Watchdog vows to sue Trump if he runs for president, citing 14th Amendment
The head of a watchdog group that seeks to hold President Trump accountable said on Friday that he will fight efforts to remove him from office if he runs for president in 2020.
“The Office of the Special Counsel will be fighting them every step of the way,” David Skaggs, acting undersecretary of the Department of Justice for legislative affairs and acting OSC general counsel, said.
He said he would represent the Special Counsel’s Office in court if the organization were to remove Mr. Trump from office, or if he were to challenge that decision in a court.
“If I were to be removed from office, it would not be because of anything I said,” Mr. Trump said. “It would be because of the people, the Russians, and the illegal leaks of classified information.”
Trump attacks media, says Mueller probe a ‘witch hunt’
Mr. Trump had repeatedly criticized the Russia probe, often calling it a “witch hunt.” He had also claimed that there was no collusion between his campaign and Moscow, which he said was another reason he will take a hard stance against it.
The move, and subsequent comments, drew strong rebukes from lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called it a “dumb move” that “will hurt the rule of law.”
Mr. Trump also made headlines after he said on Friday that he would fire the Special Counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, if he ever finds evidence of obstruction of justice. The Special Counsel’s Office did not make any recommendations in its assessment of whether Mr. Trump illegally obstructed justice.
A spokesman for the Office of the Special Counsel declined to comment on Mr. Skaggs’ comments.
Mr. Skaggs is the former White House counsel for President George W. Bush. He has served for more than 20 years as general counsel and general counsel to the Federal Election Commission.
In his job as acting general counsel for the OSC, Mr. Skaggs oversaw the agency’s handling of