POLITICO: How an Adam Schiff indictment could shake the Senate

President Donald Trump’s retribution campaign against his political adversaries could soon hit the Senate — and lawmakers are already bracing for impact.

After securing the indictments of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, Trump has his sights set on Sen. Adam Schiff, the California Democrat who as a member of the House managed the president’s first impeachment trial.

If Schiff ends up indicted on allegations of mortgage fraud — a charge he has vehemently denied — or for any other claim, it would mark an unprecedented escalation for Trump to target an outspoken political adversary who is also a federal elected official.

As Schiff solicits dollars for a legal defense fund and builds an expansive political operation prepared to do damage control around any potential charges, Schiff’s Democratic colleagues in Congress are increasingly anxious about their own vulnerability. They are also frustrated with the unwillingness of Republican senators to speak out on Schiff’s behalf.

“I’ve spoken to a number of Republicans, and they are certainly disquieted, if not dismayed, by the increasing weaponization of the Department of Justice,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “Because it tears down the norms and rule of law that protects them and all Americans, as well as Adam Schiff and Democrats who may be targeted by Trump.”

No - more specifically, a Democrat Senator.

Republicans are below the law. The bogus case against Senator Ted Stevens back in 2008 causing him to lose his re-election in Alaska is why we have Obamacare now. It wasn’t tossed on a technicality it was tossed as being completely bogus.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/judge-lambastes-prosecutors-dismisses-ted-stevens-conviction-1.814451

https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-aghast-that-stevens-prosecutors-will-not-be-disciplined

Stevens almost certainly would have won re-election with his usual 30 point+ blowout but for his bogus indictment and conviction. Instead, he narrowly lost, giving the Democrats their 60th seat to have cloture on Obamacare’s initial vote. Then after that, even with Scott Brown’s upset victory in Massachusetts, it was too late to stop it, as they were able to pass the House’s amended version on reconciliation which does not require 60 votes.

https://www.politico.com/story/2012/03/report-blasts-prosecutors-in-stevens-case-074056

“Federal prosecutors knowingly concealed exculpatory evidence and allowed false testimony to be presented at trial in their overzealous pursuit of criminal charges against the late Sen. Ted Stevens, a scathing new report by a special investigator finds. “The investigation and prosecution of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens were permeated by the systematic concealment of significant exculpatory evidence which would have independently corroborated Senator Stevens’s defense and his testimony, and seriously damaged the testimony and credibility of the government’s key witness,” Schuelke wrote in the summary of his report.”

James is dead to rights, Schiff will be a harder lift with there being legitimate questions about what constitutes primary residence.

James clearly committed mortgage fraud, but I doubt any of them will be finally convicted.

With Schiff, he either committed mortgage fraud, or his primary residence is in not in California. Embarrassing for his attorneys to have to make that argument, but I expect it is plenty to spare him a conviction in Maryland.

And if that proves Schiff committed perjury when he swore he was a resident of California, when filing for a place on the ballot, I don’t see any chance of him being charged by the State of California.

Unless maybe his fellow Democrats see an opportunity to open up a Senate seat there is zero chance of a Republican winning…

Now THAT would make me laugh.

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