Trump Worries In Twitter Rant: "Attorney-Client Privilege Is Dead!"

Donald Trump

Donald Trump was still in Twitter-rant mode this morning as he continued to rail about yesterday's raid by the FBI on his personal lawyer's office, home and hotel room.

Declarations of "Attorney–client privilege is dead!" and "A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!" flew from the Trumpster's fingers even as the Twitterverse pointed out that attorney/client privilege does have limits.

If there's evidence his lawyer, Michael Cohen, was aiding Trump in committing fraud, in the area of campaign finance for instance, attorney/client privilege becomes null and void.

It's possible Trump had no idea that there are limits to attorney/client privilege.

Additionally, as I mentioned yesterday in my report on the raids, it is rare for the FBI to execute a search warrant on an attorney. For the FBI to have taken such extreme steps means they probably expected Cohen to be considering destroying evidence, but also had to convince a magistrate of that via hard evidence.

Plus, while Trump would like to believe this is all a partisan attack, folks were quick to point out that  the top decision-makers who have been involved in the ongoing Trump investigations have all been Republicans.

Attorney–client privilege is dead!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018

A TOTAL WITCH HUNT!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 10, 2018

The main exception to atty client privilege is crime fraud, which means the FBI has evidence of Cohen helping Trump commit a crime.

Trump knows the GOP won't stand up to him & odds are, he'll move quickly to get Mueller fired or cripple the investigation.https://t.co/q98bc5PTPr

— Wes Jordan💦 (@wesley_jordan) April 10, 2018

"The [attorney-client] privilege takes flight if the relation is abused. A client who consults an attorney for advice that will serve him in the commission of a fraud will have no help from the law. He must let the truth be told."
Justice Cardozo for the Court, Clark v U.S., 1933

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 10, 2018

This tonight from a former FBI colleague:
👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
“I’ve been an FBI special agent for 20 years and have only seen a handful of searches executed on attorneys. All of those attorneys went to prison.”

— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) April 10, 2018

Trump claimed again today that the FBI investigation against him is run by Democrats. But…

Mueller is a Republican

Sessions is a Republican

Comey is a Republican

Rosenstein is a Republican

McCabe is a Republican

The 4 FISA judges are Republicans

There ARE no Democrats.

— John Aravosis (@aravosis) April 9, 2018

I use the attorney-client privilege. I know the attorney-client privilege. The attorney-client privilege is a friend of mine. And the attorney-client privilege is not dead. What is dead is using the privilege to hide illegal acts. And that has been dead for a long time. #basta

— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) April 10, 2018