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    Judge Rules Dominion can call Murdoch to Testify in Fox News Lawsuit

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    A Delaware judge has ruled Dominion Voting Systems can call Fox Corp. executives Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch as witnesses to testify during a jury trial as part of its $1.6 Billion lawsuit against Fox News.

    In a new development, lawyers for Dominion asked Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis to allow them to call the Murdochs as live witnesses during the trial, which is slated to begin later this month. 

    Davis last week tossed out Fox’s latest attempt to throw out the suit and ruled that Dominion had proven the first key elements of their defamation claim: that the network’s statements about Dominion and the 2020 election were false.

    Davis also ruled last week that a jury was needed to decide whether Fox operated with actual malice, or reckless disregard for the truth, another key legal hurdle Dominion needs to clear in order to prove defamation. 

    Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News for $1.6 billion alleging the cable news giant intentionally aired false claims about the company being made by former President Trump and his supporters during the 2020 election.

    Fox has moved to have the case brought against it by Dominion dismissed on First Amendment grounds.

    “Dominion’s lawsuit has always been more about what will generate headlines than what can withstand legal and factual scrutiny, as illustrated by them now being forced to slash their fanciful damages demand by more than half a billion dollars after their own expert debunked its implausible claims,” the network said in a statement on Monday evening. “Their summary judgment motion took an extreme, unsupported view of defamation law that would prevent journalists from basic reporting and their efforts to publicly smear Fox for covering and commenting on allegations by a sitting President of the United States should be recognized for what it is: a blatant violation of the First Amendment.”

    Judge Opts Not To Impose Gag Order In Trump Hush Money Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    On Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan declined to impose a gag order on former president Donald Trump and his legal team despite the mounting speculation.

    During the Tuesday afternoon arraignment, Merchan warned Trump and his team, as well as the opposing counsel, not to make social media posts that could incite violence.

    Early reports indicated the judge was considering imposing the order on parties in the case which would have blocked Trump and his team from talking publicly about the trial at the risk of potentially being found in contempt of court.

    Criminal defense attorney Duncan Levin, who previously served as a staffer in the Manhattan DA’s office and as a federal prosecutor, told Business Insider that it is “extremely likely” there will be a gag order.

    “I think it’s not only a possibility, but it’s extremely likely that there will be a gag order in the case,” said Levin, known for representing clients including Harvey Weinstein and Anna Sorokin. “Gag orders are very common in criminal cases, particularly in cases where there is an enormous amount of pretrial publicity like this one.”

    Punishment for criminal contempt, under New York law, is a fine not exceeding $1,000, jail for up to 30 days, or both.

    Supporters of Trump’s questioned the legality of imposing such an order on a candidate who is actively running for president.

    According to The Daily Wire, Mike Davis, the founder of the Article III Project, said gag orders “generally” protect the Sixth Amendment right of defendants to fair trials, but that does not preclude them from having First Amendment rights.

    “Ordering any defendant not to speak about his charges would almost certainly violate the First Amendment,” he added in a post to Twitter. “Telling a presidential candidate he cannot respond to allegations —including media leaks — in a political prosecution is un-American.”

    On Tuesday, Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in Manhattan.

    Following the court proceedings, the former President traveled back to Mar-a-Lago where he delivered a fiery speech slamming DA Alvin Bragg’s politically-motivated witch hunt.

    Report: Trump Indictment Unsealed!

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    5
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The charges against former President Donald Trump have been revealed after he was arraigned on Tuesday.

    The indictment against the former president, People of the State of New York against Donald J. Trump, Indictment No. 71543-23, has been unsealed. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. 

    Read the indictment below:

    Donald-J.-Trump-IndictmentDownload
    https://twitter.com/EricTrump/status/1643323850057306112

    The charges come one day after Trump arrived in New York for the criminal proceedings.

    Last Thursday, the New York grand jury voted to indict former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in a hush money bribe to adult film star Stormy Daniels amid the 2016 presidential election in DA Alvin Bragg’s yearslong investigation into the real estate mogul.

    Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted out of charging Trump related to the Daniels payment in 2019. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.

    On Tuesday, the former President surrendered to the Manhattan Criminal Court for his arraignment

    “Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse,” he said on Truth Social as he made his way from Trump Tower to the courtroom.

    “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME,” he said. “Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”

    Trump was processed and then escorted to Justice Juan Merchan’s courtroom for the arraignment proceedings. Trump was not handcuffed, as some are during an arraignment, and did not have a mugshot taken. Detectives handled the arrest of the former president. However, the arraignment has been surrounded by a media firestorm after Trump became the first president to be indicted.

