‘Appreciable chance’ Donald Trump dies in prison

A former federal prosecutor, citing the number and scope of criminal charges against former President Trump, said there is a “high possibility” that he could face life in prison if he loses the 2024 election.

Harry Litman, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania during the Clinton administration, told former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.): Podcast Wednesday.

“If he doesn’t win, there’s a pretty good chance he’ll die in prison,” Litman said. “The whole timeline, the whole point of November crisis just goes away. So if he doesn’t win, [November] Fifth, these lawsuits are ready to be filed.”

He said that if Trump wins the election, he would likely use his power over the Justice Department to dismiss the two criminal cases against him and use his presidency to avoid prosecution in Georgia’s 2020 election lawsuits.

Trump has already been convicted of 34 felony business fraud counts in the New York hush-money case. He is appealing his conviction and is due to be sentenced in July. He faces up to four years in prison for the charges.

Litman predicted that Judge Juan Marchan will sentence Trump to a few months in prison for business fraud, but he may not have to serve several years because of a pending appeal.

The three other lawsuits Trump faces include a Washington, D.C.-based federal prosecution over his conduct surrounding election fraud and the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol, a Florida-based federal lawsuit over his mishandling of classified documents and obstructing government efforts to recover them, and a Georgia lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The Florida and Georgia cases have both been indefinitely stayed, and the Washington, DC case has been paused while the Supreme Court considers President Trump’s immunity request.

Trump currently holds a one-point lead over President Biden, according to the Hill/Decision Desk polling average.