Trump wanted prosecutions of Hillary Clinton, James Comey: report

This combination of file pictures shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on June 1, 2017 in New York; and former FBI Director James Comey at Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017 in Washington, DC. US President Donald Trump wanted prosecutions opened against Clinton and Comey, according to a report in The New York Times on November 20, 2018. ANGELA WEISS AND BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI |

What you need to know:

  • According to a report in the New York Times, President Trump pushed for prosecutions against Hillary Clinton and James Comey
  • Clinton was a presidential contender in the 2016 elections while Comey is a former Federal Bureau of Investigations director
  • The Times said it was not clear what alleged crimes the president wanted to order the Justice Department to look into
  • Trump's wish earlier this year prompted his then White House lawyer, Donald McGahn, to advise him to hold off, because he'd be opening himself to accusations of abuse of power.

President Donald Trump wanted prosecutions opened against his 2016 election opponent Hillary Clinton and ex-FBI director James Comey, according to a report in The New York Times on Tuesday.

The report, quoting unnamed sources, said that Trump's wish earlier this year prompted his then White House lawyer, Donald McGahn, to advise him to hold off, because he'd be opening himself to accusations of abuse of power.

NOT CLEAR

The Times said it was not clear what alleged crimes the president wanted to order the Justice Department to look into.

It said that McGahn, who has since left the White House, advised Trump that he could face the risk of impeachment if he took such a measure.

Trump has frequently accused Clinton and the foundation created by her husband, former president Bill Clinton, of corruption.

He also continues to accuse Hillary Clinton of acting criminally in using a private email server to send thousands of emails while she was secretary of state, ahead of her failed presidential run.

Trump leads chants of "lock her up," referring to Hillary Clinton, at his political rallies.

FIRED COMEY

He fired Comey last year and accuses the former FBI director of breaking the law when he gave information to the Times about interactions with the president.

The report about Trump's alleged move to push the Justice Department into prosecuting opponents comes as he faces accusations of seeking to tamper with a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller into his election campaign's alleged collusion with Russia.