Letter to the Editor ¦ July 29, 1998
Special Legal Protection

To the Editor:
Stephen Gillers (Op-Ed, July 28) fails to distinguish how President Clinton differs from the ordinary citizen: he has powerful political enemies who wish to sharply curtail his power and even remove him from office.

While the President should not be above the law, he obviously needs special legal protection if he is to function fully. It should not be possible for his well-financed political enemies to canvass his entire life for opportunities to bring real or imagined legal charges against him and thereby prevent him from fulfilling his duties and bankrupting him with high legal costs.

The decisions of the Supreme Court and lower courts have now made it possible for the President to be victimized, defeating the intention of the Constitution to maintain a balance of powers.

- David Langer, a consulting actuary and president of David Langer Co., Inc.
New York

© 2001 DAVID LANGER COMPANY, INC.