SEAFORD, NY — As Long Islanders witness history with the first former U.S. president charged with federal crimes, one former congressman doesn’t think the indictment of Donald Trump was warranted.
“These were primarily civil violations and with the country so divided, there was no harm or foul in the president’s actions or inactions,” Peter King told Patch.
The well-known South Shore-based congressman said the Department of Justice would have been better served by exercising prosecutorial discretion.
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But the longtime congressman doesn’t give a pass to the former commander-in-chief for possessing sensitive documents after leaving office.
“I’m not in any way excusing President Trump,” King said. “I’m just saying for the good of the country and, for the office of the presidency, they should not have indicted President Trump.”
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King also ponders if the Presidential Records Act supersedes the Espionage Act, and “was the Espionage Act ever intended for anything like this, because the president is different, whether he’s in office or out of office.”
Among the 37 counts Trump faces are retention of national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, conspiracy to obstruct and making false statements.
“What President Trump did was wrong. It was irresponsible. It made no sense,” King said. “He was not trying to prove some legal point. He was just being stubborn. That to me is indefensible.”
That said, King is not endorsing Trump for another White House bid. However, if polls are accurate and Trump wins the Republican nomination, “I would support him against Joe Biden, but to me, that’s a poor choice, either way. His policies are still better than Joe Biden’s.”
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