    At least two helicopters hovered over the courthouse and the adjacent public park as protestors gathered. Dueling chants of “USA!” and “lock him up!” were fired back and forth between crowds of pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrators assembled in the public square across the street from the courtroom.

    Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and has called on District Attorney Alvin Bragg to be indicted himself over his handling of the case, claiming the DA “illegally leaked” details of Trump’s case.

    “Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday. “I know the reporter and so, unfortunately, does he. This means that he MUST BE IMMEDIATELY INDICTED. Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF.”

    Numerous conservatives have publicly tweeted their support of Trump.

    This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    Right Side Broadcasting Suspended From YouTube Over ‘Elections Misinformation’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Right Side Broadcasting, the small conservative broadcast network known for featuring a wide array of pro-Trump commentary has said it has coincidentally been temporarily banned by YouTube.

    According to The Hill, on Monday YouTube informed RSBN that it had removed several videos the company had posted for violating their “elections misinformation” policies, including Trump’s recent rally in Waco, Texas, remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and an exclusive interview he granted the right-wing broadcaster at Mar-a-Lago.

    “Just one day before RSBN was set to cover President Trump’s arraignment in Manhattan, YouTube has resumed its censorship practices and suspendedRSBN’s channel, blocking our ability to livestream for seven days,” the company said in a statement.

    When reached by The Hill for comment, Ivy Choi, a YouTube spokesperson, said the company “removed content from and issued a strike to the Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) channel for violating our election integrity policy, which prohibits content claiming the 2020 U.S. or 2022 Brazil presidential elections were stolen.”

    “Accordingly, the videos have been removed and a strike has been applied to the channel, and as a result, uploads and live streams by your account are suspended for a week,” a YouTube representative told RSBN, it said.

    “As a result, this channel is temporarily suspended from publishing new videos or livestreams,” Choi said. “While we do allow content with educational, documentary, scientific or artistic context, the content we removed from this channel did not provide sufficient context.

    RSBN is among the media companies covering the increasingly chaotic scene outside the Manhattan courtroom where the former President’s arraignment took place.

    RSBN’s Brian Glenn interviewed MAGA Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Tuesday morning as she protested outside of the Manhattan court. At one point, Greene gushed that Trump will be joining other historical figures who have been arrested.

    “But I will say this, Brian and I truly feel it. We don’t want this fight. We don’t want it. We’re not picking this fight. But the fight is at the door. It’s right here at our doorstep,” the Congresswoman said.

    “And so it’s up to us if we if we stand up against it. And you know me and I know who you are. We’re the types, we are going to stand up against. And we will never back down. And we will stand in support of our very incredible, amazing, best president in history of my lifetime. And innocent. Innocent,” Greene continued.

    “And I mean, think about gosh, think about this. President Trump is joining some of the most incredible people in history being arrested today. Nelson Mandela was arrested, served time in prison. Jesus! Jesus was arrested and murdered by the Roman government,” she said.

    “There have been many people throughout history that have been arrested and persecuted by radical, corrupt governments. And it’s beginning today in New York City. And I just can’t believe it’s happening. But I’ll always support him. He’s done nothing wrong. He’s done everything right,” Greene concluded

    And I think a lot of our viewers feel the same way as they are very supportive of the president,” Glenn said agreeing with the Georgia lawmaker.

    Trump Scores New Endorsement Hours Ahead of Arraignment

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3

    Support for Donald Trump is surging and liberals are losing their minds.

    Hours before former president Trump was scheduled to arrive at his arraignment in New York City the 2024 White House contender scored a new endorsement

    Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R- Miss.) announced she is endorsing former President Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary in a statement released late Monday. The Mississippi senator predicted that the charges against Trump will “backfire” on Democrats.

    “I support a return to those policies and to President Trump’s effective leadership. Further, President Trump has been attentive to the needs of Mississippi, he has made multiple trips here along with members of his Administration, and Mississippians can count on him to continue to focus on our priorities,” Hyde-Smith said. 

    “Therefore, I am endorsing Donald J. Trump for another term in the White House and will be working to assist him in winning the Republican nomination for President in 2024,” she added. 

    Trump’s arraignment, which will be presided over by Justice Juan Merchan, is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. and is expected to take less than a half hour.

    The unprecedented indictment hanging over Trump’s head likely stems from a $130,000 hush money payment he allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.

    Prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

    The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

    Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

    Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story to benefit his presidential campaign.

    Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday that he expects to make a motion to dismiss any charges. 

