The Justice Department is preparing to close two federal criminal cases against President-elect Donald Trump as he gets ready to take office for a second term in January.
This decision follows the Department’s long-established policy that prohibits prosecuting a sitting president.
Citing a 2000 Office of Legal Counsel memo, officials referenced a precedent dating back to the Watergate era, which asserts that prosecuting a president in office could disrupt the executive branch and violate the separation of powers.
The memo emphasized that an indictment could impede essential presidential functions, declaring that “an impeachment proceeding is the only appropriate way to address a sitting President.”
Former Attorney General Bill Barr expressed his support for this protocol in a recent interview with Fox News Digital, affirming the Justice Department’s stance on presidential immunity.
