Month: October 2023

Quick Updates

by Dave

New York State Business Fraud Case

The prosecution is close to finished, with 4 Trumps being called to testify by prosecutors: Donald, Jr, Nov 1, Eric, Nov 2, Ivanka, Nov 3 then Donald Trump, Monday, Nov 6. There may be an expert witness, on Nov 7, then the defense can call witnesses. To me, the case could easily wrap up before Dec 22.

January 6 Federal Case

Judge Chutkan has re-imposed the gag order, as requested by the Special Counsel, Jack Smith. This will spawn another appeal to reverse the judge’s decision. Trump response:

The Corrupt Biden Administration just took away my First Amendment Right To Free Speech. NOT CONSTITUTIONAL! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site about an hour after the brief notice emerged from the court.

The judge has also asked Trump if he would like the case televised. He has until Nov 10 to give his opinion. Generally, federal cases are not televised.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Trump and Judge Chutkan’s Gag order

by Dave

Judge Chutkan will preside over Trump’s January 6 criminal trial, scheduled to begin on March 4, 2024. The special counsel indictment explained Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering, conspiracy against the rights of citizens, and obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding. The trial will be held in Washington. It will not be televised.

Last week, Judge Chutkan imposed a gag order, then a few day later, temporarily paused it, as Trump’s team argued for more time to appeal the gag order. The ACLU filed an amicus curiae (meaning friend of the court) brief arguing the gag order was vague and too broad. Special Counsel filed a brief for immediately re-imposing the gag order.

The trial is 3 months away, so all this is pre-trial motions. So, Judge Chutkan better order some extra strong glasses and coffee as the documents snowball!

To Trump haters, Judge Chutkan’s gag order seemed wonderful. Yet, this is a country where we don’t silence people for disseminating views we don’t like. Actually, Trump still retains most of his rights to free speech in these court cases. He can attack the whole trial as a witch hunt and political. The DOJ is fair game. He just can not target court staff, prosecutors and potential witnesses. See the Judge’s order below:

The Court therefore ordered that:
All interested parties in this matter, including the parties and their counsel, are prohibited from making any public statements, or directing others to make any public statements, that target (1) the Special Counsel prosecuting this case or his staff; (2) defense counsel or their staff; (3) any of this court’s staff or other supporting personnel; or (4) any reasonably foreseeable witness or the substance of their testimony.

Trump’s legal team will argue Judge Chutkan’s gag order is unconstitutional. The ACLU has sided with Trump in a filing to the court, alleging the gag order is both too vague and too broad. They argue because the order is too vague, Trump would not know if he has violated the order until too late. The ACLU brief took issue with the word “target” as too imprecise.

There is incredible irony of the ACLU defending Trump’s free speech rights as he has attacked everyone else’s right to freedom of speech or the press. He sued CNN for libel and slander and asked for 475 million dollars. In July 2023, this case was dismissed. And he launched another lawsuit against the New York Times, for their article on his finances. It was dismissed in May 3, 2023 and Trump has to pay the legal fees of the New York Times. Trump obviously abused his right to free speech, as he was found guilty of defamation in the E. Jean Carroll case and ordered to pay 5 million dollars in damages. A second trial will be held in January to determine if 10 million dollar more should be added to the damages.

So, I believe the ACLU had to hold their noses and stick to their principles in siding with Trump. They began the brief, stating:

“Former President, and now Defendant, Donald Trump has said many things. Much that he has said has been patently false and has caused great harm to countless individuals, as well as to the Republic itself. Some of his words and actions have led him to this criminal indictment, which alleges grave wrongdoing in contempt of the peaceful transition of power.”

OK, I would have been satisfied with just calling him a habitual liar. But they go on:

“But Trump retains a First Amendment right to speak, and the rest of us retain a right to hear what he as to say.”

An outstanding point. Restricting someone’s freedom of speech is depriving the public of a right to hear his views. And that is a core principle of democracy. Autocratic governments find ways to limit free speech, particularly over the internet or on cable news.

Yet, the Judge must ensure impartial administration of justice. The gag order is applied to all parties, including prosecutors, the defendant and the defense counsel. A fair trial means maintaining the right of prosecutors to present evidence and and the right of the defendant to demonstrate his innocence.

In this case, it is a balancing act of a rights to carefully crafted gag order. Otherwise, Donald Trump may use the power of social media, including Truth Social which he owns and cable news stations and millions of radical supporters to sufficiently intimidate witnesses and alter the outcome of the trial.

