Remember that James Comey hearing scheduled for next week? The one in which the former FBI Director is expected to testify before a Senate committee that the president asked him to back off the investigation into Mike Flynn? The one Democrats are practically drooling over with anticipation?
Well, Alan Dershowitz, the long time Professor of Law at Harvard University, and a self-avowed liberal Democrat, may have just thrown some serious cold water on the party.
Dershowitz believes that by giving the President’s legal team a preview of things to come, Comey’s testimony will actually help them.
Via the Daily Caller:
Dershowitz said on MSNBC’s “On The Record” that, for Trump, being able to hear the claims made against him will help him and his legal team develop a strategy.
“This could hurt Trump politically but it will help him legally,” he told host Greta Van Susteren. “Why will it help him legally? Every defense lawyer wants to see a preview of the testimony against them.”
“That’s why we hate grand jury hearings and we love inquiries, preliminary hearings, where we can hear in open what’s coming up against our client.”
Dershowitz also warned Democrats against opening the obstruction of justice Pandora’s box. He suggested it’d be difficult to prove what was going through Trump’s mind when he fired Comey.
In February, a memo allegedly surfaced that indicated President Trump had asked Comey to “let this go,” an equally alleged reference to the Flynn investigation.
It is anticipated Comey will testify that Trump indeed pressured him, something he had denied in previous hearings.
If Trump told Comey to “stop investigating” as Comey memo alleges then why did Comey state this on May 3 under oath? https://t.co/5A1Zq5rpgs pic.twitter.com/rp9V4qb1hq
— Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) May 17, 2017
Reports also suggest that the President could use his powers to block Comey’s scheduled testimony, something senior adviser Kellyanne Conway acknowledges is a possibility.
“The president will make that decision,” Conway said when asked about the option.
Such a move would likely yield results similar to what Dershowitz explained – positive legally, but a difficult pill for the public to swallow.
What do you think the President should do? Share your thoughts below!
