Swalwell says lawmakers working to extend criminal statute of limitations for sitting presidents

Rep. Eric Swalwell said Tuesday that lawmakers are working on legislation to extend the statute of limitations for crimes committed by presidents, allowing them to be charged once their terms end.

With special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation expected to wrap up in the coming weeks, the California Democrat said members of Congress are preparing for the possibility of evidence that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign colluded with Russia.

“I don’t think any person should be above the law,” Swalwell said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “What concerns me is that right now the president may escape criminal liability because he could win a reelection and the statute of limitations could run” out.

Swalwell said he doesn’t believe a sitting president should be immune from indictment, as a Justice Department protocol dating to Watergate says the commander in chief is. But freezing the statute of limitations during a president’s term — as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said he was considering last year — could allow for prosecution once a president leaves office.

When asked whether he is writing the proposed legislation, Swalwell said it is “in the works.”

“But I do believe there are indictments waiting for this president,” said Swalwell, a member of the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees.

The statute of limitations in most federal cases is five years, a deadline that could play a role in any case involving Trump.

Swalwell — who is mulling a 2020 presidential run — said he believes circumstantial evidence of collusion exists and that he feels confident the public will see Mueller’s report once the probe is complete.

Article originally published on POLITICO Magazine

Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/19/swalwell-president-criminal-statute-of-limitations-1227115
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Katie Galioto

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