Elliott Williams is a legal analyst at CNN. He is a former Assistant Assistant Attorney of the Justice Department and is currently the principal of the public relations firm Raben Group. Follow him on Twitter@elliotcwilliamsHe was a Justice Department Attorney from 2004 to 2007 and Assistant Secretary of Justice from 2013 to 2017. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. SeeOther Opinions on CNN.
(CNN)Walt Disney once saidto "realize your dreams" to carry out your vision We need people to do it. "
Former President Donald Trump had the vision of overturning the outcome of the free and fair elections in 2020 and staying in power for at least another term. On Thursday, we learned how close he was to realizing that vision for the people selected by the Justice Department.
While at the Justice Ministry, I worked closely with several men and women in each of these duties. The three positions oversee serious national security, human rights, and public security issues, so even accidental decisions by those who hold them affect the lives of millions of Americans. May give.
At five hearings, the Commission effectively presented its core theory. Trump led several months of coordinated multi-step efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 elections and stop the transfer of power. The latest inquiry has shown particularly harmful tactics. It's about going around the senior Justice Leader and trying to destroy him until he's an accomplice.
At this point, I don't know which is worse. The president is trying to bully the Justice Department to carry out an investigation, or the president is trying to use it as a mouthpiece.
It may not be intuitive to everyone that there should be a wall between elected civil servants and prosecutors. Many local prosecutors run for partisan elections, and in the federal system, the president (like any other person) appoints the Attorney General. Still, in order for the public to have the belief that the work of the Justice Ministry is done without the emergence of inappropriate political influence, there must be a clear separation between the work of the Justice Ministry and the work of the White House. Must be.
And when Trump didn't get the results he wanted from them, he simply tried to put them aside.
Clark refused to answer the question about the letter, citing his right to the Fifth Amendment for self-incrimination.
It is now clear that the ministry's non-compliant senior officials may have been the only reason to prevent Trump from pushing the country head-on into the constitutional crisis. Sadly, the revelation at the hearing on Thursday should not shock anyone. During his tenure, Trump gained a lot of experience in alienating, on the sidelines, and dismissing the best law enforcement personnel who chose not to carry out his bids.
I hope January 6th will never be seen again. But the hearing on Thursday was due to two additional disasters in the days leading up to January 6th. It reminded me of how dangerously close it was. With Clark, an important government agency at a time when countless Attorney Generals resigned and the United States needed it more than ever.
More importantly, Clark allowed Trump to realize his illegal vision if he was allowed to lead the department. It may have been a good enabler.
It is no exaggeration to say that the United States had resigned several times from the coup d'etat.
Trump was in power against the norms of democracy. Fortunately, the United States did not have the right people in place.