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Trump Risks Violating Court Order By Sharing Media Clip

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    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Donald Trump might regret this…

    On Wednesday, Trump seemed to violate the gag order imposed by Judge Juan Merchan in the ongoing hush money trial.

    On Wednesday, Trump took to Truth Social and quoted comments made about potential jurors by Fox News host Jesse Watters on The Five Wednesday night.

    “They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,” Trump wrote, quoting the Fox host.

    That post appears to be in direct violation of Merchan’s gag order, a reality highlighted by JustSecurity’s Ryan Goodman, who shared screen grabs of both the Truth Social post and a section from the gag order, writing:

    On the left:

    NY judge’s gag order prohibiting Trump from “making … public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding.”

    On the right:

    Trump making public statement about prospective jurors in this criminal proceedings.

    The gag order section reads, in part, “Making or directing others to make public statements about any prospective juror or any juror in this criminal proceeding.”

    CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin was asked by Anderson Cooper Wednesday night if this sort of social media post was permissible under the gag order. Toobin argued that it was an apparent attempt to intimidate jurors, which is “clearly barred.”

    Toobin said:

    I don’t think so. I think it’s false, but more importantly, it’s clearly – I think – an attempt to intimidate jurors and it is clearly barred by the gag order in this case. I mean, Donald Trump doesn’t seem to realize he is now a criminal defendant, and criminal defendants have different and lesser rights than ordinary citizens. They are not allowed to interfere in the trial process – especially when there is a gag order that specifically addresses attempts to intimidate jurors. I mean, it is just not permissible.

    Judge Impedes Trump Plans To Attend Son’s Graduation

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      Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

      It is unlikely that Donald Trump will be able to attend a milestone event in his youngest child’s life.

      Indeed, according to the 45th president, it is all but guaranteed that he will not attend his son Barron’s high school graduation next month.

      Obviously, the president’s absence won’t be out of neglect or emotional abuse but a consequence of the limitations imposed by Judge Juan Merchan in his hush money trial.

      In a recent social media post, Trump’s frustration was palpable.

      “Who will explain for me, to my wonderful son, Barron, who is a GREAT Student at a fantastic School, that his Dad will likely not be allowed to attend his Graduation Ceremony, something that we have been talking about for years, because a seriously Conflicted and Corrupt New York State Judge wants me in Criminal Court on a bogus ‘Biden Case’ which, according to virtually all Legal Scholars and Pundits, has no merit, and should NEVER have been brought,” Trump fumed on Truth Social.

      The post continued, claiming: “This Fake Case is solely meant to attack Crooked Joe Biden‘s Political Opponent, ME, who is seriously leading him in the Polls, for purposes of Election Interference. The Judge, Juan Merchan, is preventing me from proudly attending my son’s Graduation. Seems very unfair, doesn’t it? But this whole event is unfair. Every one of the many Fake Cases that are perpetuated by the White House in order to help the Worst President in History, by far, get Re-Elected, are UNJUST SCAMS. We won’t let that happen, but we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

      Trump further criticized Merchan for denying his request to attend the presidential immunity hearing before the Supreme Court on April 25.

      As Breitbart reports:

      The hush money case involves whether Trump committed a felony when marking payments to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen legal expenses when New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg argues they should have been marked as campaign-related expenses because the payments included “hush money” payments meant to keep adult actor Stormy Daniels quiet before the 2016 election. Legal experts have pointed out that Bragg’s argument is a novel one that faces skepticism.

      Bragg has brought state charges under Section 175 for falsifying business records, based on the claim that Trump concealed the payments as “legal expenses.” A Section 175 charge would normally be a misdemeanor, but Bragg is trying to convert it into a felony by showing that the “intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof.” The crime would be federal election violations, which the Justice Department previously declined to charge. However, much will depend on whether Bragg can make that case to jurors in Manhattan, which is overwhelmingly Democrat.

      Barron is set to graduate from Oxbridge Academy, a private school located in Palm Beach, Florida, on May 17.

      His plans for college have not been disclosed.

      This article originally appeared on Official Trump Tracker

      Trump Speaks Out Ahead Of Hush Money Trial Kickoff

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        Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

        Former President Donald Trump made history on Monday as the first former or current U.S. president to ever face a criminal trial in a case that also made him the first former chief executive to be criminally indicted.

        Monday marked the start of Trump’s first criminal trial in a matter involving a hush money payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels just before the 2016 election.

        Monday’s trial begins with jury selection in which hundreds of New Yorkers must be whittled down to 12 people and six alternates. That process is expected to last at least several days before opening arguments begin and star witnesses take the stand.

        Around 9:30 am Trump entered the Manhattan courtroom flanked by his defense team, including Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles.

        Trump spoke briefly before entering the courtroom, calling the case an “assault on America” and a “political persecution.”

        “It’s an assault on America. And that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” Trump said as his remarks were carried live across major broadcast networks.

