[Master Thread] Federal & State Charges Against Pres. Trump [merged]

[TBoneTX 44,671]

Thoughtful piece by Julie Kelly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aileen Cannon:  Portrait of a Judge in the Fractured Double Reality of American Justice

 

[...] When Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a sprawling indictment against Trump that included 32 counts of violating the Espionage Act for allegedly taking national defense records when he left office, he not only put the 43-year-old judge in the spotlight – he also put her in the crosshairs.  [...]

 

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2024/04/03/portrait_of_a_judge_reflected_in_the_fractured_double_reality_of_american_politics_1021972.html

[TBoneTX 44,671]

HUGE:  Letitia James to Start Seizing Trump's Properties

 

[...] On April 1, Trump submitted a $175 million bond to prevent the seizure of his assets by New York Attorney General Letitia James during his appeal of a civil fraud ruling.  However, the court's filing system rejected the bond shortly afterward due to missing paperwork, including a "current financial statement."  James later questioned the adequacy of the bond and highlighted that Knight Specialty Insurance Company (KSIC), is not authorized in New York, rendering it ineligible to obtain a certificate of qualification from the Department of Financial Services.  KSIC has resubmitted its paperwork to restart the process.

 

Last month, pollster Frank Luntz warned Democrats that if New York Attorney General Letitia James seizes Trump's assets, it could significantly boost Trump's chances in the 2024 presidential election.  [...]

 

https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2024/04/08/letitia-james-to-start-seizing-trumps-properties-n4927987

[Family 3,832]

New York appeals judge rejects Donald Trump’s request to delay his April 15 hush money trial

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court judge on Monday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to delay his April 15 hush money criminal trial while he mounts a last-minute fight to move the case out of Manhattan, foiling the former president’s latest attempt to put off the historic trial

 

[Dashinka 24,110]

5 hours ago, Family said:

New York appeals judge rejects Donald Trump’s request to delay his April 15 hush money trial

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York appeals court judge on Monday rejected Donald Trump’s bid to delay his April 15 hush money criminal trial while he mounts a last-minute fight to move the case out of Manhattan, foiling the former president’s latest attempt to put off the historic trial

 

I am still waiting for how fat Alvin 'I won't prosecute you if you commit a crime with a gun if you don't fire it' Bragg is going to convince the jury that Cohen is telling the truth when his history is brought out.  Sure, it will be a politically biased Democrat jury which I guess will overlook it because....Trump.  I am amazed at the TDS some people possess even now, but I guess it is expected considering the mindset of some.  I suppose it is much better to have a career corrupt politician that made his fortune by selling his political influence in power since he is an insider, and that is the status these folks wish for themselves.  

[Dashinka 24,110]

6 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

HUGE:  Letitia James to Start Seizing Trump's Properties

 

[...] On April 1, Trump submitted a $175 million bond to prevent the seizure of his assets by New York Attorney General Letitia James during his appeal of a civil fraud ruling.  However, the court's filing system rejected the bond shortly afterward due to missing paperwork, including a "current financial statement."  James later questioned the adequacy of the bond and highlighted that Knight Specialty Insurance Company (KSIC), is not authorized in New York, rendering it ineligible to obtain a certificate of qualification from the Department of Financial Services.  KSIC has resubmitted its paperwork to restart the process.

 

Last month, pollster Frank Luntz warned Democrats that if New York Attorney General Letitia James seizes Trump's assets, it could significantly boost Trump's chances in the 2024 presidential election.  [...]

 

https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2024/04/08/letitia-james-to-start-seizing-trumps-properties-n4927987

I hope fat Letitia starts doing this.  The Democrats love dividing the country.

[TBoneTX 44,671]

14 hours ago, Dashinka said:

I hope fat Letitia starts doing this.

But hey -- she's keeping her chief campaign promise!   

