Donald Trump indicted; 1st
ex-president charged with crime
MICHAEL R. SISAK, ERIC TUCKER and COLLEEN LONG
Thursday, March 30, 2023
In this article:
NEW YORK (AP)—Donald Trump has been
indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, prosecutors and defense lawyers said
Thursday, making him the first former U.S. president to face a criminal charge
and jolting his bid to retake the White House next year.
Trump himself raised anticipation that he
would be indicted soon, issuing a statement earlier this month in which he
predicted an imminent arrest and called for protests. He did not repeat that
call in a fresh statement Thursday, but the New York Police Department told its
36,000 officers to be fully mobilized and ready to respond to any potential
protests or unrest.
Late in the 2016 presidential campaign, Cohen
paid Daniels $130,000 to keep her silent about what she says was a sexual
encounter with Trump a decade earlier after they met at a celebrity golf
tournament.
Cohen was then reimbursed by Trump’s company,
the Trump Organization, which also rewarded the lawyer with bonuses and extra
payments logged internally as legal expenses. Over several months, Cohen said,
the company paid him $420,000.
Earlier in 2016, Cohen also arranged for the
publisher of the supermarket tabloid the National Enquirer to pay Playboy model
Karen McDougal $150,000 to squelch her story of a Trump affair in a
journalistically dubious practice known as “catch-and-kill.”
The payments to the women were intended to buy
secrecy, but they backfired almost immediately as details of the arrangements
leaked to the news media.
Federal prosecutors in New York ultimately
charged Cohen in 2018 with violating federal campaign finance laws, arguing
that the payments amounted to impermissible help to Trump’s presidential
campaign. Cohen pleaded guilty to those charges and unrelated tax evasion
counts and served time in federal prison.
Key House Republican
leaders lined up to defend former President Donald Trump on Thursday following
the news that Trump has been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury—a sign of the
powerful grasp Trump still has on his party on Capitol Hill.
House Speaker Kevin
McCarthy tweeted that “The American people will not tolerate this
injustice,” as he criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. “The
House of Representatives will hold Alvin Bragg and his unprecedented abuse of
power to account,” he said.
The question is, did
the American people not already tolerate the brutal torture and murder of
Capitol Hill Police Officers? Such injustice done to defenders of lawmakers by
Big Lie Loser to incite insurrection? To carry out this violence, MAGA rioters regretting
in jails, paying the price for the crimes of the insurrection-in-chief.
The number two House
Republican – Majority Leader Steve Scalise – called it “outrageous.” In a
tweet, Scalise called the indictment “one of the clearest examples of
extremist Democrats weaponizing government to attack their political
opponents.”
Is it fair to say that “Outrageous”
was when domestic terrorists smashed the windows of the Capitol Hill, defiling
the People’s House with incendiary slogans, confederate flags, chanting threats
to lawmakers, breaking furniture, stealing paraphernalia from offices.
Rep. Elise Stefanik,
the House GOP conference chair, released a statement saying the indictment was
“a political witch hunt” and a “dark day for America.”
Stefanik sentry of GOPQ
should know “political witch hunt” of traitor-in-chief is what has made America
violent. Planting seeds of hate, racism, bigotry. “Dark day for America” was
Jan 6 tragedy incited by the insurrection-in-chief, trying to steal victory
from legally elected president, Joe Biden.
The response from key
congressional Republicans came as the indictment against Trump was filed under
seal and will be announced in the coming days. The charges are not publicly
known at this time, one source told CNN.
The news of the
indictment broke just hours after lawmakers on Capitol Hill departed for a
two-week Easter recess. The halls of the Capitol were quiet. On social media,
Republicans were much louder.
It was only a matter of
minutes after news of the indictment broke before some of his fiercest
defenders on Capitol Hill rushed to his defense.
“Outrageous,” House
Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan tweeted.
Jaded Jordan should
know outrageous was when MAGA extremists attacked Capitol Hill, tortured and
killed Capitol Police officers. Radicalized hooligans making mockery of
democracy, constitution.
“BREAKING: Trump has
been indicted! This is another political witch hunt targeting the people’s
President,” Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert tweeted.
What QAnon Boebert
means, he is the president of the domestic terrorists, KKK, Proud Boys, Oath
Keepers, keepers of QAnon ideology of hate just like her and other lawless lawmakers
in their slim majority House of Dunces where they stage their clownish circus
of absurdities.
close dialog
“President Donald Trump
always fought for us. He puts the American people above corrupt interests. For
that reason alone, the powerful will never stop coming for him,” Rep. Matt
Gaetz of Florida tweeted.
Grizzly Gaetz forgets
that Trump murdered thousands of Americans by touting COVID “harmless, will go
away.” Strange how fake news, witch hunt, anti-vax, anti-mask traitor-in-chief
is still defended by his fools from their clownish House of Dunces? Big Lie
Loser who hurled his MAGA rioters in jails. That’s what “good” he has done to
Americans, forging corrupt, conservative courts which have killed voter rights,
women rights.
