The Eggshell of Privilege Is All that's Stopping the Trump Lawyers from Talking--and It May Be Cracki

[mcar]

The Eggshell of Privilege Is All that's Stopping the Trump Lawyers from Talking—and It May Be Cracking
Pat Cipollone and Patrick Philbin could be compelled to answer questions they couldn't answer before.

By Charles P. Pierce

For all the groaning of the professionally impatient, the Department of Justice is best understood as like a water polo team: all sporting activity on the surface, with all the dirty grunt work taking place beneath the waterline. CNN reported Tuesday that the DOJ is very close to piercing the privilege that the former president* enjoyed with his White House lawyers, which would be a considerable development.

The move to compel additional testimony from former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin just last week is part of a set of secret court proceedings. Trump has been fighting to keep former advisers from testifying before a criminal grand jury about certain conversations, citing executive and attorney-client privileges to keep information confidential or slow down criminal investigators. But the Justice Department successfully secured answers from top vice presidential advisers Greg Jacob and Marc Short over the past three weeks in significant court victories that could make it more likely the criminal investigation reaches further into Trump’s inner circle.

The optimistic spin on this development is that a great number of the former administration*’s key players are diving for lifeboats, having tumbled to the fact that their ex-boss would sell them for parts to save himself. The pessimistic spin is that this kind of an investigation can get tied up in litigation forever, which is something the former president* has relied upon his entire adult life. But neither Cipollone nor Philbin owe him anything at this point....

Usually, one president lines up behind another on cases that involve executive privilege and/or what another president may or may not have done in office. The only exceptions involve proven criminal activity—that will get your membership in the Ex-Presidents Club revoked for an indefinite length of time. Seems like the current president may be changing the locks on the clubhouse.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a41770285/trump-privilege-lawyers/

[brer cat]

1. I hope he is right.

Thanks for posting, mcar. I always enjoy Charles Pierce.

[mcar]

4. YW brer

I don't always agree with him, but he has a great way of putting pieces together.

[Joinfortmill]

2. 👍

[2naSalit]

3. Hope so!

[dalton99a]

5. Kick