The indictment of former President Donald Trump in New York City is unprecedented, but it’s not as if no POTUS has faced serious legal trouble before. Just ask John W. Dean, who was White House Counsel for President Richard Nixon, the Watergate-embattled Republican POTUS who became the only President to ever resign from the office when he quit in 1974.
Dean’s view of what’s happening now in Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg‘s case against Trump, and the related actions of Trump’s great defender, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan, come from a unique perspective of having seen a version of this show before.
Dean says Jordan is “playing way out of his league” in trying to stifle Bragg’s prosecution, praising Bragg’s “brilliant” move to sue Jordan and block “frivolous subpoenas from the House Judiciary Committee.”
Brilliant move by DA Bragg to block frivolous subpoenas from House Judiciary Committee by seeking a declaratory judgment in the US District Court in SDNY! Jim Jordan is playing way out of his league. https://t.co/Om0KFeT8Dr
— John W. Dean (@JohnWDean) April 11, 2023
Dean knows something about hush money, too, a key ingredient in Bragg’s case. Though he later cooperated with the investigators and testified about the cover-up, Dean was instrumental in orchestrating the payment of hush money to the Watergate burglars and in helping to coordinate the efforts of the White House staff and the Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP) to conceal the involvement of the Nixon administration in the famous Watergate break-in.
Dean openly mocks Jordan, contradicting him (about the use of federal funds) and referring to him as “Jimmy” in the tweet below. “Jimmy, your tweet is very dishonest as are your efforts to obstruct the NYC prosecution!” Dean writes.
First, “they” are the people of NYC. Second no federal funds of any significance are involved. Jimmy, your tweet is very dishonest as are your efforts to obstruct the NYC prosecution! https://t.co/rcYZzgpGwE
— John W. Dean (@JohnWDean) April 11, 2023
Dean is one of the few people on earth who knows firsthand how personal testimony can bring down a President. In 1974, Dean pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and agreed to cooperate with the investigation into the Watergate affair in exchange for a reduced sentence. He was sentenced to one to four years in prison, but was released after serving four months due to good behavior.
His testimony and cooperation with the investigation ultimately exposed the extent of the White House’s involvement in the Watergate cover-up and led to Nixon’s resignation.
Jordan’s pursuit of Bragg in defense of Trump appears destined to battle distractions, as there are other issues that may also see the Congressman huddling with his lawyers.
Can we ask you questions? https://t.co/DaZOpvaVlp
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) April 11, 2023
.jpg){kind=link}