“President Donald J.
Trump has just been indicted by an extremist NY District Attorney. No President
of the United States has ever been criminally indicted. Trump Derangement
Syndrome has infiltrated our judicial system and if they can come for him, they
can come for anyone,” Rep. Andy Biggs tweeted.
Radicalize Biggs
doesn’t realize that he himself is afflicted with lunacy syndrome of falsehood,
flaunting his extremism by accusing NY District Attorney, as extremist. Yes,
judicial system has come after everyone and “anyone” victimized by the
insurrection-in-chief, his friends and rascals, all serving jail time except
him, the privileged traitor.
A handful of senators
were quick to jump in as well to criticize the
Manhattan District
Attorney.
“This indictment
doesn’t pass the smell test,” Sen. Thom Tillis said in a statement. “The
Department of Justice already looked into the facts and decided there was no
case to be made against President Trump. This is the same District Attorney who
is notorious for letting violent criminals off the hook in Manhattan, but has
been laser focused on pursuing a politicized prosecution of a former
President.”
Thom Tillis in his
shadow world of falsehood takes cover against his trite phrase “politicized
prosecution” which all GOPQ lawless lawmakers use to spill their garbage of
conspiracy theories
One moderate Republican
held back from immediately assailing Bragg or the indictment, a marked
departure from many of his colleagues.
“I trust the system,”
Rep. Don Bacon told CNN. “We have a judge. We have jurors. There is appeals. So,
I think in the end, justice will be done. If he’s guilty it will show up. But
if not, I think that will be shown too.”
Kudos to Don Bacon, one
brave, honest patriot in a million!
Even before an
indictment, three Republican chairmen including Jordan, Oversight Committee
Chairman James Comer and House Administration Committee Bryan Steil sent a
letter requesting testimony from Bragg and information related to his
investigation. Bragg’s office pushed back, but the Republican chairmen have
doubled down.
In a statement Thursday
evening Trump called Alvin Bragg “a disgrace”.
Senior
Editor
Friday,
March 31, 2023
Outrageous or long overdue, constitutional malpractice or the
epitome of "karma": One thing that seemed to unite Americans this
week was that nearly everyone had an opinion on the indictment of former
president Donald Trump by a Manhattan grand jury.
Here's a rundown of some of the most noteworthy responses so
far.
Former President Donald Trump
The man at the center of the storm has had no shortage of words
about being charged with felonies. While he has used the grand jury indictment
to raise money and fired off several angry messages on his social media
platform, Truth Social, one posted Friday employed a dubious legal strategy of
attacking the judge who will preside over the case against him in New York.
"The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that
has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME. His name is Juan Manuel Marchan, was
hand picked by Bragg & the Prosecutors, & is the same person who
'railroaded' my 75 year old former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, to take a 'plea'
deal (Plead GUILTY, even if you are not, 90 DAYS, fight us in Court, 10 years
(life!) in jail," Trump wrote. "He strong armed Allen, which a judge
is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn't 'plead,'
VICIOUSLY. APPEALING!"
Pity-me, toddler Trump whining, while all his criminal cronies
languish behind bars, the top criminal he himself free to rant and spread
falsehood.
Greene declared Friday that she was heading to
New York on Tuesday to exercise her constitutional right to protest the
indictment that she considers "unconstitutional.”
Nazi QAnon Greene protesting in New York for
traitor-in-chief is MAGA Classic, promoting violence and lawlessness, reminiscent
of Jan 6.
“I think the unprecedented indictment of a former president of
the United States on a campaign finance charge is an outrage," Pence said
Wednesday night on CNN. But pressed by anchor Wolf Blitzer on whether Trump
should continue running for president if he’s convicted on those charges, Pence
deflected.
“It’s a long way to that decision, I promise to answer that
question if that approaches,” he replied.
Pence too forgets “outrage” was when domestic terrorists chanted
outside the Capitol Hill “hang Mike Pence.”
"Hopefully, the former president will peacefully respect
the system, which grants him that right." Nancy Pelosi
“60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl theatrically scoffed
at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s unhinged claim that Democrats are the
“party of pedophiles” during Sunday’s episode.
But some critics of the Georgia Republican said the veteran
journalist should have done more to refute the far-right lawmaker’s outlandish
statements. Critics were already upset with the mainstream news show, arguing
it was promoting Greene’s extremism by granting her air time.
Among “over-the-top” statements, Stahl pointed out that Greene
called the Democrats “the party of pedophiles” last year.
“I would definitely say so,” Greene said. “They support grooming
children.”
“They are not pedophiles. Why would you say that?” Stahl
interjected.
“Even Joe Biden, the president himself, supports children being
sexualized and having transgender surgeries,” Greene said in echoing false GOP
claims equating trans-rights advocacy with child abuse. “Sexualizing children
is what pedophiles do to children.”
