By Ed Mazza
John Dean, one of the leading figures in the scandal that ended the presidency of Richard M. Nixon, said Donald Trump could be nearing his own Watergate moment.
Former Trump campaign aide Rick Gates pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy against the United States and lying to the Special Counsel’s Office and the FBI. He also agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller.
On Saturday, Dean said the news should be of great concern to former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who faces multiple charges in the case, as well as the White House:
Mueller is throwing everything he can against Manafort, including Gates who can nail him. Increasingly it appears Manafort is the link to Russian collusion. If Gates can testify that Manafort was acting with Trump’s blessings, it’s the end of his presidency. That’s substantial. https://twitter.com/kendilaniannbc/status/967136196005650432 …
Dean added that the possibility Trump could pardon Manafort may not be an issue:
Mueller is throwing everything he can against Manafort, including Gates who can nail him. Increasingly it appears Manafort is the link to Russian collusion. If Gates can testify that Manafort was acting with Trump’s blessings, it’s the end of his presidency. That’s substantial. https://twitter.com/kendilaniannbc/status/967136196005650432 …
A number of folks have expressed concern in this Manafort thread that Trump will pardon him. Many of the counts in both the VA and DC indictments have state law counterparts that can be charged in NY and VA, where Trump had no pardon power. Checkmate is coming for Paul Manafort.
Dean served as White House counsel to Nixon and was dubbed the “master manipulator” of the Watergate cover-up by the FBI. However, he ultimately cooperated with prosecutors. He has been highly critical of Trump and his administration.
