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Jonathan Turley exposes the big question in potential third Trump indictment — and how it may ultimately backfire to help Trump: "You can't build a case based on Trump's Jan. 6 speech"
The Blaze ^ | 07/18/2023 | Chris Enloe

Posted on 07/18/2023 8:37:40 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Legal expert Jonathan Turley predicted Tuesday that another indictment against former President Donald Trump may backfire unless investigators possess air-tight evidence of a crime.

What is the background?

On Tuesday, Trump revealed that he received a "target letter" from special counsel Jack Smith on Sunday indicating that he is a target in the Jan. 6 investigation.

"Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ, sent a letter (again, it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and indictment," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

While the exact crimes for which Trump may be indicted are not clear, the notification suggests Trump will be criminally indicted for a third time.

What did Turley say?

Reacting to the development on Fox News, Turley said the case may be "constitutionally challenged" unless investigators have significant evidence that Trump committed a crime.

"If the case is built around Trump's speech on the ellipsis on Jan. 6, I don't believe that it could withstand judicial review," Turley said.

"The question is: Does Smith have something else? Something that's a direct link to a conspiracy or effort to cause violence? We haven't seen that," he explained. "I mean the Jan. 6 committee in Congress came up with nothing as a direct nexus to that type of evidence."

After news of the target letter broke, Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson called on Trump to suspend his 2024 campaign. But according to Turley, there is neither legal nor political justification for such action.

In fact, Turley predicted that in the absence of hard and convincing evidence, another indictment could backfire and actually help Trump.

"Each of these indictments seems to give him a boost in the polls. I mean, this is fulfilling his narrative that there's a weaponization of the criminal justice system," he said.

"That's why this indictment, if there is coming, could be so important," he continued. "With Mar-a-Lago, those were classic types of charges, a classic-built case. This one they have to really stick the landing so that no one will question it. ... That's gonna require some very direct and strong evidence. We haven't seen that.

"So if Smith doesn't have that type of evidence and he’s moving forward largely on the speech, then I think he will fulfill the narrative of Donald Trump," Turley said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: doj; fbi; harassment; indictment; insurrection; jacksmith; jan6; january6; jonathanturley; persecution; trump; turley
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1 posted on 07/18/2023 8:37:40 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Sounds like he is building it on A PHONE CALL.

THIS SWINE HAS GOT TO GO.

DID HE GET FISA PERMISSION TO SPY ON TRUMP’S PHONE CALLERS???


2 posted on 07/18/2023 8:40:42 PM PDT by Maris Crane
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To: SeekAndFind

THEY don’t care.


3 posted on 07/18/2023 8:41:16 PM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉)
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To: Maris Crane

RE: Sounds like he is building it on A PHONE CALL.

Exactly what was in the phone call that was so damning?


4 posted on 07/18/2023 8:42:22 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

They tried to impeach President Trump on January 6th. To try him again seems like double jeopardy.


5 posted on 07/18/2023 8:43:44 PM PDT by jonrick46 (Leftniks chase illusions of motherships at the end of the pier.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Turley is still imagining we live in pre-Bolshevik America.


6 posted on 07/18/2023 8:45:10 PM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: SeekAndFind

These commentators are way too polite. This is not business as usual. Democrats are letting criminals run the streets, while they criminalize political opposition.
I don’t think people are this stupid, they will see what’s going on.
But I think the democrats are planning to steal the election one way or the other.
And arrest anyone who objects.


7 posted on 07/18/2023 8:45:36 PM PDT by Williams (Stop Tolerating The Intolerant)
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To: SeekAndFind
After news of the target letter broke, Republican presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson called on Trump to suspend his 2024 campaign.

Anyone who is not a complete imbecile sees these indictments as nothing more than blatant election interference like in a banana republic. Hutchinson is essentially agreeing with election interference. He's saying the correct response is to go along with it. I would not vote for him for dog catcher, let alone President.

