Trump, Others, Plan For His Indictment, It Could Trigger Extradition Battle, “Imprisonment“
Q1 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Plans For Donald Trump's Indictment
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 17, 2021) - Officials in Palm Beach County in Florida are reportedly making contingency plans - probably in conjunction with his attorneys and advisors - to deal with any request for extradition should former president Donald Trump be indicted while he is at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Such a criminal indictment could come from the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, New York Attorney General Letitia James, or the District Attorney of Fulton County in Georgia, Fani Willis, suggests public interest law professor John Banzhaf, whose formal complaint triggered the criminal investigation of Trump in the Peach State.
Should his extradition to face criminal charges be sought while Trump is in Florida, it has been suggested that his removal could be blocked, at least temporarily, by Florida's governor, Ron Desantis, who is a close friend and political ally of the former president.
However, such a maneuver is unlikely to success, says Banzhaf, since it is seemingly precluded by the clear words of the U.S. Constitution, as well as by several Supreme Court decisions.
Leaving Florida
Moreover, because Mar-a-Lago is expected to close down for the season, Trump is scheduled to relocate to Bedminster, N.J., where the governor - Phil Murphy, a Democratic - is much less likely to try to block any extradition.
If that happens, says Politico, "it isn’t just the Florida heat he’s leaving behind: He could lose a key piece of political protection."
So, says Banzhaf, it may be illustrative to see if Trump is willing to leave Florida - for whatever possible political and legal safety it and DeSantis might be able to offer - for the summer, or whether he will instead find some way to remain in the Sunshine State.
Indeed, speculates a top prosecutor in Robert Mueller's special counsel investigation, Andrew Weissmann, an actual or even impending indictment could cause Trump to be effectively "imprisoned" in Florida:
“This happens all the time in foreign countries, where essentially you have people who are sort of imprisoned in a country. . . . It certainly would be quite an interesting issue if he were to, for instance — this is way down the road — but if he were to try and run again for president, he would not be inhabiting the White House in that situation because there would be papers seeking his extradition to New York.”
Further Complications
Events might be further complicated by two additional factors, says Banzhaf.
First, the clerk of the Circuit Court of Palm Beach county, the government official who would play a key role in dealing with any request for extradition, is a former close associate of President Joe Biden's younger brother, Frank.
Second, an indictment of Trump could well be a sealed and secret one - to be made public in connection with a formal request for extradition only when Trump is outside Florida - whether in New Jersey, or while visiting some other state to head a rally, meet with donors or political figures, or for any other reason.
That's the way a smart prosecutor would play it to avoid any delays or possible legal complications, argues Banzhaf.
