As he told his team, former President Donald Trump intends to run for the White House and evade the law.

When Donald Trump officially declares his candidacy for 2024, he will not be content to run for another term in the White House. He will be running from legal trouble, possible criminal charges, and even a possible prison sentence.

In recent months, Trump has made it clear to his associates that legal protections related to the Oval Office occupation are at the core of his concerns, as four people familiar with the matter explain. Rolling Stone. Trump has ” talked about how, when you’re president of the United States, it’s hard for politically motivated prosecutors to contact you says one of the sources, who discussed the matter with the former president this summer. ” He says that when he becomes president again, a new Republican administration will end the investigation. [du département de la Justice] »

The former president would like to make an announcement even before the 2022 election in the hope of eliminating his rivals. But GOP leaders want voters to focus on Joe Biden and don’t want to turn the midterm election into a referendum on Trump.

It’s not just liberals or Trump critics who acknowledge that the former president is in legal jeopardy. Trump’s legal teams and former top administration officials are speaking out about it. ” I think criminal prosecution is possible… for Trump and [l’ancien chef de cabinet de la Maison-Blanche, Mark] meadows, no doubt », has declared a Rolling Stone Ty Cobb, former senior Trump White House counsel.

The powers of the presidency would offer a pause to the various civil lawsuits and criminal investigations currently hanging over Trump. It’s unclear whether the Justice Department accuses Trump of masterminding the Jan. 6 insurgency, but winning the White House would serve him well. Department policy prohibits impeaching a sitting president, shielding Trump from federal charges for four years. The law is less clear about whether states can sue a president while he is in office, but any attempt to bring Trump to trial in a state case would likely be challenged in the Supreme Court.

At the state level, Trump faces two criminal investigations. In Manhattan, District Attorney Alvin Bragg has appointed a grand jury to investigate whether the former president committed fraud by lying about the value of his assets in his financial statements. However, there is little indication that Bragg intends to press charges. In Georgia, Fulton County prosecutors are investigating whether Trump illegally interfered in the vote count by pressuring Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “ find vote for him after the election. This month, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis subpoenaed Trump allies Rudy Giuliani and Sen. Lindsay Graham and sent letters to pro-Trump Georgia state senators warning they could face prosecution. in connection with this matter.

Donald Trump is the subject of a multitude of legal proceedings. In previous cases, Trump’s lawyers have argued that being president immunizes him from civil lawsuits while he is in office. This was Trump’s defense in a lawsuit filed by the former show’s contestant The newbieSummer Zervos, who has since been rejected.

Jean Carroll continues to sue Trump for defamation. She accused Trump of raping her in a store in the mid-1990s and is suing him for claiming in 2019 that she Carroll ” I was totally lying “. The Justice Department claimed that Trump was immune from prosecution because ” acted within the scope of his duties when he made these claims. A federal appeals court is currently considering the department’s arguments.

Trump’s latest legal problems stem from his role in instigating the January 6 insurrection. Agents from the Capitol Police and the Washington DC Metropolitan Police have sued the former president for the physical and emotional damages he suffered during the riots. Trump also faces two separate lawsuits from Democratic members of Congress. He is accused of violating his civil rights by conspiring with extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to prevent the counting of votes.

Finally, in New York, Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a civil investigation to determine if the Trump Organization lied about the value of its assets.

Asawin Suebsaeag and Adam Rawnsley

Translated by the editor