Ex-Bush ethics lawyer on Trump Jr: 'This borders on treason'

[pnwmom]

Source: The Hill

An ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush blasted Donald Trump Jr. for meeting with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have compromising information on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton during the campaign, saying it “borders on treason.”

“This was an effort to get opposition research on an opponent in an American political campaign from the Russians, who were known to be engaged in spying inside the United States,” Richard Painter said Sunday on MSNBC.

“We do not get our opposition research from spies, we do not collaborate with Russian spies, unless we want to be accused of treason.”

Painter said the Bush administration would not have allowed the meeting, which was attended by Trump Jr., White House senior adviser and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, to happen.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/341223-ex-bush-ethics-lawyer-on-trump-jr-meeting-with-russian-lawyer-this

---

Painter says that under previous Administration, one or both of them would be in custody.

[madaboutharry]

1. Poor Richard Painter.

Every time I see the man on television he looks like he is going to collapse under the weight of the indignity and outrage.

[Hekate]

21. I get the same feeling about him. This is hell for all of us, but for some ...

...the sense of personal betrayal must be just about insupportable.

[joanbarnes]

2. Borders????????

[Matthew28]

3. It is treason

Trump and his entire Admin used Russian help to screw over our democracy.

[Hieronymus]

4. Lock him up.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. It's not treason because Little Trump is a Republican

Anything is okay if you're a Republican. Apparently.

[not fooled]

7. Especially with

a puke house and senate.

[DavidDvorkin]

13. Right.

[dalton99a]

6. Of course.

[Turbineguy]

8. Trump makes Dubya

look like a really stand-up guy.

[Hieronymus]

11. Dubya looked into Putin's soul and saw good. LOL

[Turbineguy]

12. And Queen Elizabeth looked into Dubya's soul

and realized how lucky she was to have Chucky.

[Crash2Parties]

9. See, I always thought that if a private citizen works with a foreign enemy nation...

to do something like interfere with our elections, that was a crime. Not a "let's hold Congressional hearings" sort of maybe crime, but more of a "I'm from the FBI or NSA and you are under arrest" sort of crime.

Am I wrong? Do some collusions with foreign enemy nations just legally get ignored because of family ties?

[Liberty Belle]

20. You're thinking of espionage or perhaps some other crimes, such as conspiracy.

But treason can only be determined by Congress, and the definition is very narrow. See my post above.

[Crash2Parties]

22. Thanks. Okay, same question regarding espionage or conspiracy!

[Liberty Belle]

23. Yes. All of them could be indicted on these charges, except for Trump and Pence,

Who would have to first be impeached. But the rest could be rounded up, charged, convicted and imprisoned if prosecutors have the balls to do it.

Of course having Donnie Jr. on the line for a major crime with potential prison time could also be used as leverage to get Trump senior to resign. Maybe they'd go lighter on the doltish son if it meant getting the evildoer Dad out of office.

Though personally I'd like to see them both in matching orange jumpsuits.

[TEB]

10. This is what I have become hoping to see these clowns in prison orange

[DesertRat]

14. Thankfully, Don Jr. is too dumb to cover up his collusion

Lock him up!

[Achilleaze]

15. It is treason

Lock the republican traitors up

[Me.]

16. KR

[Moostache]

17. The penalty for treason is death.

That is why no one is calling it what it is.

The Trump scion should be under indictment for treason and facing the gallows.
The Trump scam is up, and its time to pay the piper.

I don't think elephants have much reason to fear a tail hacking piece of shit much longer...

[TomCADem]

18. If that is not treason, nothing is.

Nt

[Liberty Belle]

19. The U.S. Constitution has a very narrow definition of treason:

You have to levy war against the U.S. or give aid and comfort to the enemies. [No war levied in this case. Did Donnie Jr. offer any aid to Russia in exchange for damning info? Don't know. But just getting info from enemies isn't treason. Even offering aid, if we are not at war with the "enemy", wouldn't be treason apparently]

Per a later law passed, only Congress can decide if treason has occurred, and then only if the person accused confessed in open court, or if there are two witnesses against him. That's a difficult standard to meet, and well it should be, as the penalty is death. Those who cover up treason can also face penalties including up to 7 years in prison:

http://www.nytimes.com/1861/01/25/news/treason-against-the-united-states.html?pagewanted=all


By Section 110 of Article III. of the Constitution of the United States, it is declared that:

"Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open Court. The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason."

In 1790, the Congress of the United States enacted that:

"If any person or persons, owing allegiance to the United States of America, shall levy war against them, or shall adhere to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States, or elsewhere, and shall be thereof convicted on confession in open Court, or on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act of the treason whereof he or they shall stand indicted, such person or persons shall be adjudged guilty of treason against the United States, and SHALL SUFFER DEATH; and that if any person or persons, having knowledge of the commission of any of the treasons aforesaid, shall conceal, and not, as soon as may be, disclose and make known the same to the President of the United States, or some one of the Judges thereof, or to the President or Governor of a particular State, or some one of the Judges or Justices thereof, such person or persons, on conviction, shall be adjudged guilty of misprision of treason, and shall be imprisoned not exceeding seven years, and fined not exceeding one thousand dollars."

[Doug the Dem]

24. Okay, Trumpies,

When an ethics specialist from the GEORGE W FUCKING BUSH Administration is shitting on you, it is very, VERY bad!