{"id":2761,"date":"2026-05-24T11:39:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T11:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/24\/former-prosecutor-pursued-by-trump-calls-for-crackdown-on-election-lies-lying-can-be-held-to-account\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T11:39:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T11:39:42","slug":"former-prosecutor-pursued-by-trump-calls-for-crackdown-on-election-lies-lying-can-be-held-to-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2761","title":{"rendered":"Former prosecutor pursued by Trump calls for crackdown on election lies: \u2018Lying can be held to account\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"406e91d5-6b58-474e-9fbf-d727623bd369\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A man in a black suit speaks into a microphone at a lectern in front of blue curtains\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/983aef2492e787de3d657d33d939a61ed2005895\/0_0_4200_2800\/master\/4200.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Andrew Weissmann says the US must be \u2018as creative as possible\u2019 and introduce sweeping structural reforms if the country escapes its current \u2018mess\u2019.<\/span> Photograph: Nina Westervelt\/Variety via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"406e91d5-6b58-474e-9fbf-d727623bd369\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Andrew Weissmann says the US must be \u2018as creative as possible\u2019 and introduce sweeping structural reforms if the country escapes its current \u2018mess\u2019.<\/span> Photograph: Nina Westervelt\/Variety via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Former prosecutor pursued by Trump calls for crackdown on election lies: \u2018Lying can be held to account\u2019<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-b3fmmo\">\n<p>Andrew Weissmann argues for new law to hold political liars like US president accountable for harming democracy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Politicians must be held accountable if their lies damage democracy, according to a former US federal prosecutor and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/fbi\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">FBI<\/a> general counsel who was pursued by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The US must be \u201cas creative as possible\u201d and introduce sweeping structural reforms if it escapes its current \u201cmess\u201d, said Andrew Weissmann, laying out a proposal for a legislative crackdown on election deceit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cLying can be held to account,\u201d argued Weissmann, a senior figure in former FBI director Robert Mueller\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2019\/mar\/25\/the-mueller-report-key-findings\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">investigation<\/a> of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and Trump\u2019s links to Moscow.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"cbe5ff26-14ef-4584-8549-d89f8b61bfbd\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-3 | 3\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-1ljij2n\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/live\/2026\/may\/21\/donald-trump-ballroom-reconciliation-bill-republicans-democrats-war-powers-iran-epa-ai-latest-news-updates\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Democrats release 2024 presidential campaign autopsy; Republicans could abandon $1bn proposal for Trump\u2019s ballroom \u2013 live<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The former federal prosecutor remains a prominent voice against Trump and his assault on US institutions and justice, as a professor and analyst for liberal cable network MS Now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Speaking from Paris, where he teaches for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyu.edu\/academics\/studying-abroad\/summer-abroad\/ogp-administered-programs\/paris.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">NYU<\/a>, Weissmann said: \u201cIf we ever get out of this mess, what systemic reforms can we do? Because I think we tried going back to the old norms [under Joe Biden] and thinking that was going to be enough, and maybe it will be, but I just have been thinking a lot about, structurally, what we can do differently.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI think the circumstances in the United States have made it imperative that we be as creative as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In a new book, <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.bookshop.org\/p\/books\/liar-s-kingdom-how-to-stop-trump-s-deceit-and-save-democracy-andrew-weissmann\/5f74be925234781f?ean=9781035447244&amp;next=t&amp;next=t&amp;affiliate=10403\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Liar\u2019s Kingdom<\/a>: How to Stop Trump\u2019s Deceit and Save America, Weissmann makes the case for major reform to hold political liars to account when their lies damage democracy itself, without falling afoul of free speech rights under the first amendment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Weissmann proposes a Truth in Elections Act, built on existing law. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/113th-congress\/house-bill\/258\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Stolen Valor Act<\/a> of 2005, which criminalizes lying about military honors \u201cwith intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit\u201d, survived a US supreme court challenge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Laying out his case for new legislation, Weissmann pointed to countries that protect elections from damaging lies. Examples include Brazil, where former president Jair Bolsonaro was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/nov\/25\/jair-bolsonaro-brazil-prison\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">jailed<\/a> for election fraud lies that fueled a failed coup, and the UK, where, in 2010, Labour MP Phil Woolas <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2011\/mar\/21\/phil-woolas-charges-false-election-statements\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">lost his seat<\/a> after falsely suggesting an opponent supported extremist violence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe principal argument against\u201d strict policing of election lies is that it chills free speech, Weissmann said. \u201cBut I\u2019m not very sympathetic to the idea that the solution to false speech is more free speech, for a variety of reasons. And if the issue is chilling some truthful speech, we have that problem now.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cJust to take MS Now as an example: we have a standards department \u2026 and you could view that as chilling speech, in the sense that they are going through pieces to see if everything is supported, does this pass a sufficient hurdle. We want to make sure we\u2019re right, because lawyers are saying we don\u2019t want to get sued.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cSo defamation law definitely has some chilling effect, and I\u2019m not sure anyone would say that\u2019s a bad thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Trump has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2023\/feb\/03\/donald-trump-mob-boss-john-gotti-insane-mark-pomerantz-book\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">compared<\/a> to famous figures in the world of organized crime, including John Gotti, \u201cthe Dapper Don\u201d, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2002\/06\/11\/nyregion\/john-gotti-dies-in-prison-at-61-mafia-boss-relished-the-spotlight.html\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">died in prison in 2002<\/a>. Weissmann considers the strange case of Vincent \u201cthe Chin\u201d Gigante, nicknamed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2005\/dec\/21\/usa.garyyounge1\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the Oddfather<\/a>, who avoided accountability by feigning mental illness, until federal prosecutors \u2013 led by Weissmann \u2013 proved competence, and secured conviction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In such light, Weissmann places Trump\u2019s public claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, setting the stage for the 6 January insurrection. It has been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/articles\/indictment-8-times-trump-knew-he-lost\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">well-documented<\/a> that Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2022\/apr\/05\/trump-admits-election-defeat-historians-zelizer-princeton\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">privately admitted<\/a> Biden won.