Trump Administration Fights Order to Release Clinton-Lewinsky Secrets
Whoever first said "politics make for strange bedfellows" didn't know Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.
Some say Shakespeare, some say another year. But the expression was never more true than in 2018, when the Trump administration asked a court not to release grand jury records about Clinton's sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
The Justice Department has appealed a court order to unseal records that have been secret for two decades. It may not have any impact on the Stormy Daniels case, but the irony is not lost on anybody who enjoys a historical plot twist.
'Extreme Public Interest'
Ruling on a request from CNN, Judge Beryl Howell said last month that most of the Clinton files should be made public. Administration lawyers have asked the D.C. Court of Appeals to reverse.
According to reports, the government attorneys argue that the trial court lacks authority to release grand jury records of "extreme public interest." It's not the first time Trump has sided with the Clintons.
After Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, the White House said Comey had "unfairly" smeared former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Of course, that was an affair of a different color.
Since then, Trump has called for a special prosecutor to investigate his former adversary. But he also said as much during their presidential campaigns.
Trump Affairs
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, the President's personal lawyers have pushed back discovery in the Daniels' case. Her lawyer says the Trump affair count is up to four -- four women who say they were paid to kept their affairs secret.
It's hard to sort out the legal from the personal and political intrigue, but it makes for some interesting reading. It should be especially interesting when the Clinton records are released.
As for Trump, it may not take as many years. News travels faster in the internet age, and apparently the President's Twitter account is open to the public again.
Related Resources:
- Judge: Trump Blocks on Twitter Violate First Amendment (FindLaw's DC Circuit Blog)
- Court Probes Guantanamo Lawyers' Spying Claims (FindLaw's DC Circuit Blog)
- District of Columbia Court of Appeals (FindLaw's Cases & Codes)