The NY judge presiding over one (bc there’s >1) of Trump’s #criminal trials imposed a gag order on Tues that prohibits him from attacking #witnesses, #prosecutors & #jurors, the latest effort to rein in Trump’s wrathful rhetoric.
Judge Juan #Merchan imposed the order at the request of the Manhattan DA, which brought the case. The DA, #AlvinBragg, has accused #Trump of covering up a sex scandal during & after his 2016 campaign [to keep it from the electorate].
…Under the judge’s #GagOrder, Trump cannot make, or direct others to make, statements about #witnesses concerning their roles in the case. Trump is also barred from commenting on prosecutors & court staff.
Prosecutors argue that no more than 300 pages are significant to the Trump case.
#Justice#Merchan is visibly irritated as he presses Trump atty Todd Blanche on why his team did not subpoena investigation records from federal prosecutors sooner than January. “We know that what you did could have been done in June & been successful,” Merchan said. “Why didn’t you do it in June or July?”
finally, just laying it all out there, when asked if he’d take money to pay off his legal judgments, Trump says, “I think you’d be allowed to” followed by, what else, a brag.
He betrayed our national security.
He compromised our elections.
He incited an armed insurrection to overthrow our democracy.
He will do so again.
He is a traitor.
@Strandjunker Why do democrats constantly lie and push propaganda? None of those things are true but the socialist democrat MSM propaganda arm keeps pushing the same old lies. Like Paul Joseph Goebbels said in Nazi Germany, if you tell a lie long enough, ignorant people will believe it to be the truth. President Trump said to protest peacefully. The democrat lie says he said otherwise. Hopefully people on the left learn to question the lies
With that, he set the course of a determined & methodical, if at times dysfunctional & maddeningly slow, investigation that would yield the #indictment of #Trump on 4 counts of #ElectionInterference in Aug 2023.
The story of how it unfolded, based on dozens of interviews, is one that would pit #Garland, a quintessential rule follower determined to restore the DOJ’s morale & independence, against the ultimate rule breaker — Trump, who was intent on bending the #legal system to his will.
#McAfee last wk said #FaniWillis can remain on the most sprawling of 4 #criminal cases against #Trump as long as Wade resigns, which Wade did on Fri.
…Attys for Trump & the other defendants said in court papers on Mon that Wade’s resignation was not enough to correct the appearance of impropriety the judge found. Defense attys say a failure to remove Willis could imperil any convictions & force a retrial if an appeals court later finds it was warranted.
Jeff DiSantis, a spox for the DA’s office, noted in a text message that the case had not been put on hold, adding that prosecutors will “work to move it forward to #trial as quickly as possible.” The DA’s office will only comment on the #appeal in #court filings, he said.
If #SCOTUS does not rule until late June or sends the case back to the lower courts for further consideration of the scope of any #immunity, the #trial might not take place until after the election.
If #Trump prevails in the #election, he could order the #DOJ to drop the charges.
#Trump may enlist #PaulManafort
…While no formal decision has been made, 4 people described the hiring as expected & said Trump was determined to bring #Manafort back into the fold.
Manafort worked for Trump in 2016 before being ousted & later #convicted of tax & bank #fraud#felonies as part of Robert #Mueller’s investigation into #Russia’s 2016 #ElectionInterference. He served time in #prison before receiving a #pardon in the final days of Trump’s presidency.
“As written, these 6 counts contain all the essential elements of the #crimes but fail to allege sufficient detail regarding the nature of their commission, i.e., the underlying #felony solicited,” #McAfee wrote.
But, the judge, added, “This does not mean the entire indictment is dismissed.”
#Hur, the special counsel, who is appearing …at the request of… #JimJordan, has arranged to resign from the #DOJ …one day before he is scheduled to appear….
The top U.S. #intelligence ofcl on Mon warned that the #war in #Gaza could embolden #terrorist groups, which are aligned in their opposition to the #UnitedStates for its support of #Israel.
“The crisis has galvanized #violence by a range of actors around the world. And while it is too early to tell, it is likely that the Gaza conflict will have a generational impact on #terrorism,” #ODNI#AvrilHaines, told an annual hearing on #GlobalSecurity#threats.
Clark also alleges that #NathanWade "obviously lied" (eh hem, mr. attorney, you require strong corroborating proof to establish perjury not just an “obviously”) under oath.
#Trump’s attorneys accused #ManhattanDA#AlvinBragg of a pursuing a “fantasy” case against TFG by tying #HushMoney payments made to his fmr attorney #MichaelCohen w/the 2016 election.
[uh, sure, let’s talk about fantasy f⁕⚠︎er, “I’m the real president” & I’m the Queen of the universe, delusional mf]
Both #Trump’s lawyers & the DA’s office have urged the judge to exclude #testimony & arguments from the other side. Trump is seeking to disqualify testimony from #MichaelCohen, as well as #evidence related to other alleged “catch & kill” schemes Trump’s circle executed ahead of the 2016 presidential #election.