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In the second Trump administration, \u201cthe No 1 qualification we see in so many people who are nominated to incredibly important positions appears to be loyalty, rather than expertise,\u201d said Weissmann. \u201cI worked at the Department of Justice. I worked at the FBI. I don\u2019t think anyone could say [current FBI director] Kash Patel was the very, very best person for the job of FBI director.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Politicized prosecutions under Trump have included that of former FBI director James <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/13\/james-comey-fbi-retaliation-fears\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Comey<\/a>. Last week, the DoJ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/justice-department-files-complaint-against-dc-bar-disciplinary-authorities-over-their\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">announced<\/a> a complaint against the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcbar.org\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">DC Bar<\/a> regarding disciplinary action against lawyers who backed Trump\u2019s elections lie, with acting attorney general Todd Blanche calling the association \u201ca blatantly partisan arm of leftist causes\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Laughing, Weissmann said: \u201cThey said that also about the FBI. You know, I worked at the FBI. That was not my impression.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But being on Trump\u2019s enemies list is no laughing matter. Weissmann has twice been named in executive orders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The first revoked security clearances for figures also including Biden, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris and Liz Cheney. Weissmann hadn\u2019t held a security clearance since his time with Mueller. The second targeted law firm <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jenner.com\/en\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Jenner &amp; Block<\/a> for employing \u201cthe unethical Andrew Weissmann\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Trump called Weissmann a \u201cbad guy\u201d, a remark that Weissmann writes in Liar\u2019s Kingdom that \u201cseemed like a mild upgrade from his speech at the Department of Justice weeks earlier in which he used the salacious but unedifying noun \u2018scum\u2019 to describe me\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">While a federal judge declared the order \u201cnull and void\u201d, \u201cthe damage from this and other executive orders against law firms, academic institutions, and others is done\u201d, Weissmann writes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cRather than find themselves on a governmental enemies list, they stay silent or complicit, as in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2025\/mar\/30\/joe-mccarthy-mccarthyism-donald-trump-clay-risen-red-scare\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the McCarthy era<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThey settle bogus lawsuits brought by Trump and his allies. They cede the defense of academic freedom to avoid losing critical scientific grants. They decline to bring good-faith litigation against administration policies so as not to become a target of illegal government retribution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI did not escape the effects of such submissiveness. In spite of Judge [John D] Bates\u2019s ruling, law firms that were representing me quietly decided to withdraw. The publishing house that was first slated to release this book backed out within hours of Trump\u2019s executive order about Jenner &amp; Block \u2013 proof that fear works.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Asked what it feels like to be singled out, Weissmann said: \u201cYou have to just get on with your life. But saying you get used to it, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s right. It\u2019s not like it\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In Paris, Weissmann\u2019s walk to work takes in the \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 and the \u00cele Saint-Louis, prompting him to compare the rebuilding of Notre Dame <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/2019\/apr\/28\/france-in-the-world-history-books-america\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">after the 2019 fire<\/a> with work to come in the US after Trump.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cAs somebody who grew up in the legal system, who\u2019s an institutionalist, who sees the inside of courtrooms, when we\u2019re looking at what parts of the government are still operating effectively, it\u2019s the district courts,\u201d he said. \u201cThat is a place where there\u2019s due process, where facts matter, where there really is an ability to get at the truth. And you\u2019re dealing with civilians: we have a jury system, and people do rise to the occasion and take it seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">While Weissmann acknowledges that his proposal to test dangerous political lies in such courts has \u201cflaws\u201d, he said courts had \u201cstayed with me as a place where you can still have due process, you can have a forum where truth matters\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWhen Trump or his acolytes challenged the election in 2020, that was in court, and he lost,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s different to just going to the public and saying whatever, regardless of whether it\u2019s true or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Liar\u2019s Kingdom: How to Stop Trump\u2019s Deceit and Save America is <a href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/p\/books\/liar-s-kingdom-how-to-stop-trump-s-deceit-and-save-america-andrew-weissmann\/e79cc4410e81f719?ean=9780316601313&amp;listref=may%27s-most-anticipated-ebooks&amp;listref_curated=t&amp;digital=t\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">out now<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/donaldtrump\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Donald Trump<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/features\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">features<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Former%20prosecutor%20pursued%20by%20Trump%20calls%20for%20crackdown%20on%20election%20lies:%20%E2%80%98Lying%20can%20be%20held%20to%20account%E2%80%99&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/24\/andrew-weissmann-donald-trump-liars-kingdom?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F24%2Fandrew-weissmann-donald-trump-liars-kingdom&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/24\/andrew-weissmann-donald-trump-liars-kingdom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrew Weissmann says the US must be \u2018as creative as possible\u2019 and introduce sweeping structural reforms if the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}