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    Trump Sues ABC News, George Stephanopoulos For Defamation

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Tulane Public Relations, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Former President Trump sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos, alleging defamation over a recent interview with South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R).

    The March 10 interview on “This Week” caught attention after Mace, a rape survivor, accused Stephanopoulos of trying to “shame” her by probing why she endorsed the former president despite juries’ recent verdicts in author E. Jean Carroll’s sexual battery and defamation lawsuits.

    Trump’s lawsuit, filed on Monday, takes aim at how Stephanopoulos at multiple points in his questioning said Trump had been found “liable for rape.” The jury had found Trump liable for sexual abuse under New York law, but not rape.

    “Judges and two separate juries have found him liable for rape and for defaming the victim of that rape. How do you square your endorsement of Donald Trump with the testimony we just saw, ” Stephanopoulos asked during the interview.

    The Hill has more:

    “These statements were and remain false, and were made by Defendant Stephanopoulos with actual malice or with a reckless disregard for the truth given that Defendant Stephanopoulos knows that these statements are patently and demonstrably false,” Trump’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, wrote in the 20-page complaint.

    “Indeed, the jury expressly found that Plaintiff did not commit rape and, as demonstrated below, Defendant George Stephanopoulos was aware of the jury’s finding in this regard yet still falsely stated otherwise,” Brito continued.

    Trump asked for an unspecified amount of damages in the lawsuit.

    Read the full complaint below:

    gov.uscourts.flsd_.664183.1.0Download

    Trump Says Paying Bond is a ‘Practical Impossibility’ in New Court Filing

    By
    admin
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    6
    Image via Pixabay free images

    Former President Donald Trump may be in trouble.

    Attorneys for the Republican nominee for president told a New York appeals court that they haven’t found an insurance company to underwrite his bond to cover the $464 million civil fraud judgment against him.

    According to his legal representatives, Trump asked 30 underwriters to put up his massive bond payment – but couldn’t find one.

    The 45th president’s legal team is seeking a stay of execution on the $464 million judgment, telling the court in writing that “Posting a Full Undertaking Is a Practical Impossibility.”

    This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. Republished with permission.

    Mike Pence Says He Won’t Endorse Trump

    By
    Victoria Churchill
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    1
    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former Vice President Mike Pence had some strong words for his former boss in an interview with Martha MacCallum on Fox News. On Friday, Mike Pence made a bombshell announcement.

    Social media users from across the Republican spectrum had some choice words for Pence following his statement. Most conservatives seemed upset by the statement.

    Pence’s former Press Secretary and current co-host on The View – Alyssa Farah Griffin – was one of few Republicans who praised Pence’s decision.

    Former Illinois Congressman and Presidential candidate who defied Trump in 2020 also commended Pence’s decision.

    The University of Virginia‘s Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato also praised Pence’s choice and wondered if he had set a precedent for other top Republican leaders to reject Trump this year.

    This article originally appeared on American Liberty News. Republished with permission.

    Georgia Judge Floats Possible Gag Order For DA Willis

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Friday, Georgia Judge Scott McAfee suggested that a gag order could be imposed on the Fulton County District Attorney’s office to prevent it from mentioning the case against former President Trump and other defendants in a public setting.

    McAfee ruled on Friday that Willis’s once-romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade constituted an appearance of conflict of interest in the racketeering case and barred the prosecutors from continuing to oversee it unless either Willis or Wade leaves the case. 

    “The time may well have arrived for an order preventing the State from mentioning the case in any public forum to prevent prejudicial pretrial publicly, but that is not the motion presently before the Court,” McAfee said in suggesting the possibility.

    In his 23-page ruling, the judge criticized the district attorney at multiple turns, both for the relationship and for her public comments during her testimony.

    After being accused of having an affair with Wade, in her first public comments, Willis defended his qualifications and role in the case.

    She then implied that race played a role in the criticism of their relationship. Willis argued that people had only attacked Wade, not the other two special prosecutors hired to the case, who are white.

    McAfee said her speech was intended to “cast racial aspersions” at Mike Roman, one of Trump’s co-defendants in the case, who brought forth the accusations against Willis.

    McAfee argued that her comment was “still legally improper.”

    “Providing this type of public comment creates dangerous waters for the District Attorney to wade further into,” he wrote.

    The judge then went as far to say that a gag order may be possible to prevent a future jury pool from being prejudiced by Willis’s comments.

