Posted on 04/23/2024 9:06:34 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The first witness in Donald Trump's trial for alleged "criminal" bookkeeping errors came with National Enquirer-worthy titillations about what a hot commodity the former president was back in the day. Prosecutors thought they'd burst out of the gate with a little razzle-dazzle and T&A, hoping that jurors would believe the witness had anything to do with the actual charges in the case.
This is because — spoiler alert — the prosecutors' actual case is a "confusing" distraction. It's the "Seinfeld" of legal cases.
But since a Manhattan jury will likely convict the former president because Orange Man Bad, here's what happened in court with the opening witness on truncated court sessions Monday and Tuesday.
David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, testified that he worked with Trump's lawyer to kill stories that hurt Trump's reputation or would be hurtful to his wife and family. This is the so-called catch-and-kill scheme, wherein sources would approach the Enquirer with an unflattering story about Trump (this applies to Hollywood stars and big shots), offer money to the people telling it, and then make the story disappear.
And it went something like this:
All of the above is legal.
Reminder: A 2018 Letter from Michael Cohen’s lawyer to the FEC admits Cohen used his own personal funds to pay Stormy Daniels.
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
Now read the rest of the article because it gets even more tortuous.
If you can’t dazzle ‘em with brilliance, then baffle ‘em with BS!
RE: https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1IH2J4/
Either Cohen is lying or Stephen Ryan ( his counsel ) is lying. They can’t both be telling the truth.
But let’s say Cohen is NOT lying and Trump DID reimburse him, what felony is Trump liable for?
There are checks that show the reimbursement.
Quit moving goalposts.
The Los Angeles Times “caught and killed” the story of Barack Obama’s banquet speech for Rashid Khalidi, which was on video. I bet that video is more damaging than sex with a stripper and had a bigger impact on the 2008 election than Daniels did in 2016. Nobody was prosecuted. Few even complained. The video is still in the vault.
Even if there are, THAT is also not illegal. “Go away” settlements and NDAs are extremely common. The lying whorebag human toilet tried to milk a few dollars more out of him two weeks before the election.
130k to Trump is akin to me flipping a nickel to a bum who is annoying customers coming into my business. It’s a ridiculously small amount she accepted. That amount was offered because her lawyer knew it was so low no sane person would take it to court if they could make it go away for that trivial sum.
Nothing even slightly illegal about it.
RE: Quit moving goalposts.
I’m not. I want to know what felony is Trump liable for if he did reimburse Cohen?
None...
Checks showing something. Reimbursement, probably. Retainer replenishment, probably. Details of what the money was used for? I dunno. Illegal? Seems not. Other reasons for paying it off - absolutely. Pecker himself said he did it to protect Trump’s family from embarrassing stories.
Seems to be some arms length here. Pecker gets the story, calls Trumps lawyer, and the lawyer cuts the checks. NY juries could do anything but seems a stretch. Trump was from the school of Roy Cohen. The lawyers’ job is to protect the client.
RE: There are checks that show the reimbursement.
Also, what did the checks say?
Payment for your hush money to Stormy Daniels? Or paymewnt for your services as my lawyer?
RE: None...
I would hope so, but then there’s the other issue.... did Trump use his personal money or campaign money?
FEC already examined that. Personal money and not a campaign finance issue.
RE: FEC already examined that. Personal money and not a campaign finance issue.
OK, if so, it then boils down to Trump’s personal money. Exactly what crime is there to reimburse Cohen for paying Stormy to keep quiet?
I think it will ultimately boil down to TAXES. That’s the only “felony” ( note the quotes ) that I can think of.
Interesting. In 2017 Maralago brought in $25 million. Yet Engoron fined Trump a whole bunch because he said it’s only worth $18 million.
How can a property that brings in $25 million in a single year only be worth $18 million?
Also, the FEC was made aware of all this stuff back in 2017 along with all the speculation that Trump was guilty of election crimes but did not charge Trump with any crimes. So whatever Bragg might say about election crimes is solely his opinion, which is contradicted by the actual legal authorities whose responsibility it would have been to charge Trump if a crime had been committed.
RE: Interesting. In 2017 Maralago brought in $25 million
Interesting. Could you kindly share the source for this figure? Thanks.
That was at the tail end of the link from Reuters that was posted to show Trump paid Cohen for something. It was in the post I was replying to.
Trump's people should have put "loan repayment" in the memo field like the Bidens did. Then it would all be okay.
-PJ
Old lawyer saying: If the facts are on your side then pound on the facts. If the law is on your side then pound on the law. If neither are on your side then pound on the table.
Pecker testified today that he, Cohen, and Trump all discussed killing bad stories that might emerge about Trump’s reported infidelities, and promote favorable stories as a priority. None of that would matter at all if Cohen and Pecker had not claimed the “scheme” was to be paid as a “business expense” from the campaign. That’s what the DA pounced on.
I have no idea if it will ultimately succeed, but it’s a problem that won’t just go away. That’s simply reality.
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