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Trump Team Files For Mistrial In Fraud Case

By
Madeleine Jackson
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Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

Trump’s legal team requested a mistrial in the civil business fraud case in New York.

The Wednesday motion claims that the trial judge and his principal law clerk’s purported bias against Trump has “tainted” the case.

“This appearance of bias threatens both Defendants’ rights and the integrity of the judiciary as an institution,” Trump’s counsel wrote in the 30-page motion, according to The Hill.

Trump’s counsel cited posts made by Judge Arthur Engoron to a Wheatley School alumni page, which the judge appears to run. Trump’s team claims there are references to the case and individuals involved with it, including Trump, his son Eric Trump, and Trump attorney Alina Habba.

The motion cited the New York code reading that “a judge shall not make any public comment about a pending or impending proceeding in any court within the United States or its territories.”

The former president’s legal team also addressed their concerns with Engoron’s principal law clerk, asserting that the clerk has acted throughout the trial as a “co-judge,” conferring with Engoron via whispers or written notes before most orders have been issued.

“The principal law clerk is given unprecedented and inappropriate latitude,” Trump’s counsel wrote.

The filing also claimed that the clerk has made “partisan political contributions in excess of strict limits,” including to groups that oppose Trump and support New York Attorney General Letitia James (D).

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization, and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York.

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

Ex-White House Lawyer Says This Is What Could Land Trump In Jail

By
Madeleine Jackson
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Image via Pixabay

Could this be what sinks Trump?

Former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb said his former boss could soon end up in jail over extreme rhetoric regarding his New York business fraud trial and other cases.

“It’s much like what he did on Jan. 6. It continues to be off the rails in terms of the extent to which his invective infects these proceedings and is the potential to intimidate witnesses,” Cobb said in a CNN interview Tuesday. 

“I believe that, you know, at some point, comments like this will result in Trump not only being sanctioned,” he continued. “But at some point, these types of comments will result in him being put in jail pending some of these trials.”

Trump and his attorneys are facing a limited gag order in the New York case, which prevents him from demeaning the court or discussing witnesses publicly. But Trump has frequently flouted the order

Michigan Judge Rules On Trump Ballot Challenge

By
Madeleine Jackson
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On Tuesday, a Michigan judge rejected a liberal group’s attempt to keep former President Donald Trump’s name off the state’s 2024 primary ballot.

Michigan Court of Claims Judge James Redford rejected the argument the former president is ineligible for office under the 14th Amendment due to his links to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

“The judicial action of removing a candidate from the presidential ballot and prohibiting them from running essentially strips Congress of its ability to ‘by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such a disability,'” Redford wrote.

“The question of whether he is ineligible due to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment presents a political question that is nonjusticiable at the present time,” the judge continued. “The question of whether Donald Trump is qualified or disqualified from appearing on the 2024 general election ballot in Michigan is not ripe for adjudication at this time.”

Numerous groups across the country have made similar attempts to keep Trump off the ballot however, none of the attempts have been successful.

According to Fox News, currently pending is a decision out of a Colorado lawsuit. Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and six Colorado voters filed their lawsuit in September to block Trump from appearing on the primary ballot, citing the 14th Amendment. 

‘QAnon Shaman’ Eyes Run For Arizona Congressional Seat

By
Madeleine Jackson
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Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Jacob Chansley, the Capitol rioter who came to be known as the “QAnon Shaman,” has reportedly filed paperwork signaling his interest in running for the Arizona congressional seat being vacated by Debbie Lesko (R).

The Arizona Republic reported that a candidate statement of interest was signed by Jacob Angeli-Chansley and filed with the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office on Thursday, indicating he would seek to run as a Libertarian. He has also been known to go by Jacob Angeli.

The Hill has more:

Chansley, 35, gained notoriety for his horned fur hat, bare chest and face paint that made him one of the more recognizable Jan. 6 rioters. He pleaded guilty to a charge of obstructing an official proceeding and sentenced to 41 months in prison. Chansley, who grew up in Phoenix, served 27 of those months before being released to a halfway house this past March.

