to the editor: president-elect donald trump<u+2019>s statement that he would not seek further investigation of hillary clinton (front page, nov. 23) is more troubling for what it presumes than for what it explicitly says. what it says is the same thing that the f.b.i. concluded after a long investigation into her use of a private email server: there is no basis to prosecute mrs. clinton. what it presumes is that it is the president<u+2019>s prerogative to decide whether prosecutions go forward or not. in a constitutional republic, decisions about whom to prosecute are the purview of law enforcement, not of elected officials generally, and certainly not of political opponents. expressions of relief over mr. trump<u+2019>s decision that do not also take him to task for arrogating this power to himself tacitly affirm a form of government at odds with the principles of our constitutional republic. david hasen louisville, colo. a version of this letter appears in print on november 24, 2016, on page a30 of the new york edition with the headline: a retreat on <u+2018>lock her up<u+2019>. today's paper | subscribe
donald trump<u+2019>s retreat on <u+2018>lock her up<u+2019>
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