Schiff Questions Nominee on Presidential Immunity for Assassination and Corruption

Presidential Immunity and Hypothetical Scenarios

• 📌 Senator Schiff questioned nominee Jennifer Mascott regarding presidential immunity, referencing a previous hearing where an argument was made that a president could be immune from prosecution for ordering the assassination of a political opponent using Seal Team Six.
• ❓ Mascott stated that as a lower court judge, she would be bound by Supreme Court precedent, but indicated that the Supreme Court has not definitively answered the question of presidential immunity for such actions.
• 💡 She suggested that the Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity was "modest" and primarily addressed criminal immunity related to "official acts," leaving ambiguity on extreme hypothetical scenarios.

Foreign Policy and Corruption Allegations

• 💰 Schiff also inquired about presidential immunity in the context of alleged illicit financial dealings, specifically asking if a president would be immune from prosecution for selling foreign policy decisions to a nation in exchange for cryptocurrency donations.
• ⚠️ Mascott expressed unfamiliarity with the specific crypto asset sale allegations but reiterated that the Constitution has constraints.

Violation of Court Orders

• ⚖️ The discussion extended to whether a president would be immune from liability for deliberately violating a court order using the military.
• 🗣️ Schiff pressed Mascott for a direct yes or no answer on her view of the immunity decision's scope, but Mascott deflected, stating that the questions pertained to whether the criminal justice system was the proper forum for punishment.