        Trump is also charged in three other criminal indictments: one in Georgia over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss there, a federal indictment also involving the 2020 election and Jan. 6, 2021, and a federal case in Florida involving the potential mishandling of classified documents after he left office.

        Former President Trump’s hush money judge on Monday declined to recuse himself from the trial currently underway, refusing Trump’s latest demand that he step aside over his daughter’s employment at a firm that works for prominent Democrats. 

        Justice Juan Merchan’s denial, made from the bench on the first day of Trump’s first criminal trial, eliminates what could have been an eleventh-hour curveball before jury selection begins. He said the motion relied on “a series of references, innuendos and unsupported speculation.” 

        Report: DeSantis To Launch Fundraising Effort To Help Trump

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          Conservatives are uniting to get a Republican back in the White House.

          Florida Governor and former presidential contender Ron DeSantis reportedly plans to help former President Donald Trump raise money in the coming weeks and months ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

          DeSantis told donors and supporters about his plans to fundraise for the former president at a private retreat last weekend, NBC News reported.

          “I would say the majority in the room would now be willing to help Trump,” a DeSantis bundler who was at the recent meeting told NBC News.

          “I will follow the governor’s lead and I will do anything that he or President Trump ask me to do to help him win this election,” said Texas businessman Roy Bailey. “I know where there are DeSantis supporters all over Texas and all over the country that will want to help President Trump.”

          “He’s committed to helping Trump in any and every way,” Bailey added. “If we can unlock and motivate our donors for Trump and put more fuel in his tank, that’s what we want to do, and that’s what we need to do to make sure [President Joe] Biden is not reelected.”

          The report noted that DeSantis’ full backing of the Trump campaign is a major asset for Trump because “DeSantis’ finance committee is full of fundraisers with massive networks” that are able to donate money.

          Cohen Wants Trump Sanctioned For ‘Sleaze-bag’ Remarks

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            Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

            Michael Cohen, the ex-personal attorney of former President Trump, said his former boss should be sanctioned for violating his gag order in the hush money case.

            Trump’s hush money trial is set to begin Monday. Cohen sat down for an interview with Politico ahead of the April 15 start date, where he continued his criticisms of the former President.

            “I’m not the defendant in this case. The defendant in this case is the former president, Donald J. Trump. So, what does he do? He starts to attack. And despite the gag orders that have been put on by the judges, he nevertheless continues to do what he wants,” Cohen said.

            “He will say whatever he wants. He violates the gag order. And like a petulant child, there appears to be no repercussion. He legitimately just posted something calling me a sleazebag,” he continued. “And of course, he attacked Stormy Daniels, as well. It’s called witness intimidation and obstruction of justice.”

            Cohen was responding to a post from Trump on Wednesday, where he called Daniels and Cohen “two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!”

            ‘No Brainer’ Former ESPN Host Says 2024 Vote Is An Easy Decision

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            Jeff Kern, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

            Joe Biden’s incompetence should make the 2024 election an easy one…

            Former ESPN host Sage Steele told Fox News Digital that she is planning to vote for Trump in the next election, saying that she strictly focuses on policy not personality when casting her vote.

            “To me, Donald Trump is the obvious answer based on what he believes, what he can do, what he has shown that he can do starting with the defense of our country, our safety, etc. and nothing to do with the personal stuff. I don’t care anymore,” Steele said. “It’s about policy, not emotion. And that’s what I wish people could get over is that emotional stuff. It’s maddening.”

            Steele had a laundry list of reasons why she thought Biden has been so unpopular, which included inflation, the border crisis, how people feel less safe, as well as his “decline mentally.”

            “You can even go back to those Chinese balloons, you know, over our territory for over a week. And little things like that, that aren’t so little. If that’s happening, what else is happening?” Steele said. “So even people who don’t go deep and take deep dives on everyday politics and the goings-on across the country, you don’t need to take a deep dive to understand that we are in a dire situation. And to me, it really is now or never.”

            Steele also expressed her “fear” of the looming Biden-Trump rematch and how “we have seen the depths” to which Democrats have tried to keep the former president off the ballot. 

            “I’m nervous for him. Sometimes I get nervous for his safety. Honestly, like it’s crazy,” Steele said. “The 91 charges, and you know, all the lawsuits and awarding $83 million… What happened with the Fani Willis case. Like, I am blown away. Every time I think, ‘OL, this is a new low. It can’t go any lower.’ What happens?!”

            Report: Trump’s Shortlist For Treasury Secretary

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              Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

              Donald Trump has eyes set on the future.

              According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump is eyeing a number of high-profile Wall Street and Washington veterans as candidates for Treasury secretary if he wins another term in the White House.

              WSJ continues:

              The April 6 event in Palm Beach, Fla., is being hosted by billionaire hedge-fund manager John Paulson and co-chaired by investor Scott Bessent, both of whom have caught Trump’s eye as he weighs who he will nominate for key cabinet positions, according to people familiar with the matter.

