Former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova at Judicial Watch forum Sept. 29, 2016
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler’s demand to at least 81 Trump associates to answer questions about the president’s business, policies, practices, conversations, finances and relationships – is nothing but a “perjury trap.”
And the recipients of the questions should “take the Fifth,” said former federal prosecutor Joseph DiGenova in an interview with Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on “The Story.”
“This is a perjury trap,” DiGenova said. “It is not a legitimate investigation, it’s a fishing expedition. They are trying to get people up there to make them look bad so they can try to make the president look bad.”
He said that’s what happened to Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page, who was “framed by the FBI in an attempt to use a FISA warrant to go after the president.”
Page, especially, should stay away, DeGenova said.
“What the committee is going to try to do with Carter Page is make him look like he was a Russian spy when he wasn’t so they can dirty him up and refer him to the Justice Department for perjury.”
DiGenova said that if Page and others take the Fifth, the American people “will understand that this isn’t a legitimate investigation.”
“It’s political theater and disgraceful conduct approved of by the speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,” he said.
“This is a fraud, this investigation. It’s designed to smear people as witnesses and it is designed to perjury trap them and make phony referrals to the Justice Department. This is all about dirtying up the president of the United States, who it has been proven thus far has done absolutely nothing wrong,” he said.
And since it’s not a criminal proceeding, the Democrats “can say whatever they want when this is done. They’ll make up stuff.”
Speaking directly to the recipients of Nadler’s demands, DiGenova said: “If you go up and talk to them, you’re out of your mind.”