An exasperated Stahl whispered “wow,” rolled her eyes and made a
popping sound.
Stahl moved on to what she said was her real point: Are
name-calling and personal attacks necessary to “fight for what you believe in?”
Replied Greene: “I would ask the same question to the other
side. All they’ve done is call me names and insult me nonstop since I’ve been
here.”
Intelligent Lesley Stahl interviewing ignorant QAnon queen of
“pedophiles” is not only shameful for 60 Minutes but disgraceful for US before
the whole world, who will surely imbibe the reek of Greene’s falsehood with
glee. Radicalized “witch” Greene forgets that 2017 Republican pedophile Roy
Moore ran for senate seat, no Democrat has ever been accused of such crimes.
Scroll
back up to restore default vie
Senior
Columnist
The Trump speech in Florida on April 4, after he returned home
from being arraigned in New York, reveals everything wrong with Trump’s 2024
presidential candidacy and his woeful political future. What’s very notable is
what Trump didn’t say. While defending himself and making the case for his 2024
candidacy, Trump didn’t propose any new actions or policies to improve the
country, whether it’s tackling inflation, countering China or winning in
Ukraine. Trump always claims things would be better if he were in charge, and
makes overwrought claims about the peace and prosperity he delivered as
president. But he doesn’t have a vision for the future that involves anybody
other than himself.
As for what Trump did say, it was cringeworthy, classless, and
telling. Trump, of course, declared his innocence, which he has a right to do.
Then he attacked everybody who has leveled charges against him, or might in the
future. Here’s a sampling:
On Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who filed the New
York criminal charges: “He should be prosecuted, or at a minimum, he should
resign.”
On the judge overseeing the New York case: “He’s a Trump-hating
judge with a Trump-hating wife and family.”
On federal prosecutor Jack Smith, who’s looking into possible
obstruction of justice with regard to Trump’s handling of classified documents
after he left the White House: “a radical left lunatic.”
On Fulton County, Ga. District attorney Fani Willis, who may
prosecute Trump for voter fraud: a “local racist district attorney.”
On New York State attorney general Letitia James, who’s pursuing
a civil fraud case against Trump and his business: “another racist in reverse.”
April 8, 2023
Trump has told aides to hire Laura Loomer, a far-right and
anti-Muslim activist with a history of expressing bigoted views, for a campaign
role, according to four people familiar with the plans.
April 12, 2023
By Rebecca Shabad and Daniel Barnes
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump filed a lawsuit in federal court on
Wednesday against his former lawyer Michael Cohen — who has emerged as a key
witness in the criminal case against the former president — seeking more than
$500 million in damages for alleged "breaches of fiduciary duty, unjust
enrichment, conversion, and breaches of contract."
Cohen was the key witness to testify last month before a
Manhattan grand jury, which then approved a 34-count indictment against Trump.
The former president has denied any wrongdoing.
The complaint accuses Cohen of violating his attorney-client
relationship with Trump by publicly disclosing information about the former
president and “spreading falsehoods about [Trump], likely to be embarrassing or
detrimental, and partook in other misconduct in violation of New York Rules of
Professional Conduct.”
The former president has “suffered vast reputational harm as a
direct result of Defendant’s breaches,” Trump’s lawyer Alejandro Brito wrote in
the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of
Florida.
Trump’s attorney said that Cohen did those things with
“malicious intent and to wholly self-serving ends.”
Cohen committed the breaches by “disparaging” Trump “through
myriad public statements, including the publication of two books, a podcast
series, and innumerable mainstream media appearances,” the complaint said.
“Defendant has engaged in such wrongful conduct over a period of
time and, despite being demanded in writing to cease and desist such
unacceptable actions, has instead in recent months increased the frequency and
hostility of the illicit acts toward Plaintiff,” Trump’s lawyer wrote.
Trump wants "compensatory, incidental, and punitive
damages" in an amount that would be determined at a trial and would
"substantially exceed" $500 million, the complaint said. He also
wants any profits or compensation Cohen receives from his books, podcast or
other products.
Trump has railed against Cohen, the former president's previous
longtime attorney, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to a host of charges tied to tax
evasion, as well as lying to Congress in its investigation into Russian
interference in the 2016 election and his role in funneling payments to silence
two women who alleged that they had affairs with Trump.
Cohen completed his resulting prison sentence in November 2021.
Trump has denied the affairs and any wrongdoing connected to the hush money
payments.
Last week, the former president was
charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his
alleged role in those hush money payments toward the end of his 2016
presidential campaign.
King of litigations lawless Trump files lawsuit against Michael
Cohen who went to jail for the crimes, cheater-in-chief committed from hush
money payments to business frauds to tax evasions, besides multiple other
felonies, misdemeanors. Clowning carnival of Donald Trump continues in upcoming
2024 elections.
