The step he asked Lewandowski to press on Sessions was frankly unethical—actionably so, in fact. Sessions was recused from the Russia probe because he had an actual conflict of interest in the matter. Model Rule 1.11(d) of the ABA’s Model Rules of Professional Responsibility states that “a lawyer currently serving as a public officer or employee ... shall not ... participate in a matter in which the lawyer participated personally and substantially while in private practice or nongovernmental employment, unless the appropriate government agency gives its informed consent, confirmed in writing.” In other words, the president of the United States recruited a private citizen to procure from the attorney general of the United States behavior the attorney general was ethically barred from undertaking.

But it gets worse, because third, Trump did not merely seek to get Sessions to involve himself in a matter in which he was recused. He wanted him both to limit the scope of the investigation (to future elections only) and to declare its outcome on the merits with respect to Trump himself. This action would have quite literally and directly obstructed justice.