Trump's call with Georgia's Raffensperger could be illegal, but it would be hard to prosecute, experts say

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President Trump's phone call with Georgia secretary of State Raffensperger urging him to overturn his state's election results might have violated federal and state election laws, but it would be difficult to prosecute, legal experts say.

But while some former prosecutors said they believed the call should be investigated and is prosecutable, Washington, D.C.-based election lawyer Matthew Sanderson told NBC News that the criminal intent requirements would make a case difficult to prosecute.

Trump"committed an act against the public trust" that was"egregious," but"it doesn't fit the structure" of the criminal laws, Sanderson said. Former President Richard Nixon likely would have faced criminal charges stemming from the Watergate investigation, but he was pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford. Trump, meanwhile, is alreadyDuring Trump's phone call with Raffensperger, a, Trump asked the top election official"to find" enough votes for him to erase President-elect Joe Biden's margin of victory in the state.

Other legal experts said they thought a potential investigation and prosecution over the call could move forward.," adding that to her, a criminal case based on Georgia law"looks like a slam dunk."

Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)

 

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