“Trump’s call for election-fraud probe fraught with peril”

Important Josh Gerstein in Politico:

President Donald Trump has put himself in a vexing position with his promise of a “major” voter fraud investigation, with little chance of proving his unsubstantiated claim that millions voted illegally in November and a high probability the effort will be panned as a fruitless political exercise.

If Trump tries to kickstart an aggressive criminal investigation, he is sure to fuel charges he is politicizing the Justice Department. If instead he chooses a more modest blue-ribbon-panel-style inquiry, Trump is likely to have trouble attracting prominent Democrats who could give the effort more legitimacy.

 Former Justice Department officials warned Wednesday that conducting a presidentially-directed, wide-scale probe into election fraud would put top lawyers there in the uncomfortable position of having to pass judgment on a claim repeatedly leveled by Trump, but lacking in evidence: that 3-5 million people voted illegally in the election that delivered him to the White House.
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