Donald Trump indicted

In October 2016, just a few days before the Presidential election, Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen made a hush-money payment of $130,000 to Stormy Daniels to prevent her from telling The National Enquirer about having sex with Trump in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in 2006. Trump knew if the affair was publicized, it would hurt his election chances. (In 2006, she was 27, Trump was 60 and Trump's wife Melania had given birth to a son.) Cohen was reimbursed by The Trump Organization.

In April 2018, Trump claimed to know nothing about the hush-money payment. He was lying. In May 2018, Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani confirmed that Trump reimbursed Cohen and knew about the "general arrangement." The person who calls himself a "shrewd businessman" used some of his money to influence the outcome of an election. That is a federal crime.

Donald Trump indicted; first ex-President charged with crime
The Associated Press, Mar 30 2023 3:38 PM

A Manhattan grand jury voted today to indict Donald Trump on charges involving payments made during the 2016 Presidential campaign to silence claims of an extramarital sexual encounter. This is the first criminal case against a former U.S. President and a jolt to Trump’s bid to retake the White House.

Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing and has repeatedly attacked the investigation, called the indictment "political persecution" and predicted it would damage Democrats in 2024. His lawyers, Susan Necheles and Joseph Tacopina, said, "He did not commit any crime. We will vigorously fight this political prosecution in court."

The district attorney's investigation centered on money paid to porn actor Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, whom Trump feared would go public with claims that they had extramarital sexual encounters with him. Trump is expected to surrender to authorities next week.

https://www.aol.com/news/lawyer-trum...214459160.html

Trump never admits to doing anything wrong. Like how he made phone calls trying to overturn the election in Georgia and he keeps saying his calls were perfect. He might be indicted for that too.

Maggie Haberman, who covers Donald Trump for the New York Times, says he was "caught very much by surprise" by today’s criminal indictment. Gee, that's funny – considering he told his blindly loyal supporters on March 18 that he would be arrested on March 21! His blindly loyal supporters responded by donating money to him. Yes, they gave more than $1,500,000 to a billionaire!

How a Trump arrest would play out: Yes, he'll be fingerprinted. No, he probably won't be handcuffed.

https://www.businessinsider.com/trum...-expect-2023-3

Trump ran for President in 2016 and lost the popular vote. Trump ran for President in 2020 and lost the popular vote. Today a grand jury in Manhattan voted to indict him. The Daily Show sent out this tweet:

"Congrats to Donald Trump on finally winning a majority of votes!"

As for the orange-skinned parrot, he continues to squawk that the investigation into his illegal hush-money payment is a "witch hunt."

Sources told CNN there will be 34 criminal charges against Trump, the majority relating to business fraud and the falsification of business records.

'It’s finally happening': Kathy Griffin leads celebrity reactions to Donald Trump’s indictment

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...nt/ar-AA19i11E

The Congressional Retrumplicans who have sold their souls to Donald Trump and protect him and defend him at all costs are, very predictably, denouncing his indictment. They believe Trump can do no wrong. Ever. As we learned from their votes in Trump's two impeachment trials, they do everything they can to ensure he remains above the law.

Jim Jordan: "Outrageous."
Tim Scott: "A travesty."
Elise Stefanik: "A political witch hunt. A dark day for America."
Mike Pence: "An outrage. Nothing more than a political prosecution."
Steve Scalise: "Extremist Democrats weaponizing government to attack their political opponents.”
Lauren Boebert: "Another political witch hunt targeting the people's President."
Thom Tillis: "A politicized prosecution of a former President.”
Donald Trump: "Political persecution and election interference at the highest level in history."

Republicans voted for acquittal in Trump's impeachments just like Democrats voted for acquittal when Clinton was impeached on four charges. Politics is almost always one side against the other.

Just as Richard Nixon's biggest crime was his attempt to cover up the Watergate Office Complex break-in, Donald Trump's biggest crime is not the affair with Stormy Daniels or the hush-money payment – it is his attempt to cover it up.

Trump to face same judge who oversaw Trump Organization case
CBS News, Mar 31 2023 3:37 PM

When former President Donald Trump arrives for his first appearance in Manhattan Criminal Court next week, he will look up at a judge who has played a key role in several investigations involving those in Trump's orbit. Judge Juan Merchan presided over the convictions and guilty plea last year of two Trump Organization companies and their former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, one of Trump's most trusted advisers. Merchan is also overseeing the ongoing criminal proceedings involving Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist and senior counselor in the White House who has pleaded not guilty to state fraud and money laundering charges.

A grand jury has indicted Trump in connection with a possible falsification of business records case tied to a 2016 "hush money" payment. Merchan was assigned from a "wheel" of judges to supervise the grand jury and oversee any indictments arising from its investigation, a court spokesman said today.

Trump went after Merchan in a post on his social media site TruthSocial this morning. "The Judge 'assigned' to my Witch Hunt Case, a 'Case' that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME. His name is Juan Manuel Marchan," Trump wrote, misspelling the judge's last name.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-j...ttan-new-york/

Republicans say they are outraged by the indictment. But why are they not outraged by Trump's lies, bigotry, racism, abuse of women, tax evasion, inciting a riot, and trying to overturn an election?

