“Was you ever bit by a dead bee?” A drunken sailor asks that curious question of actress Lauren Bacall in the 1944 movie classic,…
“Was you ever bit by a dead bee?” A drunken sailor asks that curious question of actress Lauren Bacall in the 1944 movie classic, “To Have and Have Not.” This week, President Trump can claim two legal stings from dead bees, in the familiar forms of Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort. Indeed, the two late-Friday court filings by special counsel Robert Mueller and one by the U. S. Attorney for New York’s Southern District are detailed accounts of how to get stung by dead bees.
First and foremost, you have to step on them. With both Cohen and Manafort, the Trump legal team could face serious complications after actively seeking out close and ongoing relationships when it should have been cutting both men a wide berth. That does not mean these filings will send Trump into legal anaphylactic shock. Yet, once again, the greatest threats facing Trump may be due to missteps in response to the Mueller investigation, as opposed to the original allegations.
Soon after the release of the filings, Trump posted a tweet declaring, “Totally clears the President. Thank you!” Few others shared his enthusiasm, however, since the accusations directed against Trump — referred to as “Individual 1” in the filings — are about as vindicating as an indictment would be liberating. Nevertheless, there are three positive elements for the president.
Second, the vast majority of false statements and criminal allegations concern Cohen’s and Manafort’s ample criminal conduct – all unrelated to Trump or the 2016 campaign.
Third, and most important, prosecutors are seeking significant prison sentences for both men because both failed to cooperate to the extent that prosecutors demanded. Since both spoke extensively with prosecutors, they clearly were unwilling or unable to give Mueller what he demanded in exchange for sentencing reductions. After a long series of filings, the special counsel has given detailed accounts of plenty of suspicious characters but no clear collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
