A Law Professor Makes The Case That Trump’s Already Qualified To Be Impeached As President

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Donald Trump may have received his biggest boost yet with Ted Cruz’s endorsement, but the Republican nominee still has problems aplenty. From adviser Chris Christie’s possible impeachment due to the New Jersey governor’s “Bridgegate” scandal to the campaign’s alleged ties to Russia, Trump’s Friday has by no means been the best day it could have been. And with his first major televised debate against Hillary Clinton fast approaching, the Donald could use some good news. Too bad a professor at the University of Utah’s S. J. Quinney College of Law thinks Trump could be impeached if he beats Clinton come November.

As Law Newz reports, Christopher Lewis Peterson argues just that in “Trump University and Presidential Impeachment,” a 23-page paper outlining why — and how — Congress can impeach Trump as soon as he steps foot onto the White House grounds at 12:01 p.m. on January 20, 2017. Mainly, notes Peterson, on the grounds of his allegedly committing fraud and racketeering per the Trump University trial.

“Although these consumer protection cases are civil proceedings, the underlying legal elements in several counts that plaintiffs seek to prove run parallel to the legal elements of serious crimes under both state and federal law,” writes Peterson. Despite the civil nature of these cases, however, he argues “Congress would be well within its prerogatives to impeach and remove a president for grave felonies — crimes which are punishable by years in prison — such as fraud or racketeering.”

This still begs the question: What does this have to do with Trump’s potentially being president of the United States? As Law Newz points out, everything:

“Trump appears to have lied about his role in Trump University to students, he has throughout the election continued to misrepresent the cases that focus on his misrepresentations,” Lewis wrote. Therefore, Peterson contends that the American public might not have been aware of the full extent of his transgressions.

In other words, that Trump potentially lied (repeatedly) about the allegations levied against Trump University while on the campaign trail means he lied to his supporters specifically, and the American people at large. Then again, whether or not Peterson’s arguments come to anything depends on the growing number of lawsuits Trump must contend with — including one launched recently by the New York attorney general’s office. Oh yeah, and winning the 2016 election.

(Via Law Newz)

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