Why Robert Mueller May Have to Give Donald Trump Immunity

[DonViejo]

If the president fights a subpoena, the special prosecutor can make him a deal: Testify and it won’t be used against you (sort of).


BENNETT GERSHMAN
09.10.17 8:00 PM ET

The Trump-Russia Investigation has accelerated. Armed with more evidence, and assisted by many of the most talented prosecutors and investigators in the country, special counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., to investigate whether President Trump and his associates colluded with Russian operatives to win the White House.

The fact that a federal grand jury has been impaneled is a significant development by itself; prosecutors don’t ordinarily convene grand juries unless there is a compelling reason to do so. The grand jury probe has expanded to include whether Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey. And it is also reasonable to believe that Mueller’s team is presenting evidence to the grand jury relating to financial connections between Trump, the Trump Organization, and Trump’s business associates with Russia and Russian interests.

We have a fairly good picture of where the grand jury investigation will go. Although it is not known who all has been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury, many of them have already made statements, and we can reasonably assume that many of them already have been interrogated by federal investigators. We do not know whether any of these individuals has sought immunity from prosecution, been granted immunity, and has given testimony. Also, the fact that investigators obtained a search warrant to search Paul Manafort’s home in July is quite significant. Manafort was Trump’s campaign manager and had the most far-reaching financial ties with the Ukraine and Russia. Prosecutors in order to obtain a warrant must demonstrate probable cause to believe that Manafort committed federal crimes.

But clearly the most critical witness of all, and a likely target of the investigation, is Trump himself. As the grand jury investigation accelerates, and it focuses on Trump’s role, he will almost certainly be subpoenaed, and his testimony demanded. When that happens, what follows is unclear. Given Trump’s almost pathological contempt for the rule of law and for Mueller’s investigation, which Trump has repeatedly disparaged as a “witch hunt,” it is reasonably predictable that Trump’s lawyers will flout the grand jury’s investigation, mock Mueller, and refuse to testify. Will Trump succeed in spurning the process?

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/why-robert-mueller-may-have-to-give-donald-trump-immunity

[Chasstev365]

1. Oh, BS!

Trump was in on all of it and needs to be held accountable! Mueller knows this.

[Not Ruth]

2. Mueller would give a Trump immunity to get him to testify against Manafort, who would get a pardon?

What happens if he does not give Trump immunity......basically the same thing, so WTH bother giving Trump immunity? How about we just do away with immunity, plea bargains, pardons, etc and just do the job?

[unblock]

3. "he will almost certainly be subpoenaed"?? Why is that??

If Benedict Donald is the target, he almost certainly would *not* be subpoenaed. Grand juries almost never hear the target's side; that's what trials are for.

It's more complicated when there are multiple targets, as is surely the case here, but I still see a subpoena of a target and a known liar as highly unlikely.

[Zambero]

4. There is a precedent of sorts

Nixon got off Scott free via Ford's pardon, while many of his colluding underlings did time. At this point, an immunity deal would involve a different process but could yield similar results. Does anyone doubt that Trump would sing like a canary in order to protect himself?

[elleng]

5. He'll lie,

and that could be good.