A former federal prosecutor who prosecuted mafia crime families obliterated President Donald Trump’s defense for his latest legal battle.
On Tuesday, the Trump Department of Justice returned a two-count indictment against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly threatening Trump’s life and for felony interstate communication violations. The charges stem from a picture Comey posted on his Instagram account that featured seashells arranged to read “86 47,” which has been interpreted by the Trump administration to mean Trump should be killed.
The indictment was returned just days after an alleged shooter fired several rounds inside the Washington Hilton, where the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was being held. Trump and several members of his cabinet were in attendance and were safely evacuated from the event.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins asked the president on Wednesday whether he believed the threat was legitimate. Trump responded by arguing that “86” is a common term in the mafia world that means someone ought to be killed.
Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor, argued on CNN’s “The Source” with Collins that Trump’s explanation carries no weight.
“There was a point in my life where I spent the better part of my waking hours either talking face to face with real-world mobsters, or listening to them talk to each other over wiretaps, body wires, or bugs,” Honig said. “I dealt with all five families: Gambino, Genovese, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Colombo. I dealt with bosses, underbosses, consigliere, capos, soldiers, associates, all the way down the line. Never, ever. Not once did I hear any real-world gangster use the term 86 to refer to a murder or anything, and god knows these guys had colorful lingo, but never that phrase.”
“I don’t know where the president’s getting this from,” he continued. “He said from some movie. They don’t use that term in The Godfather, The Sopranos, or Goodfellas. Maybe some old-timey movie, but that’s not reality.”
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