Trump Indictment ( includes NY AG and Fed documents case ) (1 Viewer)

[SteveSBrickNJ]

Former President D. Trump has been indicted by a New York Grand Jury. There will be much to talk about on this topic because this is just the first step in a lengthy process.
Possibly it is worthy of its own thread here rather than posting about Trump's indictment in already existing threads?
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This 3/31/23 story might get the ball rolling....
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Manhattan’s DA wanted a Friday Trump arrest. Trump’s team said no.

Secret Service needed more time to prepare, according to the ex-president’s legal team.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Lapaz]

Trump doesn’t drink and never has….

I had forgotten that he didn't drink, but it doesn't matter, because I meant it as figuratively drinking. He also wasn't literally drunk to begin with, but the proceedings had to be sobering, and again that is figurative.

 

[CoolBrees]

I said that he should've brought an indictment and charged the misdemeanor. I agree that this one breaks the lid, and the others would've broken the lid as well, but the others are much more clear felonies. This one isn't a clear felony.

How many years have you prosecuted criminal cases as a district attorney?

What portion of the criminal code allegedly violated was misrepresented as a felony? How so?

Or are you saying you heard experts saying this? And if so, which ones? I would like to listen to these opinions.

I have already heard from the DA of NYC so I don’t really need an explanation from that side on why they should be felonies.

 

[Lapaz]

I'm confused by the two different points you're making in this same post. Are you saying Bragg should have brought and indictment or that he shouldn't have brought and indictment? I understand that point that perhaps Bragg pushing it to a felony is reaching a bit, to be honest I don't know either way. But whether it's a misdemeanor or felony, it's still and indictment that he would have brought that would have "broken the lid open".

Any of the other 3 cases would have also "broken the lid open", so whatever Republican attorney generals decide to do in the future against Democratic presidents, they will claim the same thing ( i.e Democrats did it first). I just find all the fear and handwringing about what lines have been crossed and what might happen in the future to be superfluous and unconvincing. We've literally heard the same reasoning for any actions taken to restrain Trump's illegals actions throughout his 4 years in office.

I deleted this post, because it appeared twice! Anyway, I'll restate it. I said that Bragg should've indicted Trump for misdemeanor charges. I know that the others would've also broken the lid, but they were much more obvious felonies. This one is not an obvious felony.

 

[Lapaz]

How many years have you prosecuted criminal cases as a district attorney?

What portion of the criminal code allegedly violated was misrepresented as a felony? How so?

Or are you saying you heard experts saying this? And if so, which ones? I would like to listen to these opinions.

I have already heard from the DA of NYC so I don’t really need an explanation from that side on why they should be felonies.

Zero cases prosecuted, because I'm not an attorney, but I read the indictment, and have listened to and read many attorneys analyzing the case, and the overwhelming are saying this. I've heard others, but Abrahms, Smerconish and NY Times are sources that I trust. I don't just go by whatever I hear and read, because I don't always agree with them. It has to make sense to me, and what I've been hearing and reading makes sense to me. Regardless, I'm expressing my personal opinion about political implications, not giving a legal opinion. What about you?

 

[Lapaz]

There are additional claims in this NPR story that I didn't see in the indictment about paying $30k to a doorman through the national enquirer, $150K to McDougal, and a total of $420k as a retainer to Cohen.

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/04/1167985028/trump-indictment-criminal-charges-hush-money-payments

This is the indictment:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2023/04/04/Donald-J-Trump-Indictment.pdf

There isn't anything about those other claims in the indictment above. Is there another published document of claims?

 

[CoolBrees]

That link doesn’t work.

Here is one that does and it absolutely talks the doorman etc …. On page 3 of the SOF

Read the full Trump indictment charging him with 34 felony counts

The former president pleaded not guilty to all charges in a court appearance Tuesday.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[coldseat]

There are additional claims in this NPR story that I didn't see in the indictment about paying $30k to a doorman through the national enquirer, $150K to McDougal, and a total of $420k as a retainer to Cohen.

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/04/1167985028/trump-indictment-criminal-charges-hush-money-payments

This is the indictment:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc.com/resources/editorialfiles/2023/04/04/Donald-J-Trump-Indictment.pdf

There isn't anything about those other claims in the indictment above. Is there another published document of claims?

It comes from the Statement of Facts from Bragg's office that was filed with the indicitment.

https://thehill.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-SOF.pdf

 

[MT15]

I think Romney made the point specific to the upgraded felony charges, not that it was all together wrong to charge him.

Even that point is bogus. That office routinely upgrades to felony when cases similar to this are before it.

 

[BullSheetBuddha]

I think Romney made the point specific to the upgraded felony charges, not that it was all together wrong to charge him.

Yeah, I should have looked at exactly what Romney said before I posted but I didn't.

 

[FullMonte]

I can't wait for when Michael Cohen testifies and the defense says "Why should we believe the word of a convicted felon?"

and Cohen responds with, "I was convicted for this crime! Not an identical but separate crime, I was convicted for literally this exact crime, which I only did because Donald Trump told me to"

Don’t forget when, after asking why we should believe the word of a convicted felon, they try to introduce evidence of Cohens statement that he did this on his own.

 

[Lapaz]

Even that point is bogus. That office routinely upgrades to felony when cases similar to this are before it.

