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Home » Trump on trial: election interference, anyone?

Trump on trial: election interference, anyone?

The New Neo Posted on by

Election interference is just fine with the left if it’s the left doing it. So is political prosecution.

I’m with John Hinderaker on this:

Alvin Bragg’s criminal case against Donald Trump goes to trial today. It says something about the world we live in that we haven’t even bothered to mention it lately.

I summed up Bragg’s case against Trump here. In a word, it is pathetic. Trump made one or more “hush money” payments to Stormy Daniels, which was perfectly legal. The alleged crime is that his business documents reflect falsely that the payments were for legal fees and expenses. They were made to Michael Cohen, who in turn paid Daniels.

This is exactly the same dodge that Hillary Clinton’s campaign used when it camouflaged its payment for the fake Fusion GPS Trump dossier as payments to its law firm, Perkins Coie. Hillary’s case was much worse, however, as the payments were made by her campaign, not by her personally, and her false filing with the FEC was a campaign finance violation. Hillary, of course, has not been indicted.

The case against Trump is a joke because the records violation of which Trump is accused is a misdemeanor, on which the statute of limitations has run. It is only a felony if the records were falsified to cover up another crime. That is what Bragg alleges. But what crime? Bragg’s indictment doesn’t say. Presumably his theory will be that the payment to Daniels was a campaign finance violation, only it wasn’t. The payment was legal and no false filing was made with the FEC. Trump has not been charged with, let alone convicted of, any such violation.

So the case against Trump is terrible. But does it matter? The only reason Bragg brought the case (and the only reason the other prosecutions of Trump have been brought) is so that Democratic Party news outlets can say that Trump is a “convicted felon.”

It’s not the only reason, actually. Another reason is to keep Trump from campaigning for a while, because the judge has said that Trump must attend the trial every day:

“That I can’t go to my son’s graduation or that I can’t go to the United States Supreme Court, that I’m not in Georgia or Florida or North Carolina campaigning like I should be is perfect for the radical left Democrats, that’s exactly what they want,” Trump said in a press conference following the first day of court. “This is about election interference, that’s all it’s about.”

Will this make Trump into even more of a martyr? The prosecutors, the Democrats, and the left are betting that it won’t, but it’s at least possible that they may lose that bet. The outcome depends on the American people’s ability to see what’s happening here.

Ace has compiled several sources, and I suggest you read the whole thing. One issue is the judge’s conflict of interest:

Democratic clients of Loren Merchan, daughter of the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush-money trial, have raised $93 million in campaign donations, leveraging the case in their fundraising efforts. This has led to renewed calls for the judge, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, to recuse himself as Trump heads to a New York courthouse Monday for the beginning of jury selection in the case.

Loren Merchan is the president of Authentic Campaigns, a progressive political consulting firm whose top clients include Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and the Senate Majority PAC.

Since the indictment of Trump, Schiff’s campaign for US Senate has raised $20 million, while the Senate Majority PAC has raised $73.6 million.

Trump was ultimately gagged by Merchan’s father, Justice Juan Merchan, for raising concerns of a conflict of interest–leading to widespread condemnation, including from Stormy Daniels’ former attorney, Michael Avenatti who tweeted, “We can’t be hypocrites when it comes to the 1st Amendment.”

Ah, but many people can.

The jury selection process is ongoing, and I wish Trump’s attorneys luck in finding at least one person in New York who can be objective about this case – and even then, the judge has lots of power to shape what that person hears in the courtroom.

Comments

Trump on trial: election interference, anyone? — 40 Comments

  1. This Kangaroo Court is becoming a common theme, this is the worse case but the others are not far behind. Everyone of these seems to be a coordination between Prosecution and the Judge, just as the Communists did

  4. It is a Nightmare. What’s worse is if Trump wins, which I desperately hope, he will play by these “New Rules”.

    He left Hillary alone after the 2016 election and those were the “Old Rules”. He’s not going to make that mistake again.

    This will horrible for the country.

  5. There is another reason, which is discussed by Megan Kelly.
    The optics of salacious testimony by at least one of woman who alleges an affair with Trump in 1998, and the assorted low-life sorts associated with porn and it’s attended perversions.
    And of course, prostitute Stormy Daniels is ready to do her duty and tell her sordid tale.
    Meanwhile, Trump is forced to attend, which besides raising his blood pressure a few hundred points, could egg him to trash a witness or two which would lead to contempt and a short stint in the slammer during the trial.

