Trump’s history-making hush-money trial begins ...

Should the use of lawfare domestically against a political opposition in the USA an act of war against the Constitution and the democratic process?

“For these reasons, I define lawfare as 1) the purposeful use of law taken toward a particular adversary with the goal of achieving a particular strategic, operational, or tactical objective, or 2) the purposeful use of law to bolster the legitimacy of one’s own strategic, operational, or tactical objectives toward a particular adversary, or to weaken the legitimacy of a particular adversary’s particular strategic, operational, or tactical objectives. This definition encompasses and broadens Dun- lap’s and Kittrie’s definitions of lawfare to cover the way that states use lawfare today. It also presents an actionable definition on which the U.S. can base a lawfare strategy.”

How can lawfare bolster legitimacy? Max Weber defined political legitimacy as having certain beliefs or a faith in regard to a political system: “the basis of every system of authority, and correspondingly of every kind of willingness to obey, is a belief, a belief by virtue of which persons exercising authority are lent prestige.”6

“Law is no longer used solely to achieve a military objective. It is used to weaken adversaries by creating facts on the ground contrary to what they would like to see or by advancing a counter-narrative to what they would like the public to believe.”
CORNELL LAW REVIEW, Law as a Battlefield: The U.S., China, and the Global Escalation of Lawfare, Print Vol. 106, Issue 5
https://www.cornelllawreview.org/20...s-china-and-the-global-escalation-of-lawfare/

 

The crux of the case against Donald Trump (msnbc.com)
Here is part of what MSNBC's Rachel Maddow had to say:
I was at the courthouse Monday for opening statements in the first criminal trial of former President Donald Trump, the New York State case that alleges he falsified business records to cover up an affair with an adult film star and director, Stormy Daniels, in order to boost his 2016 run for president.

It’s a real privilege to be in the courtroom — news organizations have been fighting tooth and nail to get seats; I was very grateful for a chance to be there.


Some of my purely subjective observations about what it’s like to be there in person:

• The courtroom is barebones and inelegant. It has unflattering lighting. Think DMV office with a high ceiling.
• The courtroom doesn’t smell good. Think old soup and stale breath.
• The overall atmosphere is one I would describe as tense.
• The police officers who police the courtroom are working very hard and they appear to be very stressed.
• The judge in the case is soft-spoken and has a pleasant voice.
• Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo speaks just like Seth Meyers when Seth Meyers is not telling jokes.
• Trump looks a lot older than he used to.

It seemed to me — again, in my purely subjective take — that Trump seemed miserable to be there. That said, a lot of us look older than we did at the start of the Trump era in news and politics (myself very much included).

That's all

 

links

'PECKER STANDS TALL...'

Testifies Don Asked Him to 'Help the Campaign'...

Admits NATIONAL ENQUIRER made up story about Ted Cruz's father, Lee Harvey Oswald...

Judge weighs whether Trump violated gag order... Developing...

Silent and brooding, Don endures courtroom ordeal...

If Prison, Secret Service Goes, Too...

 

Google is your friend, Michael Cohen

 

It's been reported that there was less then 10 Trump supporters outside the court today.
You could even walk on the sidewalk.

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump


Thousands of people were turned away from the Courthouse in Lower Manhattan by steel stanchions and police, literally blocks from the tiny side door from where I enter and leave. It is an armed camp to keep people away. Maggot Hagerman of The Failing New York Times, falsely reported that I was disappointed with the crowds. No, I’m disappointed with Maggot, and her lack of writing skill, and that some of these many police aren’t being sent to Columbia and NYU to keep the schools open and the students safe. The Legal Scholars call the case a Scam that should never have been brought. I call it Election Interference and a personal hit job by a conflicted and corrupt Judge who shouldn’t be allowed to preside over this Political Hoax. New York Justice is being reduced to ashes, and the World is breathlessly watching. Hopefully, Appellate Courts can save it, and all of the companies that are fleeing to other jurisdictions. They can no longer take a chance on New York Justice!



Apr 23, 2024, 4:35 PM

 

Izzy is there a place to get the transcript versus a democrat version of what was going on inside. My understanding is Pecker said Trump and him had used this strategy for years, if so kind of kills they did it only for the campaign story. Bottom line every candidate has their media and there's nothing illegal about the "secret scheme", no matter how they try to spin it up.

Your allowed to have a NDA?
Your allowed to pay your attorney for an NDA?
If the ledger entry isn't suppose to be legal fees, what should it be in the accounting code?
Your allowed to being in cohorts with a media member?
Nothing here is remotely illegal

 

Check out Fox and/or Newsmax.
If what you said was just a run of the mill Trump using/paying the National Enquirer then this meeting wouldn't have been necessary for Campaign Trump.

June 2015 Trump announces his 2016 presidential candidacy.

Campaign Trump/Pecker/Cohen/Hicks met in August 2015 at Trump Tower specifically to arrange with Pecker for him to kill negative stories about Trump and make-up stories about his presidential opponents.
Paying hush money is not a crime but when Trump became a candidate and paid for killing stories then the hush money becomes a crime as an in kind campaign donation.
It was a conspiracy and need not be charged as such,
Sadly for Trump Pecker's been corroborating so much of what Cohen has testifies' to

 

Great to be in tRaitor tRump's shoes then?