Everything I've read and heard says that the cases haven't been raised to a felony in any case that has gone to trial using federal crimes as the other crime. I've heard one case cited that I believe was against a bank, but the bank pled guilty, so it didn't go to trial. The state crimes that I heard about are planned tax fraud crimes. How can they charge a planned crime?

 

[efil4]

How can they charge a planned crime?

Pre-cog twins

 

[J-DONK]

It comes from the Statement of Facts from Bragg's office that was filed with the indicitment.

https://thehill.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Donald-J.-Trump-SOF.pdf

As a layperson, this seems extremely damaging to the idea that paying Daniels was NOT completely related to the campaign.

The Defendant directed Lawyer A to delay making a payment to Woman 2 as long as possible. He instructed Lawyer A that if they could delay the payment until after the election, they could avoid paying altogether, because at that point it would not matter if the story became public. As reflected in emails and text messages between and among Lawyer A, Lawyer B, and the AMI Editor-in-Chief, Lawyer A attempted to delay making payment as long as possible.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

CNN was interviewing someone (not sure who) who said any disappointment over these indictments are coming from the media and Trump critics who were hoping for sexy, gotcha bombshells, he went on the say that these are very serious charges, and it's a strong case and expects these charges to turn into tax fraud charges as well down the line

Cy Vance said the same thing last night.

 

[SystemShock]

Everything I've read and heard says that the cases haven't been raised to a felony in any case that has gone to trial using federal crimes as the other crime. I've heard one case cited that I believe was against a bank, but the bank pled guilty, so it didn't go to trial. The state crimes that I heard about are planned tax fraud crimes. How can they charge a planned crime?

Conspiracy to commit.

 

[zztop]

I think I might have finally found my avatar

 

[MT15]

Everything I've read and heard says that the cases haven't been raised to a felony in any case that has gone to trial using federal crimes as the other crime. I've heard one case cited that I believe was against a bank, but the bank pled guilty, so it didn't go to trial. The state crimes that I heard about are planned tax fraud crimes. How can they charge a planned crime?

There were 3 additional crimes though. One other state crime besides tax fraud. And from what I have read they charge planned tax fraud all the time when they discover “cooked” books. That’s the main reason to cook books, isn’t it? They will use them to commit tax fraud.

 

[SaintForLife]

The New York prosecutor who has charged Donald Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records says he brought the case to prevent “normalising criminal conduct.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told reporters after the former president’s historic arraignment in the city on Tuesday that he had a fundamental responsibility to file the case.

“We cannot and will not normalise serious criminal conduct,” Mr Bragg told a news conference.

And he added: “At its core, this case today is one with allegations like so many of our white-collar cases. Allegations that someone lied, again and again, to protect their interests and evade the laws to which we are all held accountable,” he said.

“As this office has done time and time again we today uphold our solemn responsibility to see that everyone stands equal before the law. No amount of money and no amount of power changes that enduring American principle.”…….

Alvin Bragg says he filed case to prevent ‘normalising’ Trump’s ‘criminal conduct’

Former president has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records connected to hush money payments

www.independent.co.uk

That's hilarious considering Bragg is in the mold of many Soros backed progressive prosecutors that refuse to prosecute many crimes.

According to Lott's group, the number of felony cases Bragg declined to prosecute rose 35 percent in 2022 compared to 2019, while the drop in misdemeanor prosecutions resulting in jail sentences fell by 78 percent. "What makes this all the more remarkable is that this huge drop occurred while the number of offenses was increasing," said Lott.

But critics say the proof is in the pudding. Bragg's hailing of a drop in conviction rates is primarily due to his office declining to prosecute cases in the first place, says Lott.

According to Lott's group, the number of felony cases Bragg declined to prosecute rose 35 percent in 2022 compared to 2019, while the drop in misdemeanor prosecutions resulting in jail sentences fell by 78 percent. "What makes this all the more remarkable is that this huge drop occurred while the number of offenses was increasing," said Lott.

...Four months ago, the New York Post reported that four charges of larceny would be dropped against an alleged gang member with a long history of crime who was accused of stealing $25,000 in merchandise in four heists. The deal from Bragg's office required him to attend five sessions with Manhattan Justice Opportunities, which provides social workers to council criminals convicted of both misdemeanors and felonies. Last month, he was arrested again after he and three others allegedly punched a 14-year-old boy and stole his cash and phone, according to the complaint.

A month earlier, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell complained on television that the NYPD is "arresting the same people over and over" due to bail reform that allows accused criminals to remain free while awaiting trial. She used as an example Wilfredo Ocasio, who, after serving time for rape and robbery, was arrested for petit larceny 33 times in three months.

And in January, Bragg courted controversy again by offering a six-month plea deal to Waseem Awadeh, one of four alleged gang members arrested for an antisemitic attack on Joseph Borgen, who was wearing a Yarmulke while walking to a pro-Israel event in Manhattan. The accused men pepper-sprayed him, and punched and kicked him, all captured on video, with Awadeh allegedly striking him with a crutch on four occasions.

Alvin Bragg's "Soft on Crime" policies face scrutiny as he goes after Trump

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is accused of being soft on crime. But he's no softie when it comes to investigating Donald Trump.

www-newsweek-com.cdn.ampproject.org