@evan The phrasing assumes they are prosecuting for political reasons, not for rule of law. If they are trying to prosecute for political reasons, they are not officials, they are politicians...

@evan

Very true - but the challenge is that so much of USA officialdom *is* political appointees, even in the legislative branch. Many countries find it unthinkable that politicians could appoint legislative posts; for example in the UK the judges are appointed by a committee of judges, with the Lord Chancellor (a political appointment) having only a very limited, and rarely exercised, power of veto. How do you distance if no-one is there to replace you?

@clacke @evan my bad, you are correct, late-night grammar fail!