Trump is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels. That alleged payment is said to have happened just days ahead of the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton.Judge Juan Merchan has already sanctioned the property mogul for defying his gag order on nine occasions. A few days ago Trump was fined $9,000 and warned that he could face jail if he continues.
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy urged the judge at a contempt hearing to fine Trump the maximum $1,000 for each of four new violations of the gag order. The gag order is there to stop Trump, just like any other trial participant, from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff or their relatives.
Conroy said:
We are not yet seeking jail. The defendant wilfully and knowingly violated the order,” Conroy said. “The defendant thinks the rules should be different for him. The defendant has proven his willingness to say and do anything to disrupt this process.
Conroy also pointed to public comments the disgraced former president has made about Cohen, his former “fixer” turned foe, and the composition of the jury as violations of the gag order.
Todd Blanche, Trump’s attorney, noted that he is the Republican candidate for president and said his likely November election rival, the Democratic Party‘s Joe Biden, had spoken publicly about the trial. Blanche, confusingly, claimed:
He can’t respond.
The judge had to point out that this was not true and, in fact, there was nothing in the gag order that limits what Trump can say in response to Biden. If that’s his legal counsel, it’s hardly any wonder Trump is stumbling around violating gag orders left, right, and centre.
The judge also took issue with Trump’s claim he cannot get a fair trial in New York because it is a heavily Democratic city. Merchan said:
He spoke about the jury… and that it was 90 percent Democrat. The implication being this is not a fair jury.
Trump immediately slips up
On Wednesday 1 May, Trump took advantage of a break in the trial to hold campaign rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan. What did he do there, you may ask?
https://twitter.com/OccupyDemocrats/status/1785842229342240785
Sigh. Leave your predictions in the comments on how long it’ll be until we’re reporting on Trump being chucked in jail.
Of course, Trump tried to blame his legal troubles and America’s ills on Biden. Before going into court on 2 May, Donny boy said the trial was “election interference” and that it “should never have been brought.”
This is a familiar defence from Trump who regularly claims that his indictments – which, by the by, are three for alleged cheating in elections and one for hoarding classified documents after leaving the White House – are being orchestrated as part of a political “witch hunt,” but never offers any evidence.
It also betrays a startling conviction in the organisational and critical thinking skills of Joe Biden, but that’s an article for another day. Conroy has already laid out why Trump’s comments are a problem:
Sleepy Don
Trump is the first former US president to face criminal charges, and clearly he’s fuming about it. For two weeks he’s sat through hours of sometimes technical testimony, visibly irate with the no-nonsense judge. For a man who had to have increasingly shortened briefings from his staff whilst in office, that’s clearly too much for him.https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1785348440513204585
How’s he supposed to pay attention in trial after trial? Poor sleepy baby!
Additional reporting via Agence France-Presse
Featured image via Unsplash/Samantha Sophia
