Ex-DOJ official imagines devastating impact presidential immunity could have on Congress
Mary McCord, a former acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, walked through the knock-on impact she says the recent U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity decision will have on Congress.
Writing for Just Security on Tuesday, McCord said that while attention has been paid to the power the ruling — which states presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for official actions carried out while in office — gives to Trump, it also has grave consequences for the other branches of the U.S. government.
McCord pointed specifically to the "alarming abuses of official power that are made possible by the Court’s ruling, and the neutering of Congress’s ability to act."
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She said among the questions raised are the effect on Congress' funding for certain areas of law enforcement; whether congressional legislation that governs the Justice Department can be enacted; or whether Congress can even request certain information from the FBI or DOJ.
"Could the President direct the FBI to engage in unlawful surveillance of Americans? Or to target individuals or groups based on race or religion?" she asked.