Democrats see good chance of Garland prosecuting Trump

Senate Democrats believe there is a good chance the Department of Justice will prosecute former President TrumpDonald TrumpWendy Sherman takes leading role as Biden’s ‘hard-nosed’ Russia negotiator Senate needs to confirm Deborah Lipstadt as antisemitism envoy — Now Former acting Defense secretary under Trump met with Jan. 6 committee: report MORE for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election and inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which would have major political reverberations ahead of the 2024 presidential election.  

Democratic lawmakers say they don’t have any inside information on what might happen and describe Attorney General Merrick GarlandMerrick GarlandFBI arrests Oath Keepers leader on Jan. 6 charges Thousands of federal inmates being released this week under law signed by Trump Dangers of human smuggling and Biden’s border policy MORE as someone who would make sure to run any investigation strictly “by the book.”  

But they also say the fact that Garland has provided little indication about whether or not the Department of Justice has its prosecutorial sights set on Trump doesn’t necessarily mean the former president isn’t likely to be charged.  

Given the weight of public evidence, Democratic lawmakers think Trump committed federal crimes.  

But Senate Democrats also warn that Garland needs to proceed cautiously. Any prosecution that fails to convict Trump risks becoming a disaster and could vindicate Trump, just as the inconclusive report by Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) MuellerAn unquestioning press promotes Rep. Adam Schiff’s book based on Russia fiction Senate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG MORE’s team was seized upon as by Trump and his allies to declare his exoneration on a separate series of allegations.

Sen. Richard  Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said “clearly what [Trump] did” in the days leading up and the day of the Jan. 6 attack on Congress “falls in the ambit of what’s being investigated and perhaps is criminal.” 

Sen. Tim KaineTimothy (Tim) Michael Kaine​​Democrats make voting rights push ahead of Senate consideration Sunday shows – Voting rights legislation dominates Kaine says core of spending bill will pass but most of it is ‘dead’ MORE (D-Va.) said it’s up to the prosecutors at the Justice Department whether to charge Trump, though he believes that the former president’s actions on and before Jan. 6 likely violate federal law.  

“They have all of the evidence at their disposal,” he said.  

Kaine believes federal prosecutors are looking seriously at charges against Trump although he doesn’t have any inside information about what they may be working on.  

“My intuition is that they are” looking carefully at whether Trump broke the law, he said. “My sense is they’re looking [at] everything in a diligent way and they haven’t made a…