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Ken Starr, the former independent council whose investigation culminated in the removal of President Bill Clinton, said Monday that while the process reflected the necessary checks and balances, legislators should "be cautious".
"Impeachment is hell," said Starr on "CBS This Morning" when promoting his new book, Contempt: a brief from the Clinton inquiry. He later added, "I think history teaches us, the 90s story tells us about 2018."
The lawyer also said he saw "strange similarities" between the Clinton inquiry, which began with a real estate investigation and turned around the president's case with a trainee, and the continuing efforts of the Special adviser Robert Mueller. in Russian efforts to mingle in the 2016 elections.
"You do not know what's going to happen before you," Starr told animator John Dickerson. "The bottom line is that there are checks and balances to make sure the attorney does not do everything and no matter what. At that time, I had to consult the Attorney General and the Attorney General go to the special division of the court to say, "This must be investigated: the President of the United States commits -be crimes or perhaps has committed crimes. We must have a check and a balance. That's what we have in the Mueller inquiry.
Rumors of indictment have become relatively calm in recent months as Democrats have tabled the issue before the mid-term elections in November, fearing that this could alienate voters. Trump, however, speculated on his possible withdrawal from the office at a rally last week, telling his supporters that if he was indicted, "it's your fault because you did not go to vote" .
Starr said that although Clinton was indicted in the House but acquitted in the Senate, the "system worked".
"Our control system worked; that is, the president was held accountable. In fact, he had to respond to indictment articles, "Starr said. "But at the same time, the Americans are very lenient and we also want stability. So, one of the messages in this book is to pay attention to the indictment.
He continued: "The indictment is a hell and putting the nation through this process is really heartbreaking."
Trump's lawyers have known for months about Mueller's request that the president sits down for a large-scale interview about his presidential campaign and any possible hindrance to justice. Starr said he thought a US president had an obligation to obey the law, but "if I'm a criminal defense lawyer, I say, do not do it." Trump's lawyers fear that the president's unusual remarks would contradict and inadvertently lie to the investigators.
"I do not think he would engage in a perjury trap, no," Starr said of the special council. "I have every confidence in Bob Mueller."
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