The Associated Press reported that while the Constitution does not bar felons from running for Congress, Arizona law prevents them from voting in elections until they complete their sentence and have the right restored.

Former Republican Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters has also jumped into the race for Lesko’s seat.

“I’m running for Congress, to fight for Arizona’s 8th,” Masters said on X, formerly Twitter. “Biden has failed. We need Trump back. We need to stop inflation, Build the Wall, avoid WW3, and secure Arizona’s water future. We need to fight for our families.”

House Republicans Issue Criminal Referral Against Michael Cohen

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2
    IowaPolitics.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Two Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee have recommended the Justice Department look at pursuing charges against former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.

    The criminal referral letter sent by House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and committee member Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) accuses Cohen of committing perjury and having “knowingly made false statements” before the congressional panel four years ago.

    “That Mr. Cohen was willing to openly and brazenly state at trial that he lied to Congress on this specific issue is startling,” the referral letter reads. “His willingness to make such a statement alone should necessitate an investigation.”

    Amid cross-examination by Trump’s legal team late last month, Cohen testified that he lied under oath to the House Intelligence Committee in February 2019. In that testimony, Cohen said Trump did not ask him to inflate the numbers detailed in his statements of financial condition. However, Cohen then changed his testimony last month.

    Alina Habba, one of Trump’s attorneys, tore into Cohen over the discrepancy during cross-examination.

    “Mr. Cohen, were you being honest in front of the Permanent Select Committee when you testified on February 28, 2019?” Habba asked.

    “No,” Cohen replied.

    “So you lied under oath in February of 2019? Is that your testimony?” Habba pressed.

    “Yes,” Cohen said.

    While it urges prosecutors to take action, a criminal referral is largely symbolic and does not hold any legal weight. 

    Third-Party Candidate Scores 3 High-Profile Endorsements

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Photo via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr just scored three major endorsements.

    NBA legend and 1992 “Dream Team” Olympian John Stockton, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame member Ken Ruettegers and three-time North American Enduro mountain biking champion Kyle Warner are all endorsing Kennedy for president.

    The athletes said they like the cut of Kennedy’s personality — all three pointed to what they say are the independent candidate’s genuineness, honesty and openness to conversations about policies as reasons they support him.

    Fox News has more:

    Stockton said he believes Kennedy “has been put on this planet for just this moment in time” and that there’s “a real need for him and his leadership.”

    “There’s a need for very smart people in these positions that have integrity that [is] off the charts, that have the stamina and strength to be able to speak and be a leader 24/7, not just on occasion or on blips,” Stockton said.

    Ruettgers said he has met Kennedy “a couple times” and that the independent presidential candidate’s “level of commitment to honesty” that he will “bring to our federal government, to the Oval Office, to the leadership position” is part of why he’s supporting Kennedy for president.

    “I love the fact that he loves the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” the Packers Hall of Fame member said. “Man, that seems to have been eroded in our culture over the last couple decades.”

    Warner — who won the 2014, 2015 and 2016 North American Enduro Championships — said that he believes there’s “a level of elitism” currently in American politics, including with President Biden and former President Donald Trump.

    “Whereas I think that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. … does a great job of being a populist and … understanding the plight of the common man,” Warner said. “I have had friends that have been in these big meetings at Facebook, at these censorship meetings with Robert, and they’re just normal people, everyday normal people, and he cares about them. He wants them to succeed.”

    Report: Trump Will File For Mistrial In NY Fraud Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    7
    Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Trump’s attorney Alina Habba is planning to file for a mistrial in the former president’s fraud cause in New York.

    On Sunday, Habba told Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that she planned to file for a mistrial “soon,” while raising concerns that it will be the same trial judge deciding on the motion. 

