Back a criminal probe

Buttigieg becomes the latest 2020 Dem to back a criminal probe into Trump post-office

By PIA DESHPANDE

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has become the latest presidential candidate to endorse a criminal investigation into President Trump once he leaves office, supporting an issue that appears to have become the latest litmus test for the Democratic field.

“I would want any credible allegation of criminal behavior to be investigated to the fullest,” Buttigieg told The Atlantic in an interview conducted Wednesday and published Thursday.

Buttigieg's comments follow a similar statement from his 2020 rival Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor and attorney general. Harris, in an interview published Wednesday, said the Justice Department would have “no choice” other than to charge Trump with obstruction of justice if he was not impeached.

“The president is not above the law,” the senator told NPR.

The bubbling debate over a criminal investigation into Trump follows another flashpoint among the 2020 Democrats — whether to support impeaching Trump. Sen. Elizabeth Warren was the most aggressive out of the gates, calling in April for the House to begin impeachment proceedings. A number of other contenders followed suit.

Trump’s relatively cozy relationship with Russia continues to draw scrutiny, despite President Vladimir Putin’s comments on Thursday that U.S.-Russia relations are getting worse. Earlier this week, Trump said he might not report to the FBI if a foreign source offered damaging information about an opponent.