Link:

aclu-briefDownload

Stay tuned,

Dave

This is the response by Special Counsel Jack Smith

trumps-big-mouthDownload

Cohen v. Trump – Oct 24

by Dave

Michael Cohen will testify for the prosecution of Donald Trump in the civil case on the overvaluation of properties in New York State. I think at this point there is hardly anything that Trump’s defense team doesn’t know. Trump’s Chief Financial Officer, Allen Weisselberg, has already testified that properties were overvalued, followed by an outside appraiser who corroborated this, and provided his involvement in the process.

What Cohen will bring to the table today, is testimony that Donald Trump met with Allen Weisselberg and gave his approval. That connection is essential. The defense will likely attack Michael Cohen’s credibility. Cohen officially surrendered to the FBI on August 21, 2018. That afternoon, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges: five counts of tax evasion, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution at the request of a candidate (Trump) for the “principal purpose of influencing [the] election”. (Wikipedia, see link at bottom)

Donald Trump is expected to attend. I am sure his defense team wishes he would not. He has been warned to be quiet in the courtroom, and is restricted on what he can say about court employees outside of court. What is motivating Trump, is that he wants to be in front of the cameras and tell his followers that the charges are baseless.

All this political rhetoric is wearing thin. The court already ruled in a summary judgement that there was overvaluation of properties. So, Trump will be found guilty. He will lose control of valuable properties in NY State, and pay millions in fines. Michael Cohen is there to fill in some of the gaps of who was responsible.

So, today’s question is can Trump control himself? If there is an outburst, will the judge jail him, at least for a day? Will his followers continue to buy his story that his is just a witch hunt? We shall see.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Wikipedia Michael Cohen

Trump’s Court Cases

by Dave

There are 4 criminal and 2 civil court cases in which Donald Trump has been charged. I found Wikipedia is doing an excellent job of providing updates on these cases, so I provided Wikipedia links to all the criminal cases in the webpage to the right of this blog.

I will rely on Wikipedia to keep up with events. With each ruling against Trump in the pre-trial phase or during the trial, Trump’s legal team files appeals. These appeals have not stopped or seriously delayed these cases from moving forward.

In addition to the news of the day, there is a lot of commentary. I do not need to add to this, except to say I have faith in the judicial system, and the defendants have abundant resources to defend themselves.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Then along came Bob…

by Dave

The Republicans were accusing the Biden administration of unequal justice, and their narrative I’m sure was convincing to some. And then Democratic Senator Bob Menendez was indicted, along with his wife Nadine, and three New Jersey businessmen from New Jersey on a years-long bribery scheme. The charges alleges that Bob Menendez used his position as Senator to pressure US Department of Agriculture to protect a monopoly to Wael Hana by Egypt in exchange for money. These are very serious criminal charges.

This is why I like the no nonsense attitude of Christopher Wray of the FBI and AG Merrick Garland. The term “law and order” is used too flippantly. What I feel, is with effective law enforcement of all crimes, then trust in our institutions is strengthen. At least it should.

“The FBI has made investigating public corruption a top priority since our founding — nothing has changed. The alleged conduct in this conspiracy damages the public’s faith in our system of government and brings undue scorn to the honest and dedicated public servants who carry out their duties on a daily basis. To those inclined to use the status of their public office for personal benefit, or those willing to provide bribes in an attempt to gain influence from a public official, the FBI will ensure that you face the consequences in the criminal justice system for your underhanded dealings.”

The above was stated by FBI Assistant Director in Charge, Jack Smith. Every honest Senator or Congressional representative suffers when others can be bought out with gold bars.

See link: Senator Robert Menendez, His Wife, And Three New Jersey Businessmen Charged With Bribery Offenses

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the FBI and DOJ have been “weaponized” against conservatives. He said that, if elected, he’d fire FBI Director Chris Wray on day one in May 27, 2023. Well, then along came Bob …

FBI Director Christopher Wray is a life long Republican and a member of the conservative Federalist Society. But, he has adhered to the Justice Department’s core principle of equal justice for all. There are huge challenges ahead in criminal enforcement, with increasing cybercrimes, supported or accepted by the regimes of North Korea, Russia, Iran and China. We face enormous challenges in illegal drug trafficking. The same tactics of search warrants and the use of informants will be critical in arresting groups involved in these activities.

I have listen the FBI Director testify in Congressional hearings. Republicans seemed to hate the idea that Donald Trump’s home in Florida was subject to a legal search warrant. They did not object to the use of search warrant for Bob Menendez and his wife. I liked Wray’s responses.