    Truth About Faulty Legal Theory Behind Trump Case, and “R-Rated” Trial Ahead, w/ Dershowitz & Hammer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCjwjcVYHTA

  6. The Democrats haven’t yet turned the country they love and protect into enough of a Banana Republic for their tastes.

    So they’ve got to keep on keepin’ on.
    For the sake of the nation.

    What’s the word for a toxic cocktail of FEAR and VINDICTIVENESS…with more than a splash of HYPOCRISY, CRIMINALITY and COVERUP added…?

    (And of course the most corrupt media in the history of the country is doing its very best to help the Democrats in their gangster efforts…)

  7. Two comments about this.
    1. The Democrats have decided to turn the law into a political weapon. Unless some great jurists come forth to reform our legal system, we are finished as a country with true justice.
    2. Using a porn star as their top witness, they hope to make Trump into a caricature of a man driven by lust. Even if he’s acquitted, it will leave a stain on his reputation. And, unfortunately, that’s their goal.

  8. JJ:

    He’s already thought of by his detractors as a man driven by lust — he’s the uber sexist — and his reputation couldn’t possibly be more stained. This case isn’t going to change anyone’s opinion of the man.

  9. Isnt THIS just like the Jean Carrol case? A bill of attainder that’s prohibited by the Constitution— because laws were changed (to enable prosecutors to) merely to hit out at President Trump?

  10. I will be watching this trial as closely as I possibly can and am attempting to keep an open mind.
    In this case, more than any other, the Prosecutor, Alvin Bragg, is as much on trial as Mr. Trump. He stands accused of organizing and pursuing a Political Persecution as a part of a larger crime: Election Interference. According to his own legal theory of the case that makes the Political Persecution a felony since it is being done to further another crime.
    He will in effect go on the stand and testify on his own behalf as he presents the prosecution case. What is it they say about lawyers who represent themselves?
    But I have already promised to keep an open mind. I will try.

  11. Marisa, I’m not sure if I agree with you. Certainly a lot of his detractors say he is driven by lust, and some of them even believe that. His supporters don’t claim that but some of them aren’t sure. Same-same the non-detractors/non-supporters.
    For the not-sures, this trial and the testimony of a less than virtuous porn star and a sleaze bag lawyer will sway them. Even the open acknowledgement that Trump was associated with them will sway some. And dredging up old alleged scandals, (EJ Carroll is another example) is simply mud slinging;the longer it’s in the news the longer it damages Trump. Add in the limits placed on his ability to campaign and this has the potential of being very bad for Trump. The only way this is positive for him is if Bragg is found guilty in his own trial as I postulated above.

  12. The trial is yet another distraction from “Biden”‘s herculean efforts to destroy the country.

    BTW, here are “his” pals…at work.
    (Showing off, actually.)
    “Moment Iran began its 300-missile attack on Israel is revealed by state television…”—
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13306739/RAF-aces-shot-300-strong-missile-kamikaze-drone-fleet-fired-Israel-Iran-Rishi-Sunak-confirms-warns-fallout.html?ito=chromelessDM_0

    Well, let them enjoy their fun…while they can…

  13. Holy moley, even Avenatti’s starting to make some modicum of sense…

    Goes to show ye’ that it’s NEVER TOO LATE to achieve wisdom…

  14. I wouldn’t worry much about Trump’s reputation vis-a-vis Stormy Daniels testimony. Trump has never been known for continence. I can’t see how any Stormy Daniels testimony could be worse than Trump’s own words and deeds over the years. I think Democrats are counting on it “reminding” people of the seamier parts of Trump’s history. I doubt it. Those ideas and impressions are already baked into the cake.

    Per Jerry – I’ve seen enough on this one. What Trump did isn’t against the law or, if it is, it is a time-barred misdemeanor. And that’s if you accept all of the prosecution’s assertions as fact. I’ll keep an open mind about whether Trump did have an affair with Stormy Daniels, but that really doesn’t matter to the outcome of the case.