[TBoneTX 44,671]

Michael Cohen, star witness

 

[...] Here's a short version: 1) The core crime alleged, falsifying business records, is a misdemeanor.  2) To turn the misdemeanor into a felony, Bragg had to claim that Trump falsified records in the act of committing another crime — but Bragg has not charged Trump with any other crime.  3) Bragg "stacked" the charges to come up with 34 felony counts against Trump based on what was essentially one payoff.  4) Bragg’s effort to boost the case from misdemeanor to felony depends on a highly debatable reading of campaign finance law.  5) Bragg's star witness is, in the New York Times' words, "a disbarred lawyer who served prison time after pleading guilty to violating campaign finance laws, evading taxes, making false statements to a bank, and lying to Congress."

 

There's too much to go into here.  So this newsletter will just look at the last factor, the disbarred lawyer with the long rap sheet.  He is Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime lawyer/fixer who has now, after pandemic-related early release from prison, gone full time into the anti-Trump business. Start with the various reasons Cohen has been disbarred: [...]

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/2959839/michael-cohen-star-witness/

 

[Dashinka 24,110]

7 hours ago, TBoneTX said:

Michael Cohen, star witness

 

[...] Here's a short version: 1) The core crime alleged, falsifying business records, is a misdemeanor.  2) To turn the misdemeanor into a felony, Bragg had to claim that Trump falsified records in the act of committing another crime — but Bragg has not charged Trump with any other crime.  3) Bragg "stacked" the charges to come up with 34 felony counts against Trump based on what was essentially one payoff.  4) Bragg’s effort to boost the case from misdemeanor to felony depends on a highly debatable reading of campaign finance law.  5) Bragg's star witness is, in the New York Times' words, "a disbarred lawyer who served prison time after pleading guilty to violating campaign finance laws, evading taxes, making false statements to a bank, and lying to Congress."

 

There's too much to go into here.  So this newsletter will just look at the last factor, the disbarred lawyer with the long rap sheet.  He is Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime lawyer/fixer who has now, after pandemic-related early release from prison, gone full time into the anti-Trump business. Start with the various reasons Cohen has been disbarred: [...]

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/2959839/michael-cohen-star-witness/

 

Great analysis of the star witness.  I did love this last little bit, typical TDS logic.  I also love the narcissism of Engoron having to try and describe himself as "more" forgiving then the average person (everyone is a factfinder).

 

So that is the star witness in Bragg’s deeply troubled case against Trump. Prosecutors can only hope that the jury will be as credulous as the judge in the Letitia James lawsuit, Arthur Engoron. In that case, Engoron simply chose to believe Cohen’s testimony. “A less forgiving factfinder might have concluded differently, might not have believed a single word of a convicted perjurer,” Engoron wrote. “This factfinder does not believe that pleading guilty to perjury means that you can never tell the truth. Michael Cohen told the truth.”

Edited April 10 by Dashinka

[TBoneTX 44,671]

Trump Indicted For Taking More Chick-fil-A Sauces Than He Actually Needed For His Order

 

ATLANTA, GA — What began as a seemingly harmless visit to a local Chick-fil-A turned into a new legal quagmire for former President Donald Trump, as he was indicted today for taking more sauces than he actually needed for his order.

The news broke as Trump made headlines for his positive reception at the popular eatery, with customers and employees fawning over him as he ordered his food.  A spokesperson for the Department of Justice held a press briefing to announce the indictment.  [...]

 

https://babylonbee.com/news/trump-indicted-for-taking-more-chick-fil-a-sauces-than-he-actually-needed-for-his-order

[TBoneTX 44,671]

Trump's Strongest New York Defense Has Nothing To Do With Alvin Bragg Or Judge Merchan

 

The first Trump trial is here, set to begin on Monday, with the allegation being that the former president violated New York law by having his company misreport payments to Stormy Daniels as "legal fees" rather than campaign expenditures.

