On 2018-11-21, The New York Times reported that President Donald Trump had pushed for prosecutions against his 2016 election rival Hillary Clinton and former FBI director James Comey.
The report, which cited unnamed sources, said the idea surfaced earlier in 2018 and drew a warning from then White House lawyer Donald McGahn. According to the account, McGahn told Trump to back off because the move could expose him to accusations of abuse of power.
The Times said it was not clear what specific crimes Trump wanted the Justice Department to examine. It also reported that McGahn, who has since left the White House, warned Trump he could face impeachment risk if he went ahead.
Trump has repeatedly accused Clinton and the foundation set up by her husband, former president Bill Clinton, of corruption. He has also continued to accuse Hillary Clinton of criminal conduct over her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state before her failed 2016 presidential campaign.
At rallies, Trump has led chants of “lock her up,” a reference to Hillary Clinton. He also fired Comey in 2017 and has accused the former FBI director of breaking the law after Comey gave information to The New York Times about his interactions with the president.
The report landed as Trump was already facing accusations that he tried to interfere with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into alleged collusion between his campaign and Russia.
