Hell must have frozen over because even liberal Washington Post is condemning Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Donald Trump as “shaky,” calling it a “poor test case.”
The WaPo’s editorial board questioned whether Bragg had enough ground to bring such damning charges against Trump, suggesting indicting him was merely for the Democratic gain.
“Public perception and political strategy shouldn’t dissuade a district attorney from bringing a solid case, but neither should they persuade him to bring a shaky one,” the WaPo reads.
The Left-leaning publication pointed out the adverse effects indicting Trump would have on the future of any former presidents, cautioning Bragg that if his case against the 45th president fails, it could put Democrats in jeopardy and make Republicans stronger.
“The potential downsides of indicting Mr. Trump ought to be taken seriously, too. This prosecution is now bound to be the test case for any future former president, as well as, of course, proceedings against this former president in particular,” the WaPo wrote. “Other investigations underway include Justice Department examinations of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and classified documents discovered at Mar-a-Lago, where the possibility of obstruction of justice is particularly grave. These are straightforward cases compared with the one proceeding in Manhattan. A failed prosecution over the hush-money payment could put them all in jeopardy and provide Mr. Trump ammunition for his accusations of a “witch hunt.”
Legal scholars from both political parties have also doubted that Bragg’s prosecution against Trump will work since it has never before been proven there was any campaign finance violation in the first place. The WaPo suggested the campaign finance charge is “shaky,” and courts may regard it skeptically.
The WaPo compared Trump’s case to former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC), who faced a similar situation after being accused of paying hush money to a woman he had an affair with. However, Edwards ultimately won, arguing that he was trying to keep his wife from finding out about his affair rather than trying to benefit his campaign. The trial ended in an acquittal, and the Justice Department dropped the case.
Trump is being charged for allegedly paying adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money during the 2016 presidential campaign to hide his alleged affair with her.