blog.
I've been appalled, however, by the Trump administration's blatant disregard for facts and truth, by their careless attitude towards the people's health care, and by their pernicious rollback of financial and environmental regulations which will enrich only billionaires like Trump himself while causing lasting, perhaps irreparable damage to the rest of us.
So, I have returned, interrupted my reflections on my upcoming novel The Gospel of Thomas , to weigh in on the latest Trump scandal.
This past week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was caught having made false statements under oath during his confirmation hearing. He said he had made no contact with Russian officials during the campaign or during the transition, and this was found later not to be the case. He met privately with Ambassador Kislyak in Sessions’ Senate offices during the transition.
This incident is only the latest in a string of scandals relating to the Trump campaign/administration and their ties to Russia. Democrats have accused Sessions of perjury, lying under oath. Perjury is a word that brings up bitter memories from the darkest days of the Clinton administration. For the benefit of my young readers, I wanted to review the details of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, and draw connections to the current case.
In 1997, Bill Clinton gave a deposition related to a sexual harassment case dating back to his days as governor of Arkansas. The lawyers in the case, attempting to show a pattern of misbehavior by President Clinton, confronted him with questions relating to a young intern by the name of Monica Lewinsky. Clinton had conducted an affair with Lewinsky in 1996-1997, and news of the affair had come to his political opponents. Clinton was evasive in his answers, and eventually a judge ruled him in contempt of court for his misleading testimony.
This was a petty manner – a married man being reluctant to admit having an affair with a younger woman. But, this was the President of the United States, and he could have committed perjury. Both Democrats and Republicans treated this matter with grave seriousness.
The worst-case scenario for the President and his supporters wasn’t perjury, however, but another legal term called subornation of perjury. The lawyers had also deposed Lewinsky, and she had flatly denied the affair in her deposition. Did Clinton use his office as President to force Lewinsky to commit perjury on his behalf? That would be an egregious abuse of power. Had there been evidence of subornation, Clinton would most certainly have been forced from power.
The Republicans could make the case that Clinton had committed perjury, but, despite their best efforts, they could not prove subornation. The House, led by Newt Gingrich at the time, brought Articles of Impeachment against Clinton anyway, and the Senate acquitted him. Clinton was given a stinging rebuke, but he remained in power though the end of his presidency.
Sessions’ denial to Senator Al Franken was hardly vague or evasive. Session said he had not met with Russian officials, yet he had. If Sessions misspoke, he was obscenely negligent in his preparation for his confirmation hearing. The Democrats had been hurling tough questions at each nominee, and the Russian story was both juicy and relevant. He should have anticipated a question about the Trump campaigns ties to Russia and prepared an answer after a careful review of his past schedule.
More likely, he was lying under oath. Perjury. I agree with those who say Sessions should resign.
If Trump forced Sessions to lie, then that would be subornation of perjury, an impeachable offense.
But that is not the worst-case scenario here. Not by a long shot.
No comments have been added yet.
