Former DOJ prosecutor, attorney, and author Kenneth Foard McCallion spoke about Trump’s legal and alleged financial troubles with Chauncey Devega from Salon. He discussed all of Trump’s cases and expressed concerns about the classified documents, as well as judges, witnesses, and democracy.
“He can run, but he can’t hide”
The lawyer discussed current and upcoming Trump cases and noted, “I think there are some convictions that are going to come down against him before the election in November; he’s probably less concerned about doing major time in prison than he is about losing his assets.” McCallion quipped, “He can run, but he can’t hide.”
A “doomsday scenario”
When asked about the alleged mishandling of classified documents and his current debt of around half of a billion dollars, McCallion called it a “doomsday scenario.” He continued, “Trump was either psychologically a kleptomaniac by taking the top-secret papers down to Mar-a-Lago, or he’s crazy like a fox.” The lawyer added, “For all we know, Trump may have already reached out through intermediaries to market some of the top-secret information that he has.”
Urging the DOJ and other agencies to monitor Trump
The lawyer and author shared, “Trump is desperate, so he may run the substantial risk that he will get caught red-handed.” He added that the FBI and other agencies “have a pretty good surveillance net now on targets for possible treasonous activities.” But that’s not McCallion’s only worry when it comes to the former president.
Like a “mob boss”
“Trump is acting like a mob boss who is trying to intimidate and otherwise threaten the judges, jurors, and witnesses in his trials – and the FBI must be more active in stopping this behavior,” Devega wrote, pointing out that these were real concerns McCallion shared.
The case of Judge Cannon
McCallion said Judge Cannon is cautious, “but she has still given Trump a lot of leeway.” The lawyer and author of “Profiles in Courage in the Trump Era” noted that the case is strong since Trump was caught “red-handed with top secret documents,” and he believes that the DOJ will successfully present its case “whether Judge Cannon personally likes it or not.”
The case of Fani Willis
The attorney said about the current situation in Georgia, “It’s a distraction,” though he clarified that allegations against DA Willis and Special Counsel Wade were “not completely unfounded.” Still, McCallion stated that none can “affect the merits of the case against Trump and the other defendants.” The lawyer said that Willis should have stepped aside despite being an experienced prosecutor.
January 6 case is more “complex”
McCallion elaborated that the D.C. case is “more complex and difficult” compared to Florida and Georgia. He also said it would not be a fast trial due to the number of witnesses, yet he is confident that the jury will see that Trump planned the riots and urged followers to act violently.
In Trump’s mind
Since McCallion dealt with Trump personally, Devega wondered, “What do you think is going through Trump’s mind? What are the conversations that Trump’s attorneys are having with him right now?” McCallion noted that Trump received some good advice but warned, ” If Trump did not have the ego and psychological self-aggrandizement issues that he has, he would be making deals right now.”
Hur’s report
The two also talked about Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden, which McCallion called a “cheap shot,” adding that it had “nothing to do with his legal professional responsibilities.” The report does not charge Biden with any crimes but describes him as an “elderly man” with memory troubles.
Stretching out proceedings
Devega wondered about delaying tactics in Trump’s cases, and McCallion said, “Dragging out the timeline for as long as possible is key to any defense strategy.” He hopes that “at least one or more of these criminal proceedings will come to trial by the summer.”
The FBI’s pivotal role
Apart from worrying about classified documents, the former prosecutor and Devega discussed threats against witnesses, jurors, judges, and prosecutors. McCallion said he was “surprised” that the DOJ and other law enforcement agencies haven’t been harder, adding, “The FBI has a unit working full time on this, but additional resources are going to have to be put in place to stop and prosecute those people who are attempting to interfere with the judicial process.”
Lessons from the Trump era
McCallion pointed out that “there are growing numbers of our fellow citizens who want to enjoy the benefits of democracy, free speech, etc., but do not want to assume the responsibilities of being a juror or respecting the rule of law.” He hopes that once the guilty verdicts start coming in, and “and the guilty are appropriately sentenced” the US will “wake up” and see that our “legal system is one of the bedrocks of our democratic system.”
Read the whole interview on Salon.
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