The following article by David Cay Johnston was posted on the DCReport.org website August 24, 2018:
Michael Cohen’s Guilty Plea Opens the Door to State Criminal Charges for Trump, His Company and His Kids
Michael Cohen’s admission today in federal court that he committed felonies at the direction of Donald Trump exposes the president to criminal prosecution in New York State, an angle the mainstream news organizations have all missed.
State prosecution is a critical concern because Trump has the constitutional authority to pardon Cohen, or commute his sentence, for federal crimes. Trump claims he can pardon himself and continue in office.
Trump has claimed the power to fire Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor, or hobble his inquiry, and authority to take over the investigation and even run it himself.