    Florida Judge Rules On Request To Dismiss Trump’s Classified Docs Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Thursday, Florida District Court Judge Aileen Cannon rejected former President Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss charges of retaining classified documents.

    This is only one of two motions from Trump’s legal team. The judge has not ruled on the other motion to dismiss based on the Presidential Records Act (PRA). 

    Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche initially asserted that the PRA gives the president the authority to retain documents he sees fit. However, later the judge one point remarked that the Trump defense team’s view of the Presidential Records Act would essentially “gut the PRA.”

    Fox News continues:

    “Presidents since George Washington have taken material out of the White House,” said Blanche, adding that the PRA was passed in the late ’70s and nothing in the statute says anything about documents with markings or anything that gives the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) the ability to challenge a president’s decision about which documents are personal versus presidential.

    Trump’s attorney also pointed out often that the then-president caused these boxes to be moved while he was still president and that this is the first time NARA has challenged a decision made by a president about which documents are personal versus presidential. They claim NARA only took this action because the president in question was Donald Trump.

    Blanche replied that it is up to Congress to change the law. “That’s what’s supposed to happen. DOJ can’t just decide… [what is personal versus presidential],” he said. 

    “We don’t have a lot of case law on this because this has never been done before,” added Blanche. “While he was the president he took records, like many presidents… For the first time ever, NARA took a different path and made a criminal referral,” instead of negotiating with the president as had been done in the past.

    Cannon at one point said, “Correct… the seizure of a president’s records was seen to be an extraordinary act.”

    Judge Rules If DA Fani Willis May Remain On Georgia Election Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    Time to make a decision…

    A Georgia judge ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) or the prosecutor she had a romantic relationship with must step aside before the office can continue its election interference case against former President Donald Trump and codefendants.

    The Hill has more:

    Judge Scott McAfee ruled on Friday that Willis’s once-romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade constituted an appearance of conflict of interest in the racketeering case and barred the prosecutors from continuing to oversee it unless either Willis or Wade leaves the case. 

    “[T]he established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options. The Defendants’ motions are therefore granted in part,” McAfee wrote in his 23-page ruling.

    The Trump prosecution was sidetracked by the probe into Willis and Wade’s relationship. In over three days of hearings, defense attorneys sought to prove that Willis hired her romantic partner to prosecute Trump and has since benefitted from his appointment in the form of lavish vacations they took together.

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Boebert Makes Announcement Over Colorado Special Election

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Popular pro-Trump Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has decided she will not run in the special election for Colorado GOP Rep. Ken Buck’s seat.

    On Tuesday, Buck shocked Republicans by announcing he will leave Congress on March 22, a move that triggers a special election on June 25 to temporarily fill the vacancy in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. (RELATED: Rep. Ken Buck To Retire Sooner Than Expected)

    Boebert, who currently represents Colorado’s 4th Congressional District, initially announced she would run to succeed Buck in the 3rd District. However, on Wednesday, the congresswoman clarified she will not run in the special election to fill Buck’s vacancy.

    “Forcing an unnecessary Special Election on the same day as the Primary Election will confuse voters, result in a lameduck Congressman on day one, and leave the 4th District with no representation for more than three months. The 4th District deserves better,” Boebert said.

    “I will not further imperil the already very slim House Republican majority by resigning my current seat and will continue to deliver on my constituents’ priorities while also working hard to earn the votes of the people of Colorado’s 4th District who have made clear they are hungry for a real conservative,” she continued.

    “I am the only Trump-endorsed, America First candidate in this race and will win the 4th District’s Primary Election on June 25th and General Election on November 5th.” 

    After Buck’s resignation, the breakdown of Congress will be 431 members with 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats. The GOP will only be able to lose two votes of their own on any given issue. 

    Trump Says He’s Ruled Out Some Potential VP Candidates

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The list is getting even shorter…

    On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump said that he’s eliminated some potential picks for vice president from his list.

    During an interview with Trump on his show Greg Kelly Reports, Newsmax host Greg Kelly questioned, “Vice president. Are you any closer? Have you ruled anybody out?”

    Trump replied:

    Yeah, I probably have a couple of people that you may know very well. Some people that I didn’t think behaved properly. Yeah, I think I’ve ruled some people out, but I’ve ruled a lot of people in. We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party, and they’ll do a terrific job, I think, but certainly I have people that I wouldn’t want as a vice president.