Much of the commentary on the case — at least from those defending the former president — has consisted of accusations that Manhattan District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg is abusing his power on a political vendetta and that Judge Juan Merchan is a biased partisan.  These accusations go to the heart of the rule of law and should not be made lightly.  But equally important, they do not address whether Trump is actually guilty as charged, and that is the question soon to be before a jury.  Better, then, to assume the good faith and professionalism of the public officials involved and explain why the DA's case is wrong as a matter of law.  [...]

 

https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/15/trumps-strongest-new-york-defense-has-nothing-to-do-with-alvin-bragg-or-judge-merchan/

[TBoneTX 44,671]

Jonathan Turley absolutely blasts the NY case.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A serial perjurer will try to prove an old misdemeanor against Trump in an embarrassment for the New York legal system

 

Lawyers have been scouring the civil and criminal codes for any basis to sue or prosecute Trump before the upcoming 2024 election.  This week will highlight the damage done to New York's legal system because of this unhinged crusade.  They've charged him with everything short of ripping a label off a mattress.

 

Just a few weeks ago, another judge imposed a roughly half billion dollar penalty in a case without a single victim who lost a single cent on loans with Trump.  (Indeed, bank officials testified they wanted more business with the Trump organization).

Now Bragg is bringing a case that has taken years to develop and millions of dollars in litigation costs for all parties.  That is all over a crime from before the 2016 election that is a misdemeanor under state law that had already expired under the statute of limitations.  [...]

 

https://nypost.com/2024/04/14/opinion/a-serial-perjurer-will-try-to-prove-an-old-misdemeanor-against-trump-in-an-embarrassment-for-the-new-york-legal-system/

[Family 3,832]

13 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

The first Trump trial is here, set to begin on Monday, with the allegation being that the former president violated New York law by having his company misreport payments to Stormy Daniels as "legal fees" rather than campaign expenditures.

.?..is there a special” campaign ‘expense allocation for  sex /scandals so as not to influence voters  in 2016😂 

 

 

The cast: 

The Doorman  
The Playboy Bunny  

Mr. Pecker

The Porn Star 

The Fixer 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dashinka 24,110]

9 hours ago, Family said:

.?..is there a special” campaign ‘expense allocation for  sex /scandals so as not to influence voters  in 2016😂 

 

 

The cast: 

The Doorman  
The Playboy Bunny  

Mr. Pecker

The Porn Star 

The Fixer 

 

 

 

 

 

So a state prosecutor is filing a federal election campaign violation case against Trump?  Did the payments come from the campaign?  Is it now a crime to do an NDA in the business world (another reason for businesses to leave NY)?  Hmm, why didn't the FEC prosecute this like they did to the criminal Hillary Clinton campaign?  Turley's assessment is spot on, but of course you do not believe it...long TDS is a thing.

[TBoneTX 44,671]

Interesting take.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

N.Y. Gives Trump the Anne Boleyn Treatment

 

Jury selection is underway in the case of The People of the State of New York vs. Donald J. Trump, which alleges that the defendant lied to his own check register, and lied to the general ledger of his own company, when the invoice given to him by his lawyer was paid and recorded by someone else, and that the misstatement he made to himself in his own records was done "with the intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof."  [...]

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/04/16/ny_gives_trump_the_anne_boleyn_treatment_150804.html

[TBoneTX 44,671]

A very clear explanation of the situation and the double standard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BREAKING:  Alvin Bragg Seeks to Punish Trump for Violating an Unconstitutional Gag Order

 

[...] Joking aside, the serious problem here is that the order—and the attempt to enforce it—is unconstitutional election interference in violation of Trump's First Amendment rights.

 

To back up a little bit, we think it is common knowledge but we will say it anyway: 'Contempt of court' is just a fancy way of saying you are disobeying the court.  No court will punish you for merely feeling the emotion of contempt.  It's what you do that matters.  Thus, Bragg is saying that Trump violated a gag order, and should be punished for doing so.

 

Therefore, you want to start with the order itself, which we linked to, here:  [...]

 

https://twitchy.com/aaronwalker/2024/04/16/da-bragg-seeks-to-punish-trump-for-violating-unconstitutional-gag-order-n2395160