I assume that the "usual gang of idiots" (Romney, Christie, Cheney etc.) will be saying the same thing as Hutchinson.

8 posted on 07/18/2023 8:46:39 PM PDT by lasereye
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To: Williams

This is Boshevikism by stealthy degree.


9 posted on 07/18/2023 9:47:05 PM PDT by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)
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To: SeekAndFind

What these government tyrants are trying to do will not work.

They cannot be voted out of power nor lawyered out of power.

They have decided this is an all-out war against we the people, and it is either us or them. They refuse to abide by the law or the constitution. They have absolutely no respect for the sovereignty of the people.

We have to decide what we, the majority patriots, are prepared to do. We have to commit to action, overcome fear and let nothing stop us moving to re-establish a constitutional republic or be ready to die in the all-out effort it will certainly take.

We cannot abide by their corrupt rules or procedures or we are fools and cowards deserving to lose our country and our freedom.

Freedom is not free and it is time to pay.

Our answer must be, in one shouted and unified voice, “Not only NO, but HELL NO !”


10 posted on 07/18/2023 10:15:55 PM PDT by Gnome1949
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To: SeekAndFind

“You can’t build a case based on Trump’s Jan. 6 speech”

Silly Johnathan.

You can’t. But any D attorney general can build a case against Trump based on anything.


11 posted on 07/18/2023 10:35:15 PM PDT by ModelBreaker
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To: ModelBreaker

President Trump doesn’t stand a chance with a D.C. judge and jury.


12 posted on 07/19/2023 4:07:33 AM PDT by Russ (I )
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All these leftist legal types need to understand:

If Trump loses the 2024 AND is exonerated in all the legal actions against him (all charges are dropped after the defeat), he’s going to civil sue them all into eternal homelessness, not even a pair of underwear to their name.

He’ll win every law suit, open and shut.


13 posted on 07/19/2023 4:11:42 AM PDT by USCG SimTech
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To: SeekAndFind

Turley is NAIVE....the EVIL DEMOCRATS are ABOVE the LAW!


14 posted on 07/19/2023 4:19:20 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: SeekAndFind

On ABC News last night they were reporting on Trump’s announcement that he could be indicted very soon over J6. They played a clip of his J6 speech in which they cut out the part where he used people to “peacefully and patriotically” assemble at the Capitol.


15 posted on 07/19/2023 4:37:12 AM PDT by euram (allALL)
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To: Maris Crane

Opened a can of worms with this one. He called and asked them to get National Guard prior to Jan 6th.


16 posted on 07/19/2023 4:43:41 AM PDT by mware
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To: SeekAndFind

I believe Trump will be indicted on some novel new legal theory *and* he will be taken into custody and imprisoned for a period. They will probably let him bail out, but they will have their mugshot. It will fill every 2024 Dem campaign ad from coast to coast for dog catcher to POTUS.

Jack Smith does not care if his case is laughed at and dismissed. Disbar him. He won’t care. He will be a made man in the new OPP - Obama People’s Party.


17 posted on 07/19/2023 4:52:01 AM PDT by IamConservative (I was nervous like the third chimp in line for the Ark after the rain started.)
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To: Mr. Jeeves

Note to Turley: Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.


18 posted on 07/19/2023 4:54:05 AM PDT by mewzilla (We will never restore the republic if we don't first secure the ballot box.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Doesn’t make any difference if they have a case or not, it is all about continuing the Trump fatigue syndrome.


19 posted on 07/19/2023 4:54:47 AM PDT by Toespi
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To: jonrick46

Results are baked in b/c based in DC Circuit

Also- Make book they have an individual or several held in DC gulag who cracked. They will deliver coerced “testimony” “insurrection” actions were inspired by President. Everyone has a breaking point-

That is why they are moving at the speed they are


20 posted on 07/19/2023 4:59:24 AM PDT by slapshot ( - Get woke go broke-)
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