July 1, 2024court rulingexecutive powerfederal bureaucracyprosecutorial independenceexecutive powerseparation of powersconstitutional law
Immunity Ruling Shields Trump Power to Fire Officials and Direct Prosecutors
Legal analysts and former DOJ officials concluded that the Supreme Court's immunity ruling effectively immunized future presidents from prosecution for ordering the firing of agency heads, directing prosecutors to drop cases, and using the pardon power for political ends. Because these acts fall within core constitutional powers, the majority held they are absolutely immune from criminal scrutiny, including as evidence in prosecutions of other conduct.