Abdication may open a Pandora’s box of costly court cases both old and new
DONALD TRUMP faces a blizzard of lawsuits and even the potential threat of jail when he leaves office next year, as he will l ose the l egal protections afforded to a sitting president.
From allegations of tax evasion to potential charges arising out of the Mueller investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, the outgoing president and his legal team can expect to spend considerable time in court.
Estimates of the number of cases vary, with some experts suggesting that there could be more than a dozen.
Potentially, the biggest threat comes from an investigation into his tax affairs being pursued by Letitia James, the New York attorney general, and Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan district attorney.
Mr Vance subpoenaed eight years of Mr Trump’s tax returns from his accounting firm, Mazars USA.
The president fought tooth and nail to avoid the documents being released without success, with the Supreme Court rejecting his argument that he enjoyed immunity because of his office.
Should Mr Trump be found guilty of tax evasion, he could face up to five years in jail.
The other major threat is posed by the Mueller investigation.
Mr Mueller did not clear the president of the obstruction of justice, but merely ruled that he was bound by Justice Department guidelines that a criminal indictment could not be made against a sitting president.
According to the report, there were 10 occasions when Mr Trump may have obstructed justice. Once he is stripped of presidential immunity, there is a danger that prosecutors may want to revisit the issue.
In office, Mr Trump has used his powers to protect allies, including commuting Roger Stone’s jail sentence. He has also pardoned sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt of court. The president asserted in 2018 that he could pardon himself, but this has been disputed by legal scholars.
There is also a raft of civil cases that could cost Mr Trump dearly both financially and in terms of his reputation.
Summer Zervos, a contestant on The Apprentice, is suing Mr Trump for defamation after he denied her allegations that he sexually assaulted her in 2007.
E Jean Carroll, an advice columnist, is also accusing him of defamation after Mr Trump denied her allegations of rape.
Another embarrassing case has been brought by Mary Trump, the president’s niece, who accuses him and other members of the Trump family of cheating her out of her inheritance.
Mr Trump will also have to defend a case brought by Michael Cohen, his former lawyer, who is suing the Trump organisation for nearly $2 million in legal fees.