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Attorney Labels Trump a Flight Risk, Claims Secret Service Would Be 'Part of a Conspiracy' If Agents Continue to Protect Him After Charges

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President Donald Trump has been labeled a flight risk due to the potential criminal charges he could face after he leaves office, including ones tying him to the incursion of the Capitol last week.

Private attorney Douglas McNabb, who has expertise in international extradition defense, told The Washington Times that the government could argue Trump is a flight risk.

“He’s got money. He’s got property. He’s got access,” McNabb said.

Trump has multiple luxury properties in countries that do not have extradition treaties with the United States. Extradition is an action in which one jurisdiction delivers a person accused of a crime to the country where the crime was committed, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

The president even floated the idea of leaving the country if he lost the 2020 presidential election during a campaign event in Georgia in October.

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“Running against the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics puts pressure on me. Could you imagine if I lose?” he said.

“I’m not going to feel so good. Maybe I’ll have to leave the country? I don’t know.”

Trump has properties in the United Arab Emirates and Scotland, and an unfinished hotel in Azerbaijan, where he could be protected. Scotland has one of the strongest extradition treaties in the world, but the agreement has loopholes, according to The Times.

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“He’s not going back to New York and he is not going to enjoy the comfort at Mar-a-Lago he would have in the pre-Capitol-ransacking world,” retired Brig. Gen. Peter Zwack said. “I’ll bet the feasibility of fleeing has come up because, in my mind, it is the only way to avoid instant accountability and reckoning.”

Trump qualifies for Secret Service protection as a former president. Agents could accompany him if he legally visits another country, but they cannot go with him if he flees to escape criminal charges.

The Secret Service would also have to turn him over to a foreign country’s law enforcement if an arrest warrant or criminal charges are issued while he is in another country.

“The Secret Service would have to step back, but it would be an interesting situation,” McNabb said.

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“If they continued to protect President Trump that would make them part of a conspiracy to prevent a criminal defendant from returning to the United States.”

Trump could use the political offense exception to block extradition by arguing that his alleged crimes were “in the context of a political struggle and should not be treated like ordinary crimes,” according to The Times.

However, in order to use that defense, Trump would have to acknowledge he played a role in the incursion of the Capitol.

“President Trump could fall within because to qualify, an individual has to show there was an immediate physical riot or uprising and their charges arise out of that uprising,” McNabb said.

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Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. A University of Oregon graduate, Erin has conducted research in data journalism and contributed to various publications as a writer and editor.
Erin Coates was an editor for The Western Journal for over two years before becoming a news writer. She grew up in San Diego, California, proceeding to attend the University of Oregon and graduate with honors holding a degree in journalism. During her time in Oregon, Erin was an associate editor for Ethos Magazine and a freelance writer for Eugene Magazine. She has conducted research in data journalism, which has been published in the book “Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future.” Erin is an avid runner with a heart for encouraging young girls and has served as a coach for the organization Girls on the Run. As a writer and editor, Erin strives to promote social dialogue and tell the story of those around her.
Birthplace
Tucson, Arizona
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated with Honors
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Oregon
Books Written
Contributor for Data Journalism: Past, Present and Future
Location
Prescott, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English, French
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Health, Entertainment, Faith




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