Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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Our nation’s highest court seems poised to offer guidance to the lower courts with a forthcoming ruling that a former president should be shielded from prosecution for official acts executed while in office, but not for private schemes that would result in personal gain of any kind.
As an example, conservative media cite paying off mistresses as common practice for rich men and corporations, but often make no reference about the cover-up by a candidate campaigning for president, which is at the core of the federal indictment against Donald Trump. If there’s no election fraud, why go to such lengths to cover it up? Isn’t this a private scheme resulting in personal gain?
Even one of Trump’s own attorneys conceded that some of the actions for which the former president has been charged are related to private conduct, of which he may be held accountable.
The Supreme Court’s recent leanings toward limited immunity for Trump may seem encouraging. They appear to offer some vindication and middle-ground protections. But Trump is known for and proud of his extreme demeanor. He has never wanted, nor chosen, “middle ground.” Desperate people do desperate things. Look for the devil in the details.
