• Freefall@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    So, Fat Orange Clown, how is “hiding documents you shouldn’t have as a non-president” an official act? How is anything done as “not the president” an official act?

    RIP

    • Madison420@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      That’s not what they said iirc. Now everything has to be presented to determine if it was an official act, if so immunity, if not no immunity.

      It’s a very half hearted way to look like they’re backing trump but actually throwing him to the wolves since it’s not an official act and everyone knows it. It would similarly reverse clintons impeachment since lying to Congress was as president and therefore an official act.

      • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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        4 months ago

        It would similarly reverse clintons impeachment since lying to Congress was as president and therefore an official act.

        No, this decision wouldn’t affect that at all. This decision covers criminal prosecution, not impeachment. Now, if Clinton had been indicted, tried, and convicted of perjury for lying to Congress after Bush was elected in 2000, then it would be unwinding that conviction, if it was determined that it was an official act as president.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          I don’t think that actually matters, if a president is immune from serious criminal prosecution the same reasoning would make them immune from civil.

          • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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            4 months ago

            I don’t understand what you’re saying here.

            Impeachment isn’t a criminal process. It’s also not civil. Impeachment is it’s own thing, outside of the judicial system. A prosecutor can’t impanel a grand jury and have the grand jury impeach an elected or appointed official. If Clinton had been both impeached and removed from office, this decision would do nothing to affect that.

            On the other hand, if he had left office, and then had been criminally charged for lying to COngress, while he was sitting as President, and was convicted, then this decision would be unwinding it.

            • Madison420@lemmy.world
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              4 months ago

              Impeachment is by definition civil. If I can shoot you in the face and get immunity then I can certainly lie to Congress. They’re pretty literally saying it’s absolute immunity.

              “High crimes and misdemeanors” the president is immune to them all now. Criminal, civil, administrative, doesn’t matter with absolute immunity comes absolute power.

              • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
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                4 months ago

                It’s not a civil or criminal matter. Impeachment is inherently a political process. This ruling has near-zero bearing on it.

                • Madison420@lemmy.world
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                  4 months ago

                  It’s civil the clause even specifically refers to civil officers, it’s a civil process like every other process don’t by the government. There is no such thing as a political process.

                  • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
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                    4 months ago

                    It’s not civil because it doesn’t sit in the jurisdiction of a civil court or a court sitting in equity. Stop trying to use technical terms when you clearly have no grasp of their meaning.

                    There is such thing as a political process and the doctrine behind it was laid out decades before you were born. If you’d care to learn about the topic there have been countless law review articles written on the subject.