If you watch the news or follow politics, you have probably heard the term 'obstruction of justice' recently. Or maybe 'collusion.' And most likely the word 'Russia,' too. Often these words, one or all, are combined in a sentence with one familiar name: Trump. But what do they mean? And why does Donald Trump's name come up with these terms more often than not?
Obstruction of justice is technically defined by Cornell Law School as "whoever corruptly or by threats or force, or by any threatening letter or communication, influences, obstructs, or impedes, or endeavors to influence, obstruct, or impede, the due administration of justice." In simpler terms, obstruction of justice means interfering with the proper procedures of the justice system. Though as of now it is only speculation, the United States Commander-in-Chief, Donald Trump, has been accused of obstructing justice.
Right now, special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating the situations surrounding both James Comey and Michael Flynn's firing. Before a few days ago, Trump had been free from questioning by Mueller. Trump has even said, "Just so you understand, there's been no collusion. There's been no crime. And in theory, everybody tells me I'm not under investigation."
But is he right? There is pretty strong reason to believe that the president himself will soon fall victim to Mueller's questioning. Following Mueller's investigations, if he feels he has the grounds, he could possibly charge Trump with obstruction of justice, a crime punishable by at least impeachment for a sitting president; a crime that, in this case, could be considered a federal felony.
So what are the grounds for these obstruction allegations against the president? Apparently, the obstruction occurred when Trump fired Comey, the former FBI director, for investigating national security advisor Michael Flynn. Though Trump legally has the authority to do so, the grounds for the firing and the time in which the firing occurred are both highly questionable. Because obstruction of justice is such a straightforward term, the grounds for charging Trump are quite solid.
As if the allegations of obstructing justice weren't enough, the president has been accused of collusion. Collusion is just a fancy word for secret or illegal cooperation, and in this case, with Russia. Numerous claims of secret communications between the Trump administration and Russian officials have come to light in recent investigations.
The most recent allegations point to evidence that Russian money funded the Trump campaign via the NRA (National Rifle Association). But there are many questions surrounding the claims of collusion. We know that Russians were involved in hacking the DNC, even though Trump calls this a hoax, but were Trump, or members of his administration, involved in helping the Russians infiltrate the DNC, or was that done by the Russians own accord?
Regardless of feelings toward Trump, these allegations make many people wonder what is going on with this presidency. Every other day, there is a new article speculating Russian collusion by the Trump administration and others detailing more information on the obstruction of justice investigation by Robert Mueller.
It's hard to keep up with the new level of scandal that this administration has brought to the White House. Of course, just like every other citizen, the president is innocent until proven guilty, but the controversy surrounding this president makes you wonder if he could indeed be guilty of collusion and other crimes.
