Law professor warns latest Trump indictment is ‘different from Stormy Daniels case’

A renowned law professor has described President Trump’s indictment as a “different ball game” than the Stormy Daniels case — and warns that the former president could be in serious trouble.

Jonathan Turley, a criminal defense attorney and Shapiro Chair of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, had previously labeled Manhattan AG Alvin Bragg’s Stormy Daniels case as both “politically popular” and “legally pathetic.”

But when it comes to the classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Turley has said the charges are “extremely damning.” He highlighted the sheer level of detail in the 37-crime case and suggested it showed the FBI had an extremely strong case against Trump.

“It is an extremely damning charge. There are charges that are sometimes called narrative or speaking charges. These are charges that are really meant to make a point of the depth of the evidence. There are some charges that are just bare bones. This isn’t it,’ Turley countered Fox news on Friday.

“The Special Prosecutor knew that there would be many people who would claim that the Justice Department acted in a biased or politically motivated manner. This is clearly an indictment designed to answer those questions.

When it comes to the classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, Turley has said the charges are “extremely damning”

“It’s overwhelming in detail. The Trump team should not deceive themselves. These are witnesses who apparently testified under oath, gave statements to federal investigators, both of whom could face criminal charges if false. Those witnesses directly quote the president as encouraging others not to search for documents or allegedly hide them. It’s harmful,” Turley explained.

Turley, who appeared as a Republican witness during both the first and second Senate impeachment trials and also testified during the 1998 impeachment of Bill Clinton, is known as an absolutist of the law who offers impartial opinions on legal matters.

Speaking Friday, he told Fox that the Trump team should not underestimate Special Counsel Jack Smith, whom he described as a “serious prosecutor.”

“I know a lot of people are critical [Jack] Smith because of his background, but he’s not Alvin Bragg. He’s a serious prosecutor. The prosecution of Alvin Bragg is a political prosecution. It is what Trump says it is. It is, in my opinion, a weaponization of the criminal justice system. This is a different ball game.’

Turley said the Trump team should not underestimate Special Counsel Jack Smith, pictured, whom he described as a “serious prosecutor”

Photos released as part of the indictment of former President Donald Trump show boxes of documents piled up in rooms across his Mar-a-Lago estate

Boxes allegedly containing secret documents appear to be kept in a storage room

Piles of boxes can be seen in a bathroom and shower in the Lake Room of Mar-a-Lago Club

When the indictment is unsealed on Friday, Trump is charged with 37 felony charges in connection with hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The indictment accuses the former president of willfully ignoring Justice Department demands to return classified documents, enlisting aides in his efforts to conceal the documents, and even telling his lawyers to file a subpoena for the materials. that are stored on his estate.

The charges include allegations that he stored documents in a ballroom and bathroom at his Florida resort.

The most serious charges against him carry possible prison sentences of up to 20 years, but first offenders rarely get anywhere near the maximum sentence and the decision would ultimately be up to the judge.

Despite this, Trump can expect a heroic reception this weekend as he rallies his fiercest supporters and looks to cement his stature as the Republicans’ leading presidential nominee in 2024.

Legal scholar Jonathan Turley, left, a criminal defense attorney, had previously labeled the Stormy Daniels case as both “politically popular” and “legally pathetic”

Trump has maintained he committed no wrongdoing, saying, “There was no crime except what the DOJ and FBI have done against me for years.”

Of former Vice President Mike Pence also scheduled to address North Carolina Republicans, Saturday will be the first time the former running mates have appeared at the same venue since Pence announced his campaign against his old boss.

Trump, for his part, has maintained he committed no wrongdoing, saying, “There was no crime except what the DOJ and FBI have done against me for years.”

The indictment comes as Trump continues to dominate the Republican presidential primaries.

Other GOP candidates have largely attacked the Justice Department — rather than Trump — for the investigation, though the scale of the allegations and scope of the indictment could make it more difficult for Republicans to protest than the previous New York criminal case that many legal analysts had derided as weak. .

The federal indictment document alleges that Trump not only intentionally possessed classified documents, but also boasted while showing them to visitors and aides.

The indictment is based on Trump’s own words and actions, as told to prosecutors by attorneys, close aides and other witnesses, including his claim to respect and know procedures regarding the handling of classified information.

Trump will appear in federal court for the first time on Tuesday in the Miami case.