    Per neo’s point – this absolutely is election interference. Since a conviction at the trial level is a near certainty, I guess we’re going to test the pundits’ theories about whether Trump’s numbers will tank when he is a convicted felon. I wonder how many levels of appellate review it will take until the case is reversed. Trump being Trump, I’m sure he’ll create a record that makes it as painful as possible for judges to vote for reversal.

    The serious question for the GOP primary voters is – why did we do this? We basically handed Democrats a loaded gun by nominating Trump while he was under so many criminal indictments. Now Democrats are going to pull the trigger and we all get to see what happens. And to the “they’d do it to anyone” crowd, I’m sorry, you’re out to lunch. It has taken two years and four cases to put Trump on criminal trial before the election. Even if you take the view that Trump is a completely innocent victim here who is in no way responsible for the circumstances that led to all of these criminal cases, it is a dead lock certainty that none of the other 2024 GOP contenders would be a convicted felon before the election. Trump will be. Good luck with that.

    I’ve come to believe that Trump supporters are more interested in whining about how unfair it all is than they are in actually winning.

  15. Separate point – I still wonder why Trump didn’t sue Stormy Daniels for breach of contract. She took Trump’s money and then didn’t honor the non-disclosure agreement.

    The statute of limitations has probably run by now. Maybe he decided not to bother with it for political reasons while he was in office.

  16. “AP-NORC Poll: 7 in 10 Side With Trump in New York Criminal Case”—
    https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-trial-indictment/2024/04/16/id/1161140/

    Gosh if this keeps up, Biden’s gonna hafta set another record for “MOST POPULAR PRESIDENT EVUH” this November…

    (Also wouldn’t wanna mis-underestimate them Democrats…who did a most impressive job on Kavanaugh in a relatively short period of time…and ALMOST pulled it off! Almost.)

    Related: This from Liz Truss (Liz WHO??)
    https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/liz-truss-president-trump/2024/04/15/id/1161060/
    (…Though I’m not sure that an endorsement from HER is what’s exactly needed at this particular moment…. Still…)

  17. They will allow a known perjurer and tax cheat as chief witness yes thats entirely legit

    What do they have a pic of her and trump at a golf tournament keep legitimating the
    steal

    On balance liz was the least harmful pm like douglas home

    I think she was a skydragon worshiper but she got better

    The kangaroo court is a crime perpetrated against the citizens of new york city whats next boils

  18. Indeed… (though it’s possible that the reason for it is that she was only able to serve for just under two months…)

  19. Tara reade who has evidence of bidens assault against her had to flee to Russia they were a little subtler with juanita broderick so tell me again about the significance of this sham prosecutio

  21. I’ll take the stay puft marshmallow man for a 100 barry or the wave from day after
    tomorrow

  22. Barry Meislin – Aim your ire at the judge. The judge is going to instruct the jury on the law, and he’s going to sing Alvin Bragg’s tune. I’m not sure its realistic to expect a juror to, on his or her own, decide that the judge has the law wrong.

    As I understand it, there is a factual issue here about whether Trump made the book entries at issue with the intent to commit another crime. The judge is almost certainly going to instruct the jury that they can find that intent if they think that Trump intended to keep the Stormy Daniels matter secret during the campaign. (This is clearly wrong as matter of law, but the trial judge disagrees.) The jury could make a finding of fact that Trump did not intend to affect the campaign. Other than that, though, Trump’s cooked until or unless an appellate court reverses the trial judge’s conclusions about Bragg’s legal “theories.”

  23. Amending twains maxim when the courts in gotham are in session the property and lives of the citizenry are in danger and they are in desperate danger every day

  27. What goes around, comes around.

    Some time in the future the democrats will rue the day they decided to weaponize the judicial system in an effort to destroy / imprison a political opponent.

    What we are witnessing is analogous to the Stalinist show trials of the 1930s.

    As is the norm, there never is a shortage of willing volunteers to carry out the dirty work ordered from on high; yep, “just following orders.”
    And not unusual, it is the well educated that are the willing executioners.

    As an aside, in Georgia (the US state, not the nation of Georgia), some computer science prof. , in court and in the presence of the judge, demonstrated how easy it was to hack into a Dominion voting machine and change a vote count. It took him just a few minutes.
    Make of this what you will.

    I will say that if Trump is not in jail, and can actually run for president, he will have to win the popular voter by a very large margin to overcome the inevitable cheating that will occur.
    There is simply no way in hell that the democrats will allow Trump to become president. They will move heaven and earth to prevent this.

