University Professor David Driesen spoke with Salon for the article, “Legal scholars warn SCOTUS could “manipulate” immunity definition to torpedo new Trump indictment” relating to a new indictment Special Counsel Jack Smith has filed against Donald Trump.
“It’s not clear whether this will work because on appeal the Supreme Court can manipulate the category of official conduct to create a broader immunity covering other elements of the indictment,” says Driesen.
“The Supreme Court ruling clearly overrode longstanding constitutional norms forbidding presidents from issuing orders to investigate political opponents or to challenge election results,” he says. “The forcing of these amendments to the indictment highlights how the high court has opened the door wide to autocracy.”