              Other people Trump’s allies have discussed for Treasury secretary include: Robert Lighthizer, the former president’s top trade adviser; former Trump administration Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton; and JPMorgan Chase Chief Executive Jamie Dimon.

              The Trump campaign is also courting Blackstone CEO and former Trump donor Steve Schwarzman, who in 2022 broke with the former president, saying he planned to back “a new generation” of Republican leaders. Schwarzman hasn’t made a final decision but is considering supporting Trump’s re-election effort, according to people close to him. Some Trump advisers have also mentioned Schwarzman as a potential Treasury secretary.

              Notorious Criminal Speaks Out Ahead Of Trump Hush Money Trial

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                On Tuesday, MSNBC’s Ari Melber interviewed incarcerated convicted felon Michael Avenatti to get his thoughts on former President Donald Trump’s fast-approaching New York criminal hush money trial.

                Avenatti, a disbarred attorney, is currently serving 19 years for extortion, fraud, obstruction, and identity theft. Some of those charges stem from his theft of proceeds from a book by his former client, Stormy Daniels. 

                The former president faces 34 charges linked to hush money payments made by his ex-fixer to porn actress Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged affair ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty.

                Trump is scheduled to head to trial in his New York criminal case on April 15.

                Mediaite has more:

                “Michael, have you been in touch with D.A. Bragg’s office?” Melber asked. “And what specifically in evidence or logic do you think is wrong with this case?”

                “I’m going to decline to answer as to whether I’ve been in touch with either the defense or the D.A.s office,” Avenatti replied. “But let me say this in response to the second part of your question. You know, I think the case has a lot of problems. Now that– I don’t mean to suggest that means that Trump will not be convicted because I think he will be convicted because number one, he’s a criminal defendant in our society. I don’t believe criminal defendants generally get a fair shake.”

                Avenatti then echoed attorneys for Trump, who have unsuccessfully attempted to secure a change of venue. He said:

                I don’t think that he can get a fair trial in New York. And to the people who claim that in fact, he can get a fair trial in New York with a New York jury, I would ask them, if they were to go to sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow and find out that the case had been moved to Mississippi or Alabama, would they still think the trial was going to be fair?

                And I think if they were being honest, they would answer no. So, I don’t think he can get a fair trial in New York.

                On Monday, a judge in New York denied a request for a delay in his hush money trial. Trump’s attorneys argued for the trial to be relocated from Manhattan and postponed as they pursue the matter. 

                Trump’s attorneys argued for the trial to be relocated from Manhattan and postponed as they pursue the matter. His attorneys argued that Manhattan, a well-known liberal bastion, was not an appropriate location for the Republican president’s case. They requested a change of venue to Staten Island, the only borough in New York City that Trump won in both 2016 and 2020.

                House Democrat Files Revenge Bill Following Trump Airport Proposal

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                  Image via Pixabay

                  On Sunday, Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly defended his proposal saying he thinks it’s “only fitting” to name a federal prison after former President Trump

                  “Well, there’s a nice federal penitentiary right near Mar-a-Lago. And I just thought for a guy who’s now got 88 criminal indictments pending, criminal — plus two major civil penalty trials that have already been resolved, costing him about a half a billion dollars,” Connolly told MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart.

                  “I think it’s only fitting that if Republicans really want to honor Donald Trump, the most appropriate way to do that is to name a federal prison he might be visiting soon, after Donald J. Trump,” Connolly added.

                  Connolly was one of three Democrats to introduce a bill Friday to change the name of the Miami Federal Correctional Institution in Florida to “Donald J. Trump Federal Correctional Institution.” 

                  Connolly was joined by Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.).

                  The proposal came in response to a Republican push to rename Washington Dulles International Airport after Trump.

                  Report: Brothers Plead Guilty To Insider Trading Tied to Trump Media Company

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                    Arrest image via Pixabay

                    Two brothers pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday for their roles in an insider trading scheme.

                    Florida venture capitalist Michael Shvartsman, 53, and his brother, Gerald, 46, each pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman set the brothers’ sentencing hearing for July 17.

                    According to the Department of Justice, the brothers obtained confidential information about details of the deal, including the timeline of its announcement, and then bought millions of dollars’ worth of DWAC securities on the open market before the merger with Trump Media went public.

                    The Hill reports:

                    “Michael and Gerald Shvartsman admitted in court that they received confidential, inside information about an upcoming merger between DWAC and Trump Media and used that information to make profitable, but illegal, open-market trades,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press release Wednesday from the Department of Justice.

                    “Insider trading is cheating, plain and simple, and today’s convictions should remind anyone who may be tempted to corrupt the integrity of the stock market that it will earn them a ticket to prison,” Williams added.

                    The Shvartsmans were arrested last June, along with a third individual, Bruce Garelick, who had worked at Michael Shvartsman’s Rocket One Capital venture firm. Garelick, who was placed on DWAC’s board of directors, is accused of providing critical information to the brothers about the forthcoming deal in 2021. Garelick is set to go to trial at the end of this month.