    While Trump did not elaborate on who exactly had been ruled out.

    Last month, Trump confirmed a short list of names he is considering asking to become his running mate in the coming months.

    The list included three former GOP candidates, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.). He also confirmed that Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Gov. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who served in Congress as a Democrat but has since shifted to more conservative views.

    After Kelly asked Trump whether a “formal process” was currently underway, Trump said, “No, it’s a formal process that’s in my brain. It’s like I look at the same people that everybody else is looking at.”

    He continued:

    We’ve had some really great people. I think we have really great people that want it. People have expressed, I mean not their interest, they’ve expressed like, “I would love to be vice president.” Who wouldn’t? If you’re a politician, who wouldn’t want it? But you know, I get a kick out of watching the fake news media say, “Nobody wants to work with him. Nobody wants to be vice president. Nobody wants to be secretary of state.” Everybody wants to be in these positions.

    “There’s not a person in politics that doesn’t want it, and that includes Democrats. If I wanted, I’d have a Democrat, I’d have a liberal, I’d have anybody I want.”

    Trump concluded, “Really, if you want to stay within a certain boundary, the press covers the people that are being thought about. It’s unusual that you’d pick somebody totally out of that, and there are 15 people they talk about, and that list grows every day. But we’re gonna pick somebody that’s really good, really conservative, loves law and order, low taxes, low interest rates, borders.”

    Six Counts Against Trump and Several Codefendants Tossed In Georgia

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    On Wednesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee tossed out six counts against former President Donald Trump and several of his codefendants in DA Fani Willis’s election interference indictment

    Politico’s Kyle Cheney flagged the ruling and noted that McAfee “says the allegations that the defendants tried to get GA officials to violate their oaths were not detailed enough.”

    The Hill has more:

    Each of the tossed charges related to alleged efforts by Trump and some of his co-defendants, including former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, to solicit Georgia officials to violate their oaths of office. 

    The judge ruled that while the charges do contain the “essential” elements of each crime, they fail to provide enough detail for the defendants to mount their defenses. Under the current charges, McAfee said, the defendants could have violated the law in “dozens, if not hundreds, of distinct ways.” 

    “The Court’s concern is less that the State has failed to allege sufficient conduct of the Defendants – in fact it has alleged an abundance,” McAfee wrote. “However, the lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned’s opinion, fatal.” 

    McAfee made clear that his ruling “does not mean the entire indictment is dismissed,” and said the Fulton County district attorney’s office could seek reindictment after supplementing the charges he deemed insufficient. 

    This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

    Judge Approves $92M Bond In NY Defamation Trial as E. Jean Carroll Team Hints At New Lawsuit

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Image via Pixabay free images

    A federal judge has accepted former President Donald Trump’s bond money which totals just under $100 million ahead of his appeal.

    Judge Lewis A. Kaplan approved the bond on Tuesday, which will now serve as a guarantee that the former president will pay out if his appeal does not overturn the verdict.

    Trump posted the $92 million bond last week following a ruling that found him liable in his New York defamation case against E. Jean Carroll in January of this year.

    Trump is appealing the January decision to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan.

    The bond value is higher than the total damages due to a requirement for 110% of the judgment value to be posted during the appeal process.

    Federal Insurance Company — based in Chesapeake, Virginia — provided the bond money, according to documents signed by the former president.

    Trump’s lawyers said he made statements about Carroll in an effort to “defend his reputation, protect his family, and defend his Presidency.”

    A jury found him liable for $83.3 million in damages to E. Jean Carroll for defaming her through previous statements attacking her credibility — $18.3 million in compensatory damages, and $65 million in punitive damages.

    Carroll’s legal team has not ruled out a potential third lawsuit against the former President.

    Monday morning, Trump again attacked Carroll on CNBC’s Squawk Box, trashing her as “Ms. Bergdorf Goodman, a person I’d never met” who was making a “false accusation” against him — similar wording to his insults that sparked her lawsuits in the first place.

    Carroll’s attorney Kaplan reacted to Trump’s comments about her client, issuing a statement that made it clear the legal team was considering going a third round with the ex-president.

    “The statute of limitations for defamation in most jurisdictions is between one and three years,” said Kaplan. “As we said after the last jury verdict, we continue to monitor every statement that Donald Trump makes about our client, E. Jean Carroll.”

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