Former Federal Prosecutor Cites US Law Trump May Have Violated by Helping Saudis Cover Up Journalist's Murder

A former federal prosecutor said President Donald Trump may have broken U.S. law but helping to cover up the apparent abduction and murder of a Washington Post journalist by Saudi Arabia.

Glenn Kirschner, a former prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s District of Columbia office, said the president may have been an accessory after the fact — a violation of federal law — by helping the Saudis escape blame for Jamal Khashoggi’s death.

He also said Trump may have committed the same crime by helping Russian president Vladimir Putin evade responsibility for cyberattacks against the U.S. during the 2016 presidential election.

“There’s a specific name for what the president has said & done in connection with both the murder of Mr. Khashoggi & in Helsinki when he vouched for Putin’s denial of cyber-attacking our elections: it called Accessory After the Fact, 18 U.S. Code section 3,” Kirschner tweeted.

There’s a specific name for what the president has said & done in connection with both the murder of Mr. Khashoggi & in Helsinki when he vouched for Putin’s denial of cyber-attacking our elections: it called Accessory After the Fact, 18 U.S. Code section 3. https://t.co/UItULaimNS

— Glenn Kirschner (@glennkirschner2) October 16, 2018

Trump said Monday he had spoken to Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, and he accepted his denials of involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance — and the president floated a possible theory.

“I don’t want to get into his mind — but it sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers,” Trump said. “Who knows? We’re going to try getting to the bottom of it very soon. But his was a flat denial.”

Kirschner said the president’s statements were absurd, and a possible violation of criminal law.

“Imagine if ‘he denied it very strongly’ was a legal defense in court?” Kirschner tweeted. “Prosecutor: ‘The defendant was caught on video committing the crime & we found his DNA on the crime scene.’ Defense att: ‘yes but, the defendant denies it VERY strongly.’ Judge, “well then, case dismissed.'”

The former prosecutor followed up with a citation of the U.S. criminal code to show how Trump may have broken the law.

“Ok everyone-please have a look at the federal crime of Accessory After the Fact & recall what the president said in Helsinki (Putin strongly denied cyber-attacking our country) & what he’s saying now about the murder of Khashoggi (rogue killers). Thoughts?” he tweeted. #MuellerInvestigation