BUT THIS MANHATTAN CASE IS ONE
OF MANY CASES A LARGE PUZZLE.
STUART: VERY LARGE PUZZLE.
THE NEW YORK TIMES CLAIMS
TRUMP’S INDICTMENT IS NOT A
POLITICAL PROSECUTION.
MATTHEW WHITAKER, FORMER ACTING
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED
STATES JOINS ME NOW.
NOT A POLITICAL PROSECUTION
SAYS THE TIME IS.
WHAT SAYS MATTHEW WHITAKER?
>> HARD NOT TO DO A THROUGH
LINE OF BEFORE DONALD TRUMP
CAME DOWN THE ESCALATOR AND
AFTER HE ANNOUNCED HE IS
RUNNING AGAIN, AND TO SEE HOW
THIS DA’S OFFICE HAS TREATED
DONALD TRUMP.
MY UNDERSTANDING, IN THIS
INDICTMENT, THESE COUNTS GO
BACK MANY YEARS THEY ARE TRYING
TO SUSPEND THE STATUTE OF
LIMITATIONS DUE TO HIM BEING AT
THE WHITE HOUSE AND THERE’S A
LOT OF CONTORTIONS.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT
ALVIN BRAGG’S WORDS.
ON THEY WANT HE SET THE
PRIORITIES OF THE OFFICE,
LOWERED PROSECUTORIAL STANDARDS
MEANING THEY WOULD NO LONGER
CHARGE CERTAIN FELONIES, NO
LONGER CHARGE CERTAIN
MISDEMEANORS, THE PROSECUTION
SYSTEM, AND AT THE SAME TIME,
TO GET DONALD TRUMP.
EVEN THOUGH EVERYONE ELSE WAS
THE ENHANCED WE SEE DONALD
TRUMP ENHANCED BY THIS OFFICE AND THAT REEKS OF POLITICS.
AND THAT REEKS OF POLITICS.
STUART: IF THIS NEW YORK
INDICTMENT FALLS THROUGH OR
FAILS OR TRUMP IS FOUND NOT
GUILTY, IF THAT HAPPENED, WOULD
THAT AFFECT THE OTHER CHARGES
COMING FROM GEORGIA?
>> IT COULD AND IT WOULD MAKE
DONALD TRUMP APPEAR TO BE
PERSECUTED AND OTHER CITIZENS
AND JURORS WANT TO SEE THAT
HAPPENING.
WE WILL SEE A SERIES OF
DECISIONS BY PEOPLE OTHER THAN
ALVIN BRAGG THE WILL BE
INTERESTING.
A TRIAL COURT JUDGE WILL HEAR
MOTIONS THAT COULD KICK THIS
CASE OUT.
YOU SEE THE TRIAL WITH A JURY
THAT SURVIVES FIRST ROUND
MOTIONS, AND ULTIMATELY HAVE
APPEALS IN THIS CASE AND MANY
OF THESE NOVEL THEORIES THE WE
HAVEN’T SEEN THE INDICTMENT
CONTAINING NOVEL THEORIES THAT
HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED UNDER NEW
YORK OR FEDERAL LAW AND IN ORDER TO MAKE IT A FELONY OR
ORDER TO MAKE IT A FELONY OR
SERIOUS CHARGE THERE HAS TO BE
THIS CAMPAIGN FINANCE
VIOLATION, WHEN I WAS THERE,
THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK LOOKED AT THIS AND DECIDED
NOT TO PURSUE THOSE CHARGES
BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT STRONG
CHARGES.
THERE’S A LOT OF LEGAL
MANEUVERING LEFT AND THAT IS TO
THE BENEFIT OF DONALD TRUMP.
STUART: WON’T THAT TAKE A LONG
TIME?
THIS IS GOING TO LAST BEYOND
THE 24 ELECTION.
>> NO DOUBT, THE THREE CASES WE
TALKED ABOUT TODAY, TWO HAVEN’T
BEEN CHARGED AND MAY NEVER BE
CHARGED.
STUART: WHAT DOES THAT DO TO
OUR POLITICS.
IF YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, ONE OF
THE CANDIDATES IS IN COURT ALL
THE TIME.
>> IT CASTS A CLOUD AND IT
COULD AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF THE
ELECTION FOR GOOD OR BAD AND
IT’S A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT.
WE WOKE UP IN A NEW WORLD AND
WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT THAT MEANS.
AS WE TALKED BEFORE, A LOT OF
LAWYERS INVOLVED, JUDGES WILL
BE INVOLVED BUT YOU WANT A
DECISION WHETHER DONALD TRUMP
IS REELECTED PRESIDENT TO BE UP
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WITHOUT
EXPERIENCE AND WE ARE NOT GOING