• HelixDab2@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    6 months ago

    It would similarly reverse clintons impeachment since lying to Congress was as president and therefore an official act.

    No, this decision wouldn’t affect that at all. This decision covers criminal prosecution, not impeachment. Now, if Clinton had been indicted, tried, and convicted of perjury for lying to Congress after Bush was elected in 2000, then it would be unwinding that conviction, if it was determined that it was an official act as president.

    • Madison420@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      6 months ago

      I don’t think that actually matters, if a president is immune from serious criminal prosecution the same reasoning would make them immune from civil.

      • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        6 months ago

        I don’t understand what you’re saying here.

        Impeachment isn’t a criminal process. It’s also not civil. Impeachment is it’s own thing, outside of the judicial system. A prosecutor can’t impanel a grand jury and have the grand jury impeach an elected or appointed official. If Clinton had been both impeached and removed from office, this decision would do nothing to affect that.

        On the other hand, if he had left office, and then had been criminally charged for lying to COngress, while he was sitting as President, and was convicted, then this decision would be unwinding it.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          6 months ago

          Impeachment is by definition civil. If I can shoot you in the face and get immunity then I can certainly lie to Congress. They’re pretty literally saying it’s absolute immunity.

          “High crimes and misdemeanors” the president is immune to them all now. Criminal, civil, administrative, doesn’t matter with absolute immunity comes absolute power.

          • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            6 months ago

            It’s not a civil or criminal matter. Impeachment is inherently a political process. This ruling has near-zero bearing on it.

            • Madison420@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              6 months ago

              It’s civil the clause even specifically refers to civil officers, it’s a civil process like every other process don’t by the government. There is no such thing as a political process.

              • Telodzrum@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                6 months ago

                It’s not civil because it doesn’t sit in the jurisdiction of a civil court or a court sitting in equity. Stop trying to use technical terms when you clearly have no grasp of their meaning.

                There is such thing as a political process and the doctrine behind it was laid out decades before you were born. If you’d care to learn about the topic there have been countless law review articles written on the subject.

                • Madison420@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  It doesn’t need to be in a court to be a civil matter it just needs to be codified in law and not criminal. I’d say you need to take your own advice.

                  There’s simply not, there’s administrative process but literally zero “political process” exists in law in the United States. None.