That is a good question – and the answer is simple. They know if they dare to criticize Trump, he will do everything he can to keep them from winning when they run for re-election. He will launch smear campaigns against them and he will back their opponents. He still has an iron grip on the Retrumplican party.

I have found only one Retrumplican who hasn't condemned the indictment. Nebraska Representative Don Bacon told Axios, "I trust our legal system. There are checks and balances with a jury, judges and appeals. President Trump will be able to make his defense and we’ll all see if this is a partisan prosecution or not."

But somebody needs to tell Bacon that Trump is no longer President.

One of the many Congressional Retrumplicans who have sold their souls to Donald Trump and protect him and defend him at all costs is South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. He has once again proved that he has no shame, no ethics, no morals and no decency.

Lindsey Graham tried to fundraise for Trump on Fox News hours after the former President was indicted: 'Give the man some money so he can fight!'

https://www.aol.com/news/lindsey-gra...041133089.html

Trump hired a new attorney today. Todd Blanche, a criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor, previously represented 2016 Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former Rudy Giuliani associate Igor Fruman.

CNN Poll: 60% of Americans approve of Trump indictment

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/03/polit...ent/index.html

Donald Trump has been arrested and is awaiting arraignment. He – of course – will plead not guilty to every one of the 34 Class E felony charges. Cameras will not be allowed in the courtroom. While en route to the Manhattan courthouse, Trump posted on his Truth Social site, “Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse. Seems so SURREAL. WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!” No, Donald, it's not "surreal." It's called being held accountable for your crimes.

David Urban, former Trump campaign senior adviser, told CNN, "All those rallies where the MAGA crowd chanted, 'Lock her up! Lock her up!" – referring to Hillary Clinton – "and Donald Trump is right now locked up. It's completely ironic and sad." No, David, it's not "ironic" and "sad." It's called being held accountable for one's crimes.

In speeches, emails and TruthSocial posts, Donald Trump has made threats against the court system, the justice system and New York City and called for "mass protests." He called District Attorney Alvin Bragg a "degenerate psychopath" and said the indictment could lead to "death and destruction" and would be "catastrophic for our country." During today's arraignment, Judge Juan Merchan said he would not issue a gag order "at this time." He should have. This is the same Donald Trump whose election-fraud lies and "fight like hell" speech incited a deadly riot at the Capitol.

Judge warns Trump to stop inciting violence or he could face a gag order

https://www.mediaite.com/news/judge-...ace-gag-order/

Trump's campaign is selling T-shirts that have his picture and say "not guilty." Leave it to Trump to find a way to make money out of being indicted.

Trump spoke this evening at Mar-a-Lago. He denounced Juan Merchan as "a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family" and insisted "there is no crime." He denounced special counsel Jack Smith as "a radical left lunatic known as a bomb thrower who is harassing hundreds of my people day after day over the boxes hoax." He denounced Fani Wallis as "a racist Democrat district attorney in Atlanta who is doing everything in her power to indict me over an absolutely perfect phone call." The deranged, demented, delusional, orange-skinned parrot keeps squawking the same old things.

Trump's next court date will be December 4. His sleazy attorneys are expected to make a motion to have all 34 charges dropped.

Will Donald Trump be convicted of any or all of those 34 criminal charges – or he will go free and remain above the law? Nobody knows – but everybody has an opinion.

Opinion: Alvin Bragg was right to prosecute Donald Trump

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/05/opini...sen/index.html

Opinion: Why the Manhattan district attorney’s case against Trump is so weak

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/05/opini...her/index.html

Jim Jordan, same as almost all Congressional Retrumplicans, has sold his soul to Donald Trump and protects him and defends him at all costs. Jordan insists Trump committed "no crime." Being indicted on 34 criminal charges suggests otherwise.

Manhattan DA sues Jim Jordan to block GOP inquiry into Trump case
NBC News, Apr 11 2023 12:42 PM

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a lawsuit today against Republican House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, asking a court to block elements of the Congressional inquiry into his case against former President Donald Trump. Calling it an "unprecedented brazen and unconstitutional attack" of an ongoing investigation, Bragg said allowing Jordan's demands, including subpoenaing former Assistant DA Mark Pomerantz, would cause "imminent irreparable harm if the secret and privileged material is compelled to be disclosed."

Bragg's suit asked the court to block Jordan's subpoena of Pomerantz. Jordan wants Pomerantz to sit for a deposition as part of the Judiciary panel's investigation into the indictment of Trump. The former President pleaded not guilty last week to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to his role in hush money payments made toward the end of his 2016 Presidential campaign.

"Chairman Jordan’s subpoena is an unconstitutional attempt to undermine an ongoing New York felony criminal prosecution and investigation," Bragg said in a statement. "This is an unprecedented, illegitimate interference by Congress that lacks any legal merit and defies basic principles of federalism."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...case-rcna79193

Donald Trump told Fox News' Tucker Carlson that employees were crying and saying "I'm sorry" when he arrived at the courthouse for his arraignment. Same as 99.9% of what Trump says, it was a lie.

Trump's tale of crying Manhattan court employees was 'absolute BS,' law enforcement source says

https://www.aol.com/news/trump-tale-...160349934.html