California Rep. Adam Schiff (D) said on Sunday that President Trump could “face the real prospect of jail time” after federal prosecutors said in a legal filing that Trump directed his former attorney, Michael Cohen, to make illegal payments during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Speaking on CBS’s “Face The Nation,” Schiff said: “There’s a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office, the Justice Department may indict him. That he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time.”
.@AdamSchiff on the Russia Investigation: My takeaway is there’s a very real prospect that on the day Donald Trump leaves office the justice department may indict him. That he may be the first president in quite some time to face the real prospect of jail time. pic.twitter.com/3kfwumFkh7
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 9, 2018
In terms of impeachment, Schiff said that he will wait to see the “full picture” before concluding whether recent developments meet the standard for an impeachable offense.
.@RepAdamSchiff says he has to wait and see the “full picture” before concluding whether or not to the recent developments in the Russia Investigation meets the standard for impeachable offense. pic.twitter.com/Mth8dBBmCS
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 9, 2018
Last week federal prosecutors, referring to Trump as “Individual-1” who “had become the President of the United States,” that Cohen “acted in coordination with and at the direction of” Trump when he made two payments to silence women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump in 2006.
Despite his cooperation with the Mueller probe, prosecutors recommended that Cohen – who flipped on Trump – should receive “substantial prison time,” for being a terrible witness among other things.
Schiff, who will become Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in January, also said he hopes to bring Cohen back for more testimony.
.@RepAdamSchiff says he the House Intel Committee hopes to bring Michael Cohen back in to testify. pic.twitter.com/ae8K6vY9Dy
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 9, 2018
Not enough evidence to impeach
While Schiff seems convinced Trump could see the inside of a prison cell after he leaves office, Sen. Angus King (I-ME) – a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told NBC’s “Meet The Press” that despite the Friday court filings by Mueller’s team, there is not yet enough evidence to warrant launching the impeachment process.
WATCH: Sen. Angus King says impeachment is a “last resort.”@SenAngusKing: “We may get there, but we’re not there now.” #MTP pic.twitter.com/UIqVvLcRVB
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 9, 2018
King, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said the investigation has yet to deliver the evidence that would prove collusion between Trump and the Russians. He said starting an impeachment inquiry without it would just send the message to Trump’s base that the Mueller investigation is politically motivated. –PressHerald
WATCH: On whether Congress should look into impeaching Trump, @SenAngusKing says “impeachment is entirely different from criminal prosecution.”
King says if impeachment was brought forward now, “at least a third of the country would think it was just political revenge.” #MTP pic.twitter.com/93PU85ytGl
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 9, 2018
“We don’t want to create a precedent where the Congress of one party unseats a president of another party. We become a kind of parliamentary system,” King told host Chuck Todd.
The Maine Senator also told Todd that the special counsel’s sentencing guidelines on former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn are the most significant developments of last week, and should be “most troubling to the White House.”
Flynn, as opposed to Cohen, was given a recommendation from the special counsel of no jail time for his “substantial” assistance to the Mueller investigation.
WATCH: Sen. Angus King breaks down this week’s developments in the Mueller investigation. @SenAngusKing: “The filing last week that should be most troubling to the White House” were the ones made with regard to Michael Flynn’s cooperation. #IfItsSunday pic.twitter.com/Pbrog9yzVv
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 9, 2018
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