With Biden, you will have a good director in charge of the FBI, and a president who lets the FBI investigate crime, regardless of political party. With Trump or DeSantis, it will be the end to equal justice.

It’s not law and order. It’s investigation and criminal prosecution for all that break the law, then comes respect for the integrity of our institutions.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Israel’s Revenge

by Dave

Netanyahu said it best, as this is Israel’s 9/11. I hope they handle it better. George Bush was right in many ways. We had to harden our defenses at home. And we had to go after terrorism abroad. These were right responses. But the nearly 20 years (2001 to 2021) of fighting the Taliban yielded little. We did not want Afghanistan to be a haven for terrorism. Noble causes sometimes do not end like we want.

We really have to detach emotions, and the desire for easy solutions to get an appropriate response. We are a nation of enormous power, when we chose correctly. But, when we act high and mighty to the rest of the world, and join with Israel in their brutal revenge, we lose our own integrity and independence.

Josh Paul is a State Department official who resigned yesterday over our military response to the attack by Hamas. He had served in the State Department for 11 years. As reported in CNN today:

“Let me be clear,” Paul wrote. “Hamas’ attack on Israel was not just a monstrosity; it was a monstrosity of monstrosities. I also believe that potential escalations by Iran-linked groups such as Hezbollah, or by Iran itself, would be a further cynical exploitation of the existing tragedy. But I believe to the core of my soul that the response Israel is taking, and with it the American support both for that response, and for the status quo of the occupation, will only lead to more and deeper suffering for both the Israeli and the Palestinian people – and is not in the long term American interest.”

Paul goes on:

Decades of the same approach have shown that security for peace leads to neither security, nor to peace. The fact is, blind support for one side is destructive in the long term to the interests of the people on both sides.

Link: State Department official resigns over Biden administration’s handling of Israel-Hamas conflict

Stay tuned,

Dave

NY State Fraud Civil Case – The Drama Continues

by Dave

The trial continues, inside and outside the court house. Donald Trump was in court on November 17, even though he is not required. It’s because he is seriously worried about the financial harm to the Trump business. The loss of ownership rights in his New York State properties has been put on hold right now, pending the outcome of the trial. His legal team is very aware that any error made by the judge will be the basis for an appeal. The heat is on.

What drove Trump to return to court, was testimony from outside appraiser Doug Larson and Donna Kidder, Trump’s business accountant. This is a non-jury trial, so it is impossible to say that the manipulated valuations are all too complicated or no one quite remembers. The Trump team would like the judge to believe that exaggerated estimates were given to them by outside appraisers. Larson emphatically state on the stand that just the opposite happened, the inflated estimates came from the Trump organization, namely the Trump controller, Jeffery McConney.

On November 16, It has been reported that Allen Weisselberg’s testimony was cut short, partially through the prosecution’s questioning, possibly because his testimony was contradicting emails not yet part of the record. This raised the speculation of perjury, which is criminal and could send Weisselberg back to prison. Prosecutors now can recall Weisselberg, later in the trial. I think this will help the prosecution.

To me, this is a classic case of cheating. On paper, the fraud started from outside auditors, but this was all a cover-up. Inside the Trump organization, Trump’s accountant Donna Kidder testified that the cheating began with CFO Allen Weisselberg instructing her to assume full occupancy in his Park Avenue and Wall Street holdings.

Link Forbes: Trump’s Longtime CFO Lied, Under Oath, About Trump Tower Penthouse

Note that Forbes requires a subscription after accessing the fourth article. You might try clearing cookies to get around this.

MSNBC Link: Weisselberg’s testimony abruptly ended last week, raising questions

AP News Link: Trump returns to his civil fraud trial, hears an employee and an appraiser testify against him

I’ve seen this kind of intimidation before. Usually, companies have internal safeguards to stop the most egregious forms of fraud. Trump public statements confirm he wanted the highest possible valuations he could get because it would make it easier to get bank and insurers approval.

This is were the idea that no harm was done, really falls apart. It is something everyone who has financed anything knows that the more assets and income one can show, the more likely the banks are offering low interest loans. One restraint is that the banks and insurers can do their own assessments. The second back stop to over valuations are the rules and laws of the state governing fraud.

This is not a federal case, but I am certain the IRS will investigate violations of tax laws. For lending purposes, assets which are overvalued are beneficial, but not for capital gains on federal IRS tax rules.