    Democrat Group Launches Opposition Database Targeting DeSantis

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Democrats are taking notice of Gov. Ron DeSantis…

    On Monday, a prominent Democrats group announced an opposition research hub targeting Florida Gov. DeSantis (R), citing the governor’s past views on critical issues as he weighs a 2024 presidential bid.

    According to The Hill, American Bridge 21st Century launched the “Ron Desantis Research Book,” which focuses on existing reporting on the governor’s views and record on abortion, entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, education, COVID-19, and the economy, as well as his past comments on the legitimacy of elections and about former President Donald Trump.

    The site will also reportedly include information on DeSantis’ record while serving as a federal prosecutor for Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s office.

    “For the past year, American Bridge has been hard at work compiling the most extensive and exhaustive public file on 2024 Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis,” American Bridge 21st Century President Pat Dennis said in a statement. “This website weaves together all the information we have gathered on DeSantis over the past decade and paints the picture of a MAGA extremist caught up in culture wars, unfit for office, and utterly unprepared for the public pressure that comes with a contentious Republican presidential primary.”

    American Bridge has launched similar efforts against Republican lawmakers in the past. In 2020, the group launched a database targeting then-President Donald Trump through his second presidential campaign. The group says it will continue to update its research playbooks on both Trump and DeSantis as it gathers more information about both men throughout the 2024 campaign.

    DeSantis has yet to announce an official White House campaign but is widely expected to jump into the race after the Sunshine State concludes its legislative session this spring.

    On Sunday, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson became the latest Republican to enter the race.

    The governor is widely viewed as Trump’s most formidable potential challenger based on polling data. Some polls in individual states have shown DeSantis leading Trump.

    Last week, “The View” co-host Joy Behar revealed she believes DeSantis stands a greater chance of defeating Joe Biden in 2024.

    Trump Confirms Timeline Ahead Of Court Arraignment

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1

    Former President Donald Trump confirmed he plans to travel from Florida to New York City on Monday where he will appear in court on Tuesday following his indictment.

    “I will be leaving Mar-a-Lago on Monday at 12 noon, heading to Trump Tower in New York,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!”

    In a previous Truth Social post, Trump targeted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg who pursued the indictment following a years-long investigation into the former president.

    “The Corrupt D.A. has no case. What he does have is a venue where it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to get a Fair Trial (it must be changed!),” Trump wrote. “And a Trump Hating Judge, hand selected by the Soros backed D.A. (he must be changed!). Also has the DOJ working in the D.A.’s Office – Unprecedented!”

    On Sunday, Former Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. warned Trump against unleashing his usual social media tirades, saying the judge presiding over the case could make matters worse for the former president during an interview with NBC’s “Meet The Press.”

    “I’ve got to say that I was disturbed to hear the former president speak in the way he spoke about the District Attorney Bragg and even the trial court in the past week,” Vance told the show’s moderator, Chuck Todd.

    “And I think, if I were his lawyer – and believe me, no one has called up to ask for my advice – I would be mindful of not committing some other criminal offense, like obstruction of governmental administration, which is interfering with, by threat or otherwise, the operation of government,” Vance continued.

    “And I think that could take what perhaps we think is not the strongest case, when you add a count like that, put it in front of a jury – it can change the jury’s mind about the severity of the case that they’re looking at,” he said.

    The details of Trump’s indictment are still unknown because they are under seal until the arraignment takes place.

    A source told Fox News that the former president is expected to arrive at the 100 Centre Street courthouse in New York City around 11 a.m. Proceedings are expected to last 15 to 30 minutes with intense security measures in place.

    The judge is expected to read the charges against Trump and ask him to enter his plea. Trump will then be escorted out. Trump is not expected to be involved in a “perp walk” or be placed in handcuffs.

    The unprecedented indictment hanging over Trump’s head likely stems from a $130,000 hush money payment he allegedly made to porn actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign.

    Prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

    The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

    Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

    Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story to benefit his presidential campaign.

    Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina told CNN host Dana Bash on Sunday that he expects to make a motion to dismiss any charges. 

    Fmr. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson Announces Presidential Bid

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former Arkansas Governor — and noted Trump critic — Asa Hutchinson announced his decision Sunday morning to compete to become the next Republican nominee for president.

    In contrast to the GOP establishment’s decision to defend former President Donald Trump, Hutchinson called for Trump to drop out of the race following his indictment.

    Hutchinson’s announcement came during an interview with ABC’s Johnathan Karl:

    As Fox News reports:

    Hutchinson is the third Republican to announce a campaign and will face off against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump. Several another figures are expected to enter the race but have yet to do so.

    “I have made a decision, and my decision is I’m going to run for president of the United States,” Hutchinson told ABC News. “While the formal announcement will be later in April, in Bentonville, I want to make it clear to you…I am going to be running. And the reason is, I’ve traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country. I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts.”

