Trump appears to have committed ‘massive fraud’ against Americans

The incoming chairman of the House Judiciary Committee — which is responsible for starting the impeachment process — now says it looks like Trump is “at the center of a massive fraud against the American people.”

“Until now, you had two different charges, allegations, whatever you want to call them” against Trump, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) told the New York Times. “One was collusion with the Russians. One was obstruction of justice and all that entails. And now you have a third — that the president was at the center of a massive fraud against the American people.”

The allegations of this fraud are serious, and come from federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York (SDNY).

In a memo outlining sentencing recommendations for Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, prosecutors also alleged that Trump personally orchestrated an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 election.

In part based on Cohen’s testimony, prosecutors say Trump ordered Cohen to pay hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her from going public about having an affair with Trump.

The way the payoffs were orchestrated would constitute a serious violation of campaign finance law. They would count as a felony because they were a deliberate effort to avoid reporting a campaign expense in order to hide information that might have altered the outcome of the election.

A criminal case based on similar actions was brought against former Sen. John Edwards in 2012.

When Democrats take over the House of Representatives in the new year, Nadler will lead the Judiciary Committee.

He has made clear that in his tenure, he will end the “nonsense” investigations by House Republicans that have been a “waste of time.”

Instead of engaging in oversight of Trump and the possible crimes he has committed — including collusion, obstruction of justice, and fraud — Republicans have used taxpayer resources to conduct endless, pointless investigations of Hillary Clinton and her emails.

But now that Democrats are in charge, Trump’s corrupt presidency will soon get the scrutiny it deserves in Congress.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.