Michael Cohen’s turn to give damning testimony has been postposed due to illness. I am certain that Cohen’s testimony will further the dots, which go from Trump to Weisselberg to their Controller and accountants to the fraud.

Now, outside the courtroom, Trump re-iterates his disdain for the AG Letitia James and the court system, as follows:

We built a great company — a lot of cash, it’s got a lot of great assets, some of the greatest real estate assets anywhere in the world,” Trump said outside the courtroom. He dismissed the case as “a disgrace,” the legal system as “corrupt” and the Democratic attorney general as a “radical lunatic.”

He is under a partial gag order, which limits his attacks, but I guess calling the AG a lunatic is ok. Attacking court staff and families is off limits and thank God for this ruling.

The AG James also responded to reporters:

“Mr. Trump may lie, but numbers don’t lie,” she said after court. “He can call me names, he can engage in distractions,” she said, but “his entire empire was built on nothing but lies and on sinking sand.”

Boy, that sounds like a closing line. Court experts do not expect Trump to testify unless he totally ignores the advise of counsel.

Obviously, the news media is focused on the war in Israel and the Gaza strip, which can only be described as horrific and tragic. While the trial is not making headline news, the reporters from the Associated Press, Forbes, The Hill and many other media outlets continue to provide the essential details and post to the internet. Nobody should get information from Facebook or conservative social media commentary. Many legal experts feel the NY State case will continue beyond the proposed end date of December 22, 2023.

There are numerous side cases as well. One is the effort to keep Trump off the ballot in selected states, and my prediction is this will fail because it places far too much discretion in the hands of an elected official (Secretary of State). It did temporarily become a distraction. Steve Bannon trial for the Build the Wall fraud begins May 27 in the same courtroom and judge as the Hush Money case.

Reporters will soon be covering the trial of two defendants, Ken Chesebro and Sidney Powell, in the GA, set to begin on October 23. This court case will be televised. It will give an early indication of whether DA Fani Willis can has enough “connective tissue” (I like this expression) to support the charge of an election interference conspiracy, based on the RICO act.

I assume court reporters will be pretty stretched in 2024 among the courthouses in Washington DC (January 6 federal case), Florida (Documents case), Manhattan (Hush Money, E. Jean Carroll civil lawsuit) and the Atlanta, GA Jan 6 conspiracy case. No date set yet for the Georgia case.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Fani Willis scathing reply to Jim Jordan

by Dave

Donald Trump faces 91 criminal charges against him in four different court cases. And Trump is the front runner by far as the presidential candidate for the Republican party. And as hard as Trump pushes against the set timetable of cases, these cases will go to court in Washington, NY, Florida and Georgia in 2024. Trial date for Georgia is still up in the air, but everything points to a trial start date before the elections. I updated the summary on these four criminal cases in the page to the right of this post.

Rep. Jim Jordan is outspoken chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Jordan would like to help Trump, by claiming these court cases are a part of the weaponization of our legal system and conduct hearings to forward his contention. He can say anything he wants in the Committee, on Twitter and Fox News. But Jordan can not interfere with a prosecution, by ordering documents and testimony from the District Attorney Fani Willis in Fulton County, Georgia on the election interference case. Oversight has its limits.

Separation of our branches of government is essential to a functioning Democracy. Neither Democrats in the Senate nor Republicans in the House, can use their committees to interfere with the judicial system. They can try in the Georgia case, but with strong district attorney in charge, this effort will fail.

Jordan demanded information on the Georgia case twice. The second time around, DA Fani Willis had had enough. Jordan should recognize the famous one-two punch, which was beautifully executed. In boxing, this is a quick left jab, followed by a right cross. An excerpt from her letter below:

A charitable explanation of your correspondence is that you are ignorant of the United States and Georgia Constitutions and codes,” Willis wrote in a letter to the lawmaker. “A more troubling explanation is that you are abusing your authority as Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary to attempt to obstruct and interfere with a Georgia criminal prosecution.”

Fine writing. Jordan can take his choice between the charitable or troubling interpretation. She ends her letter on a very positive note:

My attached prior letter provided you with four noble suggested uses of your authority as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee: (1) enhancing funding for victim-witness advocates; (2) expanding funding for testing all rape kits; (3) supporting the Credible Messengers program, which helps to turn around children in trouble with the criminal justice system; and (4) ensuring adequate funding to support state crime labs, which test for drugs like Fentanyl. I would encourage you to focus your attention on those issues, which would make life better for the American people.