    Yea, I know; I am an election denier.

  28. By the way, the abusive character of the prosecution was made manifest when the prosecutor secured a count for each invoice Michael Cohen submitted to the Trump Organization’s treasury and then an additional count for each voucher they issued to Cohen (redeemable by one of the Trump family trusts). Over 30 counts in all.

  29. Not if they try to proscribe opposition like they are trying to do in poland and have done in pakistan and russia and…

  30. I’ve come to believe that Trump supporters are more interested in whining about how unfair it all is than they are in actually winning.

    I’m not whining, Bauxite.

  31. Two more reasons why Trump must NOT be re-elected:
    (Hint 1: He endangers the Democrats’ planned destruction of the country.)
    “Shadowy Mayorkas-Linked NGO In Mexico Tells Border Invaders To “Vote Biden”
    ”
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/shadowy-ngo-mexico-tells-border-invaders-vote-biden

    (Hint 2: He endangers the Democrats’ well-oiled plans to mutilate as many children as possible.)
    “We were pushed to transition as teens — now we’re ‘vindicated’ by study showing kids grow out of it”—
    https://nypost.com/2024/04/16/lifestyle/teen-detransitioners-weve-been-vindicated-by-fad-study/

    Further proof (if any were needed) that Trump is a clear and present danger to the country.

    + Bonus:
    “Anti-Israel protesters wave Hezbollah banner, set American flags on fire during NYC unrest”—
    https://nypost.com/2024/04/16/us-news/anti-israel-protesters-wave-hezbollah-flag-in-nyc/

  32. Mark Steyn has written a great column on this trial:

    https://www.steynonline.com/14202/when-contempt-is-necessary

    I could quote excerpts, but then I’d have to quote the whole thing. Pace Sir Thomas More and that well-worn clip from “A Man for All Seasons”, the problem is not that the Left has chopped down all of the thick-planted laws in this country to destroy a political opponent. It’s that the Left is very effectively using those thick-planted laws, and inventing new ones, to destroy a political opponent, with the help of a clearly corrupt judiciary. In More’s analogy, the Left is using the law to do the Devil’s work. And getting away with it.

    If anybody here has a good answer to that, I’d like to hear it. You can find mine, such as they are, on this thread from a year ago:

    https://www.thenewneo.com/2023/04/25/about-dominion-v-fox-and-the-news-itself/#comment-2677557

  33. I haven mention before, I have read the certification docs for dominion and they were poor. The security piece seemed to copied from corporate literature.

  34. This is just the late stages of the blackmail game the Dems used to play against any Republican President… refuse to support him against foreign threats, until the people get it through their thick skulls that in order to have any hope of security, you have to elect a Democrat: Republicans will get behind a Dem President to save America, but vice-versa is not true!

    I’m looking at you, Chuck!

  35. except they don’t the people have been at the most threat to their lives, and livelihood, in this era, they are treasonous rascals, this is not merchan’s first rodeo in these parts, he presided over the panjandrum with trump university, a decade ago,

  37. Bauxite on April 16, 2024 at 8:17 am said:
    Separate point – I still wonder why Trump didn’t sue Stormy Daniels for breach of contract. She took Trump’s money and then didn’t honor the non-disclosure agreement.
    ?—————————-
    He did.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/stormy-daniels-must-pay-300k-donald-trump-losing-defamation-case-appea-rcna21002

    https://www.npr.org/2023/04/05/1168215663/trump-stormy-daniels-defamation-lawsuit

    I wonder if these cases will arise in the Bragg farce.
    Is she going after Trump because she owes him $400k+? Hmmmm?

  38. Maybe I’ve missed it, but I have yet to hear any influential Republican speak up in Trump’s defense, or to even utter the words “innocent until proven guilty.”

    Remember folks, the Democrats and Republicans in DC are not opponents, they’re dance partners.

  39. they have been very basenghi of late, i mean possum sununu did rise to the challenge against stephanopolous somewhat,

  40. Ardent Democrats intend the ruin of our constitutional government. This is done by placing their minions like Merchan in all the holes of our social fabric as they arise. I do not regret to call them evil. They are so, in their endeavor to turn the USA into the United Socialist States of America. A revolution is not needed.

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