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An open letter from Department of Justice alumni with more than 550 signatures argues that Trump would be indicted for obstruction of justice if he wasn't president.Â
More than 550 former federal prosecutors have signed on to a growing list of Justice Department alumni asserting that Donald Trump would be indicted were he not president.
An open letter from the prosecutors, published on Medium, counters Attorney General William Barr's assertion that Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no case for charges.
"In our system, every accused person is presumed innocent and it is always the government's burden to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt," the letter reads.
"But, to look at these facts and say that a prosecutor could not probably sustain a conviction for obstruction of justice -- the standard set out in Principles of Federal Prosecution -- runs counter to logic and our experience."
The nonprofit group Protect Democracy organized the massive, bipartisan list of former federal prosecutors to serve as signatories.
The Washington Post noted numerous names on the list were prominent Republican prosecutors, office holders, and conservative Trump critics, such as former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who is challenging Trump for the Republican nomination in 2020.
As well as Paul Rosenzweig, a senior counsel to Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel whose own investigation made the case for impeachment against President Bill Clinton. Other Bush and Reagan administration alumni appear on the list as well
It also includes countless Democrats, including sitting U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who signed on after the letter was initially published.
The letter details a case against Trump, noting Mueller uncovered the creation of false evidence and outward threats to fire investigators mid-investigation.
"Firing Mueller would have seriously impeded the investigation of the President and his associates -- obstruction in its most literal sense. Directing the creation of false government records in order to prevent or discredit truthful testimony is similarly unlawful," the letter reads.
"The Special Counsel's report states: 'Substantial evidence indicates that in repeatedly urging McGahn to dispute that he was ordered to have the Special Counsel terminated, the President acted for the purpose of influencing McGahn's account in order to deflect or prevent scrutiny of the President's conduct toward the investigation.'"
Further attempts to limit the investigation by pressuring former officials like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, and White House Counsel Don McGahn raised further alarm.