Jordan is hell bent on punishing DA Fani Willis and Fulton County, GA with a cut off of federal funds for daring to prosecute Trump. Thank God we have independent judiciary system, which bullies can not mess with, even if they appear on Twitter, Fox News and other biased cable news programs.

So much for aid to state labs that test for Fentanyl. Jordan isn’t interested. Jordan does what Trump wants, and Trump’s hatred for Fani Willis and the conspiracy charge is palatable. Jim Jordan, as of today, is the Republican nominee for the Speaker of the House. He lacks the votes to become Speaker and we will soon return to the saga of House republicans without a leader.

Jordan’s attack on DA Fani Willis is misplaced. It is not the attorney general who will determine Donald Trump’s fate, but a jury composed of ordinary citizens. This is the same for all Americans.

Stay tuned,

Dave

fani-willis-response-to-jim-jordan-1011Download


Trump’s Legal Problems – October 4, 2023

by Dave

Trump showed up for part of the third day of the New York State civil trial. He is now under a gag order not to make disparaging comments about court employees or their families. I predict two big former employees will be testifying next week, first Allen Weiselberg, who was Trump’s Chief Financial Officer, and Michael Cohen, who was Trump’s attorney.

Trump has blasted the whole case as unfair, to put it mildly, without a jury to evaluate all the facts. However, legal experts have laid the blame, partly on Trump’s lawyers, who did not object a non-jury trial.

See Link: “Mind-blowing”: Legal experts warn that lawyer’s incredible “screw-up” is “very ominous” for Trump

I’m not sure they would have succeeded, because they would have to argue for special circumstances exist to allow for a jury trial.

Trump’s attorney Alina Habba adds a bit of drama, but she is not winning any points with the judge:

You Tube video (4.4 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLS80Vxe59U . Fallon Cousins is not a lawyer, but a progressive commentator.

Will Trump testify? He said he wants to, but his lawyers will likely suggest to him that he has more to lose than gain. If he testifies and makes false statements, he can be charged with perjury.

In January, E. Jean Carroll defamation case II will begin. Carroll is seeking an additional 10 million dollars in her suit.

Now on to the heavy hitters- the criminal cases which are Hush Money, Georgia Conspiracy, Classified Documents and January 6 Federal Case, with prosecutors Bragg, Willis, Smith and Smith, respectively.

Hush Money Case: Trump’s lawyers filed for a motion to dismiss of all charges (summary judgement). The case is scheduled for trial in March 2024 in Manhattan. I believe the motion to dismiss will fail.

Georgia Conspiracy: Recent ruling, favorable to the prosecution, have help this case. Both Sidney Powell and Ken Cheseboro have requested a speedy trial. The judge set their trial to begin on October 23, 2023. What they did not want, was to be tried together, and they lost their bids for separate trials.

Others have tried unsuccessfully to have their cases moved to federal court. It was widely anticipated that Donald Trump would also file for removal to federal court. Trump did not file for removal and decided to remain with the others in Georgia.

Then, prosecutors have accepted a plea deal for Scott Hall, one of the defendants, in exchange for his testimony, which likely will be very damaging to Sidney Powell’s case. Additional defendants might to get similar plea deals, which allow them to avoid jail time. Legal experts consider that AG Willis just has too many defendants to try at the same time, so it is to her advantage to offer plea deals, if the defendants can help her case. So, as I count, the large group of conspirators, is now down to 16, down from 19 before.

Classified Documents: Trial to begin May 2024. Judge will have to make some contentious rulings on rules regarding the inspection of classified documents. With the back and forth of motions, this could impact the trial start date. Trump’s lawyers want this case to be held after the presidential elections, and prosecutors are insisting on the May 2024 start date. At issue are rules established in the Classified Information Procedures Act or CIPA. The judge might just push back the start date.

Federal January 6 Case: Trial date to begin March 4, 2024. Trump lost in a bid to delay until April 2026. Just in case you’ve forgotten the charges: The special counsel indictment explained Trump was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, witness tampering, conspiracy against the rights of citizens, and obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding. This will be televised, and the timing, just before Superbowl couldn’t be worse.

After Trump attacked the courts and prosecutors, Judge Chutkan ordered a partial gag order, limiting what Trump could say about prosecutors, potential witnesses and others. Trump’s lawyers argued against this, and a hearing is set for October 16. Gag orders for both prosecutors and defendants are necessary at times, particularly so jurors and witnesses are not inadvertently intimidated by what is said in public.