    New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case accuses Trump, his two adult sons, the Trump Organization, and top executives of falsely inflating the values of Trump’s real estate properties and other assets in order to get tax benefits and better loan terms.

    James seeks around $250 million in damages, and she wants to bar Trump and his co-defendants from running another business in New York.

    When asked about Trump’s concerns over the judge and clerk, Habba said the gag order prevented her from responding.

    “I can tell you that we will be filing papers to address all of those issues,” Habba said. 

    When asked if she will file for a mistrial, Habba said “soon,” and then “very soon.”

    “The problem is, with all of these things, such as filing a motion for recusal, which we have done twice, is that the judge has to be the one that decides: Is he going to recuse himself? Does he feel that there was a mistrial,” Habba said.

    “It’s a bench trial. We have one judge. And it’s the same judge that issued the gag order that has to make those determinations. So, at this point, I don’t have any reason to believe he shouldn’t after what we have learned, if it’s true,” Habba continued.

    Trump’s Older Sister, Maryanne, Dead At 86

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Photo via Pixabay images

    Former President Trump is grieving the loss of his older sister.

    Maryanne Trump Barry died Monday morning at age 86.

    She died at her home on the Upper East Side, in Manhattan, and the cause of death is unknown at this time, the New York Times reported.

    Barry was a former federal appellate judge who retired in April 2019.

    During her legal career, Barry worked as a federal prosecutor before being nominated by then-President Ronald Reagan to the Federal District Court in New Jersey in 1983. In 1999, then-President Bill Clinton appointed her to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

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

    Tim Scott Ends 2024 Presidential Campaign

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Michael Vadon, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    In a surprising turn of events, the presidential primary field has one less competitor… Tim Scott has officially dropped out of the race.

    Scott made the announcement on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy,” the host himself a former Republican South Carolina congressman who wrote a book with Scott.

    “I love America more today than I did on May 22nd, but when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign,” Scott told Gowdy. “I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, Not now, Tim.”

    Scott’s campaign sent a fundraising email just minutes before he made his announcement giving donors what it called “one last chance to donate this weekend and help Tim reach his campaign goal.”

    Scott launched his candidacy in May 2022 and was the second South Carolinian after former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to run for the White House on the Republican side. 

    Scott’s decision came a few days after the third Republican debate.

    Scott’s decision to drop out of the race leaves the question of who the South Carolina Senator will ultimately choose to endorse in the race as other candidates are openly vying for his support.

    “The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in,” he said when asked who he will support.

    Scott also gave a thumbs down to the idea that he could serve as the nominee’s running mate on the Republican Party’s 2024 national ticket.

    “Being vice president has never been on my to-do list,” he said.

    Who will be the next candidate to call it quits? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

    Judge Rejects Trump Bid To Delay Classified Documents Trial

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Gavel via Wikimedia Commons Image

    A federal judge in Florida refused to delay the start of the classified documents trial involving former President Donald Trump.

    U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Friday that she would dismiss the motion from Trump’s legal team “without prejudice” against taking it up again in the future. The trial’s start date could be reconsidered at a scheduling conference March 1, she wrote.

    The Hill has more:

    The order is a small victory for special counsel Jack Smith’s team, which had strongly argued against any delays in the case by suggesting that the former president wanted to push the case until after the 2024 presidential election. Trump is the undisputed front-runner in the GOP presidential primary.

    The Florida judge noted the 1.3 million pages of evidence — plus thousands of hours of security video shot at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort — that prosecutors in the Mar-a-Lago case gave to the defense in discovery, in addition to the former president’s other legal woes with schedules of their own.

    “I am not quite seeing a level of understanding on your part to these realities,” Cannon said at the time to prosecutor Jay Bratt, a member of special counsel Jack Smith’s team.

    Trump is facing Espionage Act charges in the Mar-a-Lago case after refusing to return classified records from his time as president, as well as obstruction of justice charges for his efforts to conceal them from prosecutors.

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