 

Being reported from those inside the courtroom that Trump was not happy with Todd Blanche today.
Maybe he won't be cross examining Pecker?

 

For this being such a superfluous case, his defense team sure is having a lot of trouble.

 

It was ugly, yesterday and today.
Then again what can the guy do, he has no defense since Trump is his client?
And Blanche is the head lawyer. Yikes!

Blanche has previously represented Trump buddy Paul Manafort as well as Igor Fruman, the side-kick of Rudy Giuliani who pleaded guilty in a campaign finance case in Manhattan.
Manafort would still be sitting in prison had Trump not pardoned him.

 

Michael Cohen "at the direction of and in coordination with"

 

'Tabloid publisher says he killed stories to help Trump politically'

snip

'Former tabloid publisher David Pecker told a jury at Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York on Tuesday that the future U.S. president summoned him to an August 2015 meeting to see how Pecker could “help the campaign.” That consequential discussion, Pecker said, led him to kill sex-related stories that would have hurt Trump’s 2016 run for the White House'.

https://www.voanews.com/a/tabloid-p...tories-to-help-trump-politically/7582124.html

 

Why all the panic Donald?
Did Cohen know about the 10 month affair claimed by Karen McDougal?
Will the prosecution ask him and if he met her and did Trump have an affair with her?
Has McDougal been asked if she knew/met Cohen etc?
McDougal claims Keith Schiller knew and would pick her up/drop her off and she liked him.


@KatiePhang
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Pecker said Dylan Howard went to California on or around 6/20/16 and interviewed Karen McDougal for 2-3 hours. Cohen kept calling Pecker before the interview because he was very anxious to know what Dylan found.


1:59 PM · Apr 23, 2024
·
59K
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It sure will be interesting when Hope Hick's name starts popping up.
The prosecutor has not gotten to Stormy.
Lot's of phone records beg to differ.

'Ex-Trump aide Hicks denies involvement in hush money talks: lawyer'
By David Morgan and Jonathan Allen
July 19, 20199:39 PM EDTUpdated 5 years ago

snip:

"Reports claiming that Ms. Hicks was involved in conversations about 'hush money' payments on October 8, 2016, or knew that payments were being discussed, are simply wrong," Trout said in his statement on Friday. "Ms. Hicks stands by her truthful testimony that she first became aware of this issue in early November 2016, as the result of press inquiries, and she will be responding formally to Chairman Nadler's letter as requested."

cont
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1UE24T/

 

Trump won't touch Pecker's testimony with his “smaller than average” pole.

He's still obsessing and here's the latest, the "legal expense" entry.


DonaldTrump

@realDonaldTrump

·3h

I am being accused of Election Interference in a trial being presided over by a Corrupt D.A. and a ridiculously Conflicted Judge, representing people who Rigged and Stole the 2020 Presidential Election, and paid millions of dollars for the Fake and Fully Discredited Russia Dossier…..And they’re after me because a bookkeeper marked down “Legal Expense” in a Ledger when describing Legal Fees paid to a lawyer. What else would you call it? The Biden Thugs call it Falsifying Business Records. THIS FAKE CASE SHOULD BE DROPPED, IMMEDIATELY!

 

Problem is there's nothing wrong with the meeting legally speaking, unless you feel that media helping politicians is conspiring to commit felonies by squashing bad and writing only positive stories. What they introduced is another misdemeanor crime so a little confused.

 

Trump is one person that will do anything to attract attention. There has been a gag order put on Trump but violates it anyway. If he keeps on doing it and doing it, He goes to jail and that's the way it is. Trump is weird and that's the bottom line.

 

Enquiring minds want to know, what should payments to attorneys for legal NDA's be coded as? I asked my accounting staff today and they all said that would be very typical but willing to listen.

 

That would be the biggest win for him yet. Why is this judge protecting Michael Cohn, considering he's on MSNBC every night trashing trump?

 

Trump falsified business records to conceal the $130,000 he paid to Stormy to help his 2016 presidential campaign,

 

Cohen paid Stormy for an affair he had with her... Trump did not know anything about it...
Reckon this will come out at the trial?


""A letter from Stephen M. Ryan, counsel for Michael Cohen, to Jeff Jordan, the Assistant General Counsel at the Complaints Examination & Legal Administration for the Federal Election Commission, reveals ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid Stephanie Clifford, AKA Stormy Daniels, from his personal funds; “neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was party.”"

https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/McDermott.pdf
https://hannity.com/media-room/hann...-from-2018-blows-up-braggs-case-clears-trump/

 

You best tell that to Cohen/Trump/Bragg and Merchan that it was Cohen who had the affair with Stormy and not him /Trump.
That was so caring and generous for Trump to reimburse Michael the 130,000 just because.

You:
"Cohen paid Stormy for an affair he had with her... Trump did not know anything about it...
Reckon this will come out at the trial?"

 

Wow! That settles it!
The case is destined to be dismissed tomorrow...