    Hutchinson has mulled a potential presidential run for months, receiving support from a new super PAC in February.

    He remains a long-shot candidate in what is expected to become a crowded field, however. While his only announced opponents are Haley and Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence is expected to announce his campaign soon.

    Report: Trump Facing 34 Criminal Counts in Unprecedented Indictment

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    8
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    CNN analyst John Miller broke the news last night that former President Donald Trump is facing 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in the indictment against him.

    Trump’s lawyer Joe Tacopina reacted to the fast-moving developments on Fox News, telling Sean Hannity that the former president was “shocked” by the indictment. He added that Trump learned about the indictment through media reports and not from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

    Tacopina appeared on other media outlets this morning:

    As the New York Post reports:

    “He’s ready to fight. You know, he’s the toughest guy I know. He was shocked, you know, because we really weren’t – I was shocked,” Tacopina said of Trump’s reaction to the indictment. 

    “I’ve never been more angry about a charge because today, the rule of law in the United States of America died. It’s dead. It’s dead,” Tacopina said. 

    Tacopina added that he believes the reports that Trump will be charged with over 30 counts of business fraud.

    …

    “They’ll take each check and make that a count, perhaps, and that’s how they’ll do it because the checks are paid to Cohen,” he explained.

    Tacopina vowed to Hannity that Trump would win the case and Bragg would “pay the price.”

    According to Fox News, Trump is scheduled to be arraigned at 2:15 p.m. in Merchan’s courtroom on the 15th floor at 100 Centre Street in New York City.

    In addition to Trump’s personal attorney Joe Tacopina, a second source has confirmed that Trump has made arrangements with the district attorney’s legal team to surrender without handcuffs. Detectives with the DA’s office will handle the arrest.

    Law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Secret Service, New York Police Department, FBI, New York State court officers, and the DA’s office will meet Friday afternoon to finalize details about the logistics and security of Trump’s arrest.

    The Secret Service will determine how Trump is brought in, the source familiar said. 

    Trump issued a scathing statement following the news of the indictment.

    “This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history,” Trump said. “From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats — the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country — have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”

    “The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” Trump claimed. “Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done.”

    “Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace,” Trump said. “Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!”

    Grand Jury Votes to Indict Former President Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    5
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict former President Donald Trump for his alleged role in a hush money bribe to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

    Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges.

    The New York Times has more:

    An indictment will likely be announced in the coming days. By then, prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, will have asked Mr. Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges that remain unknown for now.

    Mr. Bragg and his lawyers will likely attempt to negotiate Mr. Trump’s surrender. If he agrees, it will raise the prospect of a former president, with the Secret Service in tow, being photographed and fingerprinted in the bowels of a New York State courthouse.

    On Thursday, the three lead prosecutors on the Trump investigation walked into the building where the grand jury was sitting in the minutes before the panel was scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. One of them carried a copy of the penal law — with Post-it notes visible — which was likely used to read the criminal statutes to the grand jurors before they voted. About three hours later, the prosecutors walked into the court clerk’s office through a back door to begin the process of filing the indictment.

    Fox News reported Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) is also investigating a $150,000 payment made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

    Specific charges remain unknown.

    Great America News Desk previously reported that prosecutors are expected to charge Trump with a felony by arguing that the alleged crime was committed to hide an illegal campaign contribution. The potential problem for Trump centers around how his company reimbursed former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to related charges and served time in prison.

    The payment to Daniels was listed as a legal expense and Trump’s company cited a retainer agreement with Cohen. The retainer agreement did not exist and the reimbursement was not related to any legal services from Cohen, thus setting up a potential misdemeanor criminal charge of falsifying business records. A report by NBC News said that Trump personally signed several of the checks to Cohen while he was serving as president.

    Prosecutors can elevate the misdemeanor to a felony if they can prove that Trump’s “‘intent to defraud’ included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime.”

    Prosecutors argue that the second crime is that the $130,000 hush payment was an improper donation to the Trump campaign because the money was used to stop a story to benefit his presidential campaign.

    Trump issued a scathing statement following the news:

    “This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history,” Trump said. “From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats — the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country — have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement.”

    “The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to ‘Get Trump,’ but now they’ve done the unthinkable – indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference,” Trump claimed. “Never before in our Nation’s history has this been done.”

    “Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros, is a disgrace,” Trump said. “Rather than stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City, he’s doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on. This is how Bragg spends his time!”

    Several conservative lawmakers and commentators reacted to the news on Twitter.

    This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

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