The NY State criminal case that will begin on April 15, 2019 is about whether former president Donald Trump lied about his expenses to cover up the payment of hush funds to pornographic star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential elections. NY argues that Trump’s actions violated NY State laws. Most of these are misdemeanors. The prosecution suggests that Trump’s alleged lying and covering up are a violation to federal campaign finance laws. This makes the misdemeanors even more serious and justifies prosecution.

First, the DOJ has a policy of not prosecuting such cases. This could be one of the reasons the federal government did not bring any charges against Trump regarding the Stormy-Daniels hush money case. Another reason could be that the DOJ believes Donald Trump’s expense claims are as truthful as Trump claims. Second, when Bill Clinton lied under oath and committed obstruction of justice in both a deposition as well as before a federal Grand Jury, denying that he had sexual relations with the then-White House assistant Monica Lewinsky in both a deposition as well a federal grand jury, the U.S. Senate ruled that Bill Clinton’s “lies about sex on oath” did not disqualify from holding the office of president.

On November 6, 1998, 430 law professors sent a letter to Congress stating that “making false allegations about sexual impropriety” before a federal grand jury “is not sufficient constitutional basis for the trial and removal of President of the United States.” Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein published a piece on October 4,98 in You can also find out more about the following: Washington Post The president of the United States was not disqualified for telling lies about sex when under oath, according to him.

Both the law professors letter and Professor Cass Sunsteins op ed attempted to argue that perjury in relation to a person’s private sex was a different offense from perjury in relation to the President’s performance of his political duties. A President would not be allowed to commit this type of perjury. It was noted that many people lie about adulterous relationships to protect their partners and preserve their marriages. This is not done to win or keep the presidency.

This is why Donald Trump is said to have paid Stormy Daniels hush money, because his alleged affair with Daniels coincided when Melania gave birth to Barron Trump. Bill Clinton’s perjury before a federal Grand Jury led to his acquittal in his impeachment case. After leaving office, Clinton only paid a penalty for his lies about sex under oath to a Federal Grand Jury: disbarment and a plea bargain. Donald Trump’s alleged sex lies in filing his expense account are minor compared with Bill Clinton’s sex lies under oath to a federal grand juries at a time he had sworn he would ensure that laws were faithfully implemented. Many people remember that Clinton’s DNA was discovered on a white stain found on Monika Lewinsky’s blue dress, proving he had had sexual relations with Lewinsky.

John Edwards was the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President. In 2004, he paid a woman a $1 million hush-money to cover up an alleged affair which led to an illegitimate baby. John Edwards was prosecuted by the U.S. Justice Department. He defended himself, arguing that he wanted to keep his wife from finding out about his adultery. He also claimed that lying about sex or paying hush money in order to cover it up were not illegal campaign donations. The trial ended with a hung juror, and the U.S. Justice Department decided not to reprosecute John Edwards. The Department adopted a position that DOJ wouldn’t prosecute the payment of hush-money as a campaign finance violation. Lies about sex are not eligible for prosecution as campaign financing violations. This explains again why the federal government declined to prosecute Donald Trump for his payments of hush funds to Stormy Daniels, among others.

Edwards’ actions involved much more hush cash than Trump had paid as well as an illegitimate birth. If what John Edwards committed was not a crime that warranted jail time, then what Donald Trump allegedly did by paying hush-money to Stormy Daniels is not enough to disqualify him from running for president.

The NY State prosecutorial misconduct in treating John Edwards differently than Donald Trump who paid hush-money and lied about doing so, suggests that the state has not been following its own rules. Even if Trump is convicted of the sham proceeding that will begin on April 15, voters should give him a pass for lying to cover up adultery, just as they did with Bill Clinton and John Edwards.