That’s a wrap. I forgot Steve Bannon “Build the Wall” fraud case starts in May 28, 2024 in Manhattan, so court reporters will go back to Judge Juan Merchan courtroom, following the Hush Money case. Bannon was pardoned by Trump but they were able to file criminal charges against him under NY State law.

And of course, Rudy Giuliani’s lawsuit against Joe Biden for referring to him as a Russian pawn. Wasn’t Rudy Giuliani practically broke? Don’t think this one has legs.

Stay tuned,

Dave

New York State Case – Day 1

by Dave

This is thoroughly covered by the news media. I just wanted to clarify a few points:

(1) Why is this a non-jury trial?

Engoron said that neither side sought a jury and that state law doesn’t allow for juries when suits seek not only money but a court order setting out something a defendant must do or not do.

Trump has complained that he is being railroaded by a biased judge. It’s unclear whether a jury trial would have been available under New York Executive Law 63(12), the statute under which the case was brought, and may legal experts believe it likely would not have been. Trump’s spokesperson emphasized this point in a statement.

“The Attorney General filed this case under a consumer protection statute that denies the right to a jury,” the spokesperson [for Trump] told The Messenger. “It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened.”

But the judge’s remark highlights that neither side sought to litigate the issue.

(2) Why can’t we see it on television?

Both this trial and the hush money criminal trial will not be televised. Generally, court cases can not be televised without special permission. The same with the federal January 6 case and the classified documents case. Now, the Georgia case, with 18 defendants, will be televised.

(3) Why is Trump allowed to attack prosecutors and the judge?

I think no gag order has been requested, as there is no jury which could be compromised if they heard these hostile statements.

(4) When is AG Letitia James planning to call important witnesses?

The list of potential witnesses, both for the prosecution and rebuttal have been provided to the courts. There are 28 witnesses. This list has #4 Allen Weiselberg, #6 Michael Cohen and #14 Ivanka Trump. The prosecution will end Eric, Donald Jr. and Donald Trump, followed by an expert witness on Commercial Banking and Disgorgement Amounts. There are 25 other potential rebuttal witnesses. To have the defense present their case, prosecution could wrap up in mid November – that’s just my guess.

Eric, Donald Jr. and Donald Trump are also on the defense potential list of witnesses. There is a very good chance they will not take the stand.

(5) Is there any credible evidence that this judge is biased towards Trump?

Zero. His handling of the case so far, has been praised by experts in civil lawsuits. Of course Donald Trump has a different opinion, “I have a Deranged, Trump Hating Judge, who RAILROADED this FAKE CASE through a NYS Court at a speed never before seen,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

That’s classic Trump, always on the offense.

(6) Is there any evidence that the Attorney General is targeting Trump?

Of course, it is her job to investigate wrong doing especially when Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified in Congress and wrote a book about all the illegal activities of Donald Trump. Successfully prosecuting Allen Weiselberg was a major step in charging Donald Trump, his two sons and the Trump business in this case with fraud.

(7) Is Trump and his organization being judged more harshly than similar cases?

Yes, when there is strong evidence of persistent fraud, the New York State law is more harsh. I happen to agree with harsh laws for repeat violators. There is a lower bar to prove fraud.

Hopefully, they can conclude the trial before Christmas.

Stay tuned,

Dave

The New York State Case Begins

by Dave

When something works, there is a tendency to repeat it. It looked to Trump like over valuations really worked. It is a fact that as he was making money, so were his companies and the banks. A win-win.

To Trump, image is everything. “I look better if I’m worth $10 billion than if I’m worth $4 billion,” he once said, disputing his ranking on the Forbes billionaires list. (a quote from the New York Times)

Multiple fraudulent claims extract a heavy penalty in New York State. This is why Trump’s business is in so much trouble.

Donald Trump has already bashed New York Attorney General Letitia James, calling her racist, and Judge Arthur Engoron as deranged. He has referred to the AG as biased and corrupt. This is pare for the course.

See AP ink: Who is Arthur Engoron?

More to come.

Stay tuned,

Dave

Trump’s Court Cases

by Dave

Trump is named in two civil cases and four criminal cases. I have created two short pages to summarize these cases.

It is easy to identify websites tracking the developments in each case. The NY State civil case is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 2 in Manhattan, NY. It is a non-jury trial and the judge has already established that the Trump business is guilty of fraud. It will not be televised.

Stay tuned,

Dave