However, Cohen, now out of federal prison, has become a key witness who was willing to describe how he fronted the $130,000 payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels then got reimbursed $420,000 in nearly a dozen payments over the next year-a scheme that involved Trump lying on business records. So far, it appears that Weisselberg has refused to flip on his former boss-denying prosecutors the ability to rely on him to document the way Trump schemed to structure the hush money deals in a way that would save him from public disgrace. Supreme Court, generated a parallel civil investigation by the New York Attorney General into his numerous lies about real estate valuations, and recently resulted in a conviction against Trump’s private companies for tax fraud.īragg was emboldened by his successful trials against the Trump Corp., Trump Payroll Corp., and their chief financial office, Allen Weisselberg, who is now serving time behind bars at New York’s dreaded Rikers Island jail. The sprawling probe involved a bitter court battle to access Trump’s personal tax records that twice reached the U.S. is leading the first ever criminal action against the former president with an indictment that follows a nearly four-year investigation into Trump’s business practices and hush money payments that started with his predecessor, Cy Vance Jr. New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr. It was up to local law enforcement to pick up the slack. Although Cohen went to federal prison over the ordeal in 2019, the feds never charged Trump, who was still president at the time. Those charges are centered around the way he paid two women to keep them quiet about sexual affairs with him-routing the payments through the Trump Organization and his lawyer, Michael Cohen-in an attempt to keep it secret before the 2016 presidential election. He traveled south Tuesday morning by motorcade to the downtown courthouse, where he was booked and then brought before a judge for his arraignment on dozens of charges. On Monday, Trump flew aboard his private Boeing 757 jet-“Trump Force One”-from his Florida oceanside estate at Mar-a-Lago to Queens on Monday, staying the night at his Trump Tower apartment in Manhattan. Trump’s indictment was unsealed shortly after he left the courthouse Tuesday. The judge cautioned that he would consider further measures if necessary, alluding to the possibility of holding Trump in contempt of court-a finding that legal experts say could result in him being fined or even imprisoned. “Please refrain from making statements that are likely to incite violence or create civil unrest,” Merchan warned Trump, noting that this was merely a request, not an order. Trump has rights.” But he also noted the former president’s frustration was no excuse. The judge shot back: “Well, certainly, Mr. He is absolutely frustrated, upset, and believes there is a grave injustice with him being in this courtroom today.” In response, Trump defense lawyer Todd Blanche argued “the president has free speech rights. Throughout the 57-minute-long arraignment, Trump kept his hands under the desk while slouching, or folded his arms while looking uncomfortable.ĭuring the proceedings, Manhattan prosecutors stressed the danger of Trump’s aggressive comments to supporters that targeted District Attorney Alvin Bragg-and even the judge himself-pointing out that Trump had posted an image online positioned to show him holding a bat, threateningly, over Bragg’s head.Īssistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy said Trump had made comments “threatening our city, our justice system, our courts,” and referenced ‘World War III,’ and ‘death and destruction.’” Do you understand that?” the judge asked him, repeatedly referring to him as Mr. “If you’re disruptive…I do have the authority to remove you from the courtroom. In a pivotal moment, Justice Juan Merchan cautioned Trump to avoid inciting violence-to which Trump merely grumbled.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |