Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> said on Friday that the sentencing in his hush-money case is being moved to after the election because he &#8220;did nothing wrong.&#8221;
Judge Juan Merchan postponed the sentencing in the Manhattan case on Friday for the second time, pushing the date back from September 18 to November 26, exactly three weeks after the presidential election. In a Truth Social post, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113092041539493827" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that Merchan delayed the sentencing &#8220;because everyone realizes that there was NO CASE, I DID NOTHING WRONG!&#8221;
&#8220;It is a political attack against me by Comrade Kamala Harris and other Radical Left Opponents for purposes of Election Interference, and is a case that should have never been brought,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America – IT IS STRICTLY THIRD WORLD, BANANA REPUBLIC &#8216;STUFF.'&#8221;
Trump was convicted in late May on all 34 counts of falsifying business records brought against him after he was accused of covering up hush-money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, which date back to the 2016 election campaign.
Merchan said that he was delaying the sentencing “to avoid any appearance — however unwarranted — that the proceeding has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching presidential election in which the Defendant is a candidate.” Trump and his allies have alleged that the hush-money case brought against him by Manhattan Democratic District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a ploy to stop the Republican nominee from winning another term in the White House.
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Merchan shot back at those allegations with his order on Friday, arguing, “The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution,” adding that his decision “should dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to give an advantage to, or to create a disadvantage for, any political party and or any candidate for any office.”
In his Truth Social post, Trump added that the American public and &#8220;every legal scholar&#8221; &#8220;understands&#8221; that the Manhattan case is &#8220;election interference.&#8221; He argued that the case should ultimately be &#8220;terminated.&#8221;
Legal experts have said that the Supreme Court could ultimately step in. Trump&#8217;s attempt to get the case moved to a federal court before the sentencing was shot down by U.S. District Court Judge Alvin Hellerstein, writing that the federal court &#8220;does not have jurisdiction to hear Mr. Trump’s arguments concerning the propriety of the New York trial.&#8221;

Donald Trump

‘Everyone Realizes That There Was No Case’: Trump Responds After Judge Delays Sentencing

'Everyone Realizes That There Was No Case': Trump Responds After Judge Delays Sentencing

2024 Election

Alvin Bragg

Courts

Juan Merchan

Manhattan

New York

U.S.

The legal team for former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> requested that a federal court take control of his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> criminal case ahead of potential sentencing next month for his conviction on falsifying business records.  
Trump’s legal team <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.598311/gov.uscourts.nysd.598311.46.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a motion</a> in the Southern District of New York on Thursday to remove the case from Judge Juan Merchan as Trump seeks dismissal on presidential immunity grounds. The former president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was convicted</a> in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records brought by Democrat Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 
“The ongoing proceedings will continue to cause direct and irreparable harm to President Trump—the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential election — and voters located far beyond Manhattan,” the filing said. “Post-trial removal is necessary under these circumstances to afford President Trump an unbiased forum, free from local hostilities, where he can seek redress for these Constitutional violations.”
The filing asks for the court to remove the case from the state level and confirm that Trump cannot be sentenced by Merchan while litigation over the removal motion proceeds. Sentencing is currently scheduled for September 18. 
Trump’s legal team also argued that the restrictions Merchan has placed on him regarding speaking about the case violate his First Amendment rights. 
“The continued operation of this unlawful prior restraint is causing irreparable First Amendment harm to President Trump and the American people, and it operates as a wholly inappropriate muzzle on the leading candidate in the 2024 Presidential election while he is on the campaign trail and during any debate against Vice President Harris.”
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Trump previously moved to dismiss the case based on the Supreme Court’s July ruling that presidents have broad immunity from prosecution. Merchan has indicated he will rule on the motion to dismiss on September 16, two days before the sentencing is scheduled.
Upon sentencing, Trump <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-convicted-prison-sentence-new-york-criminal-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could</a> face four years in prison and a $5,000 fine for each of the 34 convictions. The filing highlighted Merchan’s ties to the Democratic party, including donations made to Joe Biden&#8217;s campaign and his daughter’s previous work for Kamala Harris&#8217;s 2020 presidential campaign. 
The House Judiciary Committee <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-08-28%20JDJ%20to%20Nellis%20re%20Authentic%20Campaigns%20subpoena.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subpoenaed</a> Authentic Campaigns this week, the leftist organization that employs Merchan’s daughter.

New York Grand Jury Votes To Indict Former President Trump

Trump Looks To Move New York Criminal Case To Federal Court Ahead Of Sentencing

Politics

On Thursday, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> appellate court rejected <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s appeal of a gag order as part of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg&#8217;s hush-money case in which the former president has been convicted and faces sentencing later this year.
A panel of the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/new-york-court-denies-trump-gag-order-appeal-hush-money-case-rcna164702" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mid-level</a> state Appellate Division <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25023087/ny-appeals-ruling-on-trump-gag-order.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disagreed</a> with Trump&#8217;s contention that the conclusion of the trial resulted in a &#8220;change in circumstances&#8221; warranting an end to the entire gag order, <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/25023087/ny-appeals-ruling-on-trump-gag-order.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said a decision</a>.
Judge Juan Merchan did remove limits on what Trump could say about trial witnesses and the jury after the verdict in late May, but kept restraints on comments about court staff, the DA&#8217;s staff, and family members of court staff and prosecutors.
Bragg&#8217;s team made submissions that demonstrated &#8220;threats received by District Attorney staff after the jury verdict continued to pose a significant and imminent threat,&#8221; the decision on Thursday noted.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-ny-court-rejects-trump-gag-order-appeal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Despite</a> multiple <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-denies-trumps-gag-order-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">setbacks</a>, a spokesperson for Trump&#8217;s 2024 campaign said the former president &#8220;continues to forcefully challenge&#8221; the &#8220;decision to leave in place portions of the unconstitutional Gag Order,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/new-york-court-denies-trump-gag-order-appeal-hush-money-case-rcna164702" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a>.
In the lead-up to the verdict, Trump faced thousands of dollars in fines and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/judge-finds-trump-violated-gag-order-threatens-jail-rcna150560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a threat of jail time</a> for speaking out in violation of the gag order that he claimed had infringed upon his First Amendment rights.
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A jury <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> Trump of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film star Stormy Daniels for a &#8220;catch-and-kill&#8221; scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump denied the affair and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Merchan initially picked a July 11 date for sentencing, but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-approves-delay-for-trump-sentencing-after-supreme-court-immunity-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved a delay</a> until at least mid-September while he considers whether an immunity ruling by the Supreme Court could have a bearing on the case. A decision is reportedly expected on September 6.
Another judge implemented a gag order against Trump in special counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election case in Washington, D.C. Federal prosecutors also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-slaps-down-jack-smiths-request-for-gag-order-in-trump-docs-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unsuccessfully</a> sought a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/14/politics/trump-gag-order-classified-documents-florida/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gag order</a> in a Florida-based classified documents case, which has since been dismissed.
Trump has been trying to fend off a fourth prosecution in Georgia related to the 2020 election. It appears unlikely that any of the criminal cases — other than the one in New York — will reach the trial stage before the November election.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump

NY Appeals Court Rejects Trump Gag Order Appeal

Judge

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> moved to have his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> felony conviction dismissed Thursday in light of the Supreme Court’s decision that presidents have immunity for official actions. 
Lawyers for Trump argued in a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24804064/tump-filing.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motion</a> that New York Judge Juan Merchan should dismiss Trump’s conviction in the hush money case where he was accused of falsifying business records because the prosecution relied on evidence that shouldn’t have been admissible for the jury to consider. The motion comes after the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-trump-has-immunity-for-official-acts-likely-delays-trial-past-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> earlier this month that Trump’s assertion of presidential immunity to shield himself from federal prosecution is valid for official acts. 
“No President of the United States has ever been treated as unfairly and unlawfully as District Attorney Bragg has acted towards President Trump in connection with the biased investigation, extraordinarily delayed charging decision, and baseless prosecution that give rise to this motion,” the filing said. 
The lawyers added that the motion to vacate the jury’s verdict was based on the doctrine of presidential immunity set forth by the Supreme Court and the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. 
According to the filing, the New York County District Attorney&#8217;s Office (DANY) urged the court “to front-run the Supreme Court on a federal constitutional issue with grave implications for the operation of the federal government and the relationships between state and federal officials. The record is clear: DANY was wrong, very wrong.”
On July 1, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States that the former president could not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers and was entitled to presumptive immunity for official acts. Trump’s lawyers pointed to this ruling, saying that the jury was unduly influenced by evidence that should not have been used during the trial. 
“Under Trump, DANY violated the Presidential immunity doctrine and the Supremacy Clause by relying on evidence relating to President Trump’s official acts in 2017 and 2018 to unfairly prejudice President Trump in this unprecedented and unfounded prosecution relating to purported business records,” the filing said. 
The official-acts evidence was used to “bolster” testimony from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who was a key witness for the prosecution, according to the filing. 
“Because of the implications for the institution of the Presidency, the use of official-acts evidence was a structural error under the federal Constitution that tainted DANY’s grand jury proceedings as well as the trial. These transgressions resulted in the type of deeply prejudicial error that strikes at the core of the government’s function and cannot be addressed through harmless-error analysis,” the filing said. 
Trump faces sentencing for the conviction in September as the court evaluates whether the Supreme Court decision impacts the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg or not.

Donald Trump Campaigns In Florida

Trump Moves To Have Felony Conviction Dismissed In Light Of SCOTUS Immunity Decision

Supreme Court

U.S. Politics

Sentencing for President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> on his guilty verdict in a New York hush-money case is postponed until at least September, a judge said on Tuesday, meaning the former president will no longer have a hearing on the matter just days before he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rnc-preparing-for-possibility-of-trump-being-in-jail-during-convention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receives</a> the GOP&#8217;s presidential nomination at the party&#8217;s convention.
Judge Juan Merchan shared the decision in a <a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/People%20v.%20DJT%207-2-24%20Letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> responding to communications from the defense and Manhattan District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alvin-bragg">Alvin Bragg</a>&#8216;s team about pushing back the proceedings after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> ruled on Monday that Trump is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-trump-has-immunity-for-official-acts-likely-delays-trial-past-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immune</a> from prosecution for official acts as president in a separate case.
The July 11 date Merchan previously picked for sentencing is &#8220;vacated,&#8221; the judge said, adding, &#8220;The Court&#8217;s decision will be tendered off-calendar on September 6, 2024 and the matter is adjourned to September 18, 2024, at 10:00 AM for the imposition of sentence, if such is still necessary, or other proceedings.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s attorneys requested to challenge their client&#8217;s guilty verdict and postpone the date for sentencing. A CNN source reportedly <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/01/politics/trump-challenge-hush-money-verdict-immunity-supreme-court/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the lawyers argued the Supreme Court&#8217;s immunity ruling affirmed their position that Bragg should not have been permitted to offer evidence at trial regarding official presidential acts.
Prosecutors then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bragg-does-not-oppose-trump-sentencing-delay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the judge</a> they would not fight the Trump team&#8217;s request in a letter earlier on Tuesday, which said, in part, &#8220;Although we believe defendant’s arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing pending determination of his motion.&#8221;
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In May, jurors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film actress Stormy Daniels as part of a &#8220;catch-and-kill&#8221; scheme to influence the 2016 election. Trump, who denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-guilty-verdict-trial-05-31-24/h_5f39d02456672b825a69b106df7ed682" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to appeal the verdict.
Because Merchan had earlier picked a date for sentencing days before the GOP convention starting on July 15, Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley told Newsmax last month that officials were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rnc-preparing-for-possibility-of-trump-being-in-jail-during-convention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preparing for the possibility</a> that Trump would be in jail when he receives the party&#8217;s nomination.
Three other criminal cases loom over Trump as he seeks a second term in the White House, including two led by special counsel Jack Smith: a 2020 election case and one that focuses on classified documents. Another 2020 election case came together in Georgia and is led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Trump has maintained his innocence throughout. Besides the hush-money case, it does not appear likely that any of the other cases will reach the trial stage before the November contest, in part due to the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling on Monday that sent the federal election case back to a lower court for further review.

Judge Approves Delay For Trump Sentencing After Supreme Court Immunity Ruling

Manhattan District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alvin-bragg">Alvin Bragg</a>&#8216;s team said on Tuesday they will not fight a request by former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> to challenge his guilty verdict in a hush-money trial and postpone sentencing.
Prosecutors sent a <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24787590-20240702-people-pml-response-on-immunity-filed?responsive=1&amp;title=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Judge Juan Merchan stating their position after reports that Trump&#8217;s attorneys reportedly sought permission to file a motion to challenge the recent conviction in New York after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court</a> ruled their client is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-rules-trump-has-immunity-for-official-acts-likely-delays-trial-past-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immune</a> from prosecution for official acts as president.
&#8220;Although we believe defendant’s arguments to be without merit, we do not oppose his request for leave to file and his putative request to adjourn sentencing pending determination of his motion,&#8221; they said.
Bragg&#8217;s team requested a July 24 deadline to file and serve a response with the expectation that Trump&#8217;s legal team will be allowed to file a memo in support of a motion to set aside the verdict by July 10.
Merchan set sentencing for July 11, just days before Trump is expected to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rnc-preparing-for-possibility-of-trump-being-in-jail-during-convention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receive</a> the GOP&#8217;s presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention. The judge may now choose to push back the date.
A CNN source <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/01/politics/trump-challenge-hush-money-verdict-immunity-supreme-court/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Trump&#8217;s lawyers argued the Supreme Court ruling — delivered as part of a federal election case brought by special counsel Jack Smith — affirmed their position that Bragg should not have been permitted to offer evidence at trial regarding official acts and the guilty verdict should be set aside.
In May, jurors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film actress Stormy Daniels as part of a &#8220;catch-and-kill&#8221; scheme to influence the 2016 election. Trump, who denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-guilty-verdict-trial-05-31-24/h_5f39d02456672b825a69b106df7ed682" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to appeal the verdict.
Three other criminal cases loom over Trump as he seeks a second term in the White House, including two led by special counsel Smith: a 2020 election case and one that focuses on classified documents. Another 2020 election case came together in Georgia and is led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Trump has maintained his innocence throughout. Besides the hush-money case, it does not appear likely that any of the other cases will reach the trial stage before the November contest, in part due to the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling on Monday that sent the federal election case back to a lower court for further review.

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg

Bragg Does Not Oppose Trump Sentencing Delay

Manhattan District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alvin-bragg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alvin Bragg&#8217;s</a> office dropped the majority of criminal charges that were filed against pro-Hamas extremists earlier this year after they stormed Columbia University.
Bragg — who prosecuted former President Donald Trump in a highly controversial case because he claimed that no one is above the law — dismissed the trespassing charges against 31 of the 46 defendants.
His office claimed that there was a lack of evidence to tie the suspects to the takeover of the Ivy League school’s Hamilton Hall, which garnered significant national news coverage.
“This is turnstile justice,” Michael Nussbaum, a 25-year member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/20/us-news/outrage-as-manhattan-da-braggs-office-drops-nearly-all-cases-from-columbia-universitys-anti-israel-protest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the New York Post. “This a green light for chaos, a green light for destroying property.”
Police sources raged at the move by Bragg, who is backed by Democrat megadonor George Soros, telling the publication that the decision to toss out the charges was outrageous.
“Lack of evidence?” one police officer responded. “Apparently body-worn camera wasn’t enough?”
Another said: “We have a DA giving them what amounts to a mandate to push the envelope further now.”
A popular conservative attorney responded to the news by posting on X that it was &#8220;impossible to ignore the fact that his office pursues political vendettas while giving actual criminals a pass.&#8221;
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Senior CNN political commentator Scott Jennings highlighted the contrast in how Bragg decided to go after Trump vs. the pro-Hamas extremists.
&#8220;Trump &#8211; filed the wrong sex paperwork / 34 felonies!&#8221; he posted on X. &#8220;Vandals and terrorist sympathizers &#8211; meh, go about your business.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump &#8211; filed the wrong sex paperwork / 34 felonies!
Vandals and terrorist sympathizers &#8211; meh, go about your business. <a href="https://t.co/jRHZNHJIkL">https://t.co/jRHZNHJIkL</a>
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY/status/1803909104941043715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2024</a></blockquote>

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg Holds Press Conference After Trump Guilty Verdict

Trump Prosector Alvin Bragg Drops Most Criminal Charges Against Pro-Hamas Extremists At Columbia University

Columbia University

New York City

Pro-Hamas

TV star “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/judge-judy-sheindlin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judge Judy</a>” Sheindlin slammed New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg for trying former President Donald Trump in the hush-money case.
During Sheindlin’s appearance on &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/20/politics/video/judge-judy-trump-civil-fraud-case-manhattan-da-wallace-wtcw-digvid">Who&#8217;s Talking to Chris Wallace</a>” in an episode that streamed on Friday, Wallace asked the judge what she thought about the trial, and she said Bragg only tried Trump for his own selfish reasons, something for which she resents him.
“I would be happier, as someone who owns property in Manhattan, if the district attorney [Alvin Bragg] of New York County would take care of criminals who are making it impossible for citizens to walk in the streets and use the subway,” the judge said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Judge Judy: “As a person who owns property in Manhattan I would be happier if Alvin Bragg took care of criminals who make it impossible to ride the subway or walk the streets, than spending $10 million of taxpayer money trying Donald Trump on nonsense.” <a href="https://t.co/YBD2uBEub8">pic.twitter.com/YBD2uBEub8</a>
— Bad Hombre (@joma_gc) <a href="https://twitter.com/joma_gc/status/1804187126176588120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
“To use those efforts to keep those people off the street, than to spend $5 million or $10 million taxpayers’ money trying Donald Trump on this nonsense,” she added. “That’s my view.”
“I, as a taxpayer in this country, resent using the system for your own personal self-aggrandizement,” the judge continued, saying that’s exactly what she thinks Bragg did by trying Trump. “You have to twist yourself in a pretzel to figure out what the crime was. He [Bragg] doesn’t like him [Trump]. New York City didn’t like him [Trump] for a while.”
When pressed by Wallace on what she personally thought of the former president, the judge said that she thinks Trump “was a good businessman, a real estate guy. And he was certainly terrific on ‘The Apprentice.'&#8221;
However, when asked her thoughts about Trump’s presidency, she made it clear she didn’t think he should be in the highest office in the land.
“I don’t think that Donald [Trump] ever should have been president,” Sheindlin said. “And I don’t think that even Donald thought he was going to be president.”
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The former president was recently found guilty on all 34 counts by a New York jury in the hush-money trial.
The guilty verdict in Trump’s New York trial marks the first time a former U.S. president has been convicted of a crime, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case">reported</a>.
At the heart of the case brought by Manhattan District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alvin-bragg">Alvin Bragg</a> were <a href="https://manhattanda.org/district-attorney-bragg-announces-34-count-felony-indictment-of-former-president-donald-j-trump/">34 felony counts</a> of falsifying business records to conceal damaging information around the 2016 election as part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme.
Prosecutors accused Trump of improperly masking reimbursements to repay his former lawyer, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michael-cohen">Michael Cohen</a>, for a $130,000 payment to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stormy-daniels">Stormy Daniels</a> in exchange for her silence on an alleged extramarital affair by classifying them as legal expenses.
Trump has denied that the affair with Stormy Daniels ever happened and pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyers <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ny-v-trump-defense-says-prosecutors-did-not-meet-burden-proof-former-president-innocent">argued</a> there was no intent to defraud or influence the 2016 election.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this piece.

Judge Judy

‘Your Own Personal Self-Aggrandizement’: Judge Judy Slams Alvin Bragg For Trump Hush-Money Trial

'Your Own Personal Self-Aggrandizement': Judge Judy Slams Alvin Bragg For Trump Hush-Money Trial

Celebrities

Entertainment

Judge Judy Sheindlin

The highest court in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> declined to quickly consider former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>&#8216;s appeal of a gag order after his felony conviction last month and before a debate next week.
A list of decisions <a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/Decisions/2024/Jun24/DecisionList061824.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> on Tuesday said the New York Court of Appeals dismissed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-third-world-authoritarian-tactic-trump-turns-to-top-new-york-court-to-appeal-gag-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the appeal</a> &#8220;upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly raised.&#8221;
However, court spokesman Gary Spencer said Trump has a 30-day window to file a motion for leave to appeal, which could lead to the high court eventually taking up the matter, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/18/politics/trump-gag-order-new-york-appeal/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>.
Presiding Judge Juan Merchan barred Trump from commenting publicly on jurors, witnesses, and the judge&#8217;s family, but not the judge himself or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Trump faced thousands of dollars in fines and <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/judge-finds-trump-violated-gag-order-threatens-jail-rcna150560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a threat of jail time</a> for speaking out in violation of the gag order that he claimed had infringed upon his First Amendment rights.
A lower appeals court already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/appeals-court-denies-trumps-gag-order-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot down</a> a defense request to lift the order. The AP says <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-attorneys-ask-judge-to-lift-gag-order-ahead-of-presidential-debate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merchan himself</a> may <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-gag-order-juan-merchan-c6e8056bf7b82aaf0bbf094d703b5f31" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soon rule</a> on whether to keep it after a Thursday deadline for prosecutors to respond.
Trump was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film star Stormy Daniels for a &#8220;catch-and-kill&#8221; scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Merchan scheduled sentencing for July 11, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rnc-preparing-for-possibility-of-trump-being-in-jail-during-convention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">days before</a> the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Trump, who denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-guilty-verdict-trial-05-31-24/h_5f39d02456672b825a69b106df7ed682" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to appeal.
Legal experts <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/29/trump-if-convicted-hush-money-trial-new-york/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doubt</a> the 78-year-old Trump will end up behind bars, though the Secret Service has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/secret-service-prepares-for-possibility-of-trump-going-to-jail-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> coordinated with local jail officials just in case. He could get probation.
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It remains to be seen whether Trump will continue to be limited in what he can say about the New York case leading up to his appearance at his first 2024 debate against President Joe Biden next week.
Another judge implemented a gag order against Trump in special counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election case, and federal prosecutors have also <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/14/politics/trump-gag-order-classified-documents-florida/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sought</a> one in a Florida classified documents case.
Trump is trying to fend off a fourth criminal matter in Georgia related to the 2020 election. Whether the Georgia or federal cases will reach the trial stage before the 2024 contest is unclear.

Top NY Court Rejects Trump Gag Order Appeal

Court

A year before former President Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felonies, and a month after Trump was indicted, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was attending a fundraiser for a group that wants Trump&#8217;s name off the ballot alongside a man who has <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/01/spike-lee-donald-trump-hitler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">likened Trump to Adolph Hitler</a>.
In May 2023, Bragg attended the main fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), which has been on the front lines of legal efforts to keep Americans from being able to hear from, and vote for, Trump. He was pictured alongside film director Spike Lee, who has said Trump &#8220;will go down in history with the likes of Hitler&#8221; and that both Trump and &#8220;all his boys&#8221; are &#8220;going down on the wrong side of history.”
Bragg has come under fire by Trump&#8217;s supporters for what they characterize as a political prosecution of the former president. Bragg used a dubious and unproven out-of-jurisdiction crime to transform an alleged paperwork misdemeanor into 34 felonies, all of which a Manhattan jury quickly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> the former president of. His attendance at a fundraiser will likely only fuel allegations that Trump was targeted only because he&#8217;s the Republican nominee for president.
The George Soros-backed district attorney&#8217;s prosecution of Trump was in keeping with the aggressive rhetoric of the legal group, which is also supported by the Soros family.
Jonathan Soros, the son of George Soros, who has spent heavily on district attorney races including Bragg&#8217;s, is on <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/about-us/board-of-directors/">the board</a> of the group, as is the wife of Matthew Colangelo, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-number-3-at-doj-left-to-prosecute-trump-in-ny-a-lawsuit-seeks-insight-into-the-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left a top role</a> in Joe Biden&#8217;s Department of Justice to work for Bragg on the Trump case. Colangelo&#8217;s wife, Anne Small, is listed as a top sponsor at the event, donating at least $25,000.
It is unclear who exactly paid for Bragg to attend the fundraiser. His office said he was not an official guest of Lee, but did not respond to questions regarding the anti-Trump mission of the group.
The NAACP LDF has used extreme tactics to keep Americans from being able to hear from, and vote for, Trump. When Colorado sought to simply take Trump off the ballot, the fund filed a <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-files-amicus-brief-defending-full-enforcement-of-the-fourteenth-amendment-in-trump-v-anderson/">friend-of-the-court brief</a> supporting the move, saying Trump had &#8220;engaged in an insurrection.&#8221;
When every member of the Supreme Court, including its most liberal justices, said that this was unconstitutional, the group&#8217;s president, Janai Nelson, called it a &#8220;disturbing and dangerous pattern of judicial overreach&#8221; that threatened &#8220;our multi-racial, multi-ethnic <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/wife-top-biden-doj-official-prosecuting-trump-donated-thousands-biden-obama.amp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">democracy</a>.&#8221;
It also blasted Facebook for allowing him on the platform by saying the company was not legally &#8220;compelled&#8221; to reinstate him and saying being able to hear from a former president <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-condemns-meta-decision-to-restore-former-president-donald-trumps-facebook-and-instagram-accounts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;endangers&#8221;</a> the public. It called allowing Trump on the platform a &#8220;reckless, unjustifiable, and irresponsible decision.”
<a href="https://www.essence.com/gallery/legal-defense-fund-dinner-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Essence</a>, a black-oriented magazine, reported on the 2023 fundraising event by saying that money raised for the group would go towards fighting Trump  &#8220;in the courtroom and beyond.&#8221;
Bragg claimed that Trump violated federal campaign finance law by not filing a report with the Federal Election Commission saying he paid a porn star to keep silent about an affair, arguing that the move was campaign-related. That&#8217;s despite there being no precedent for campaign finance law being interpreted in this way, the federal government declining to charge Trump for it, and Bragg having no authority to charge federal crimes.
The law-and-order approach to President Trump — whose alleged crimes had no identifiable victim — is in marked contrast to the usual philosophies of Bragg and the NAACP, which typically view the harsh enforcement of law and order as racist against blacks.
In May, the NAACP LDF issued a &#8220;Statement <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-issues-statement-honoring-george-floyd-and-calling-for-a-new-framework-for-public-safety-and-a-continued-commitment-to-racial-equity-four-years-after-his-death/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Honoring George Floyd</a>,&#8221; a violent felon who served only a short prison stint for robbing a pregnant woman at gunpoint. It used Floyd&#8217;s death to propose <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/framework-for-public-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replacing police</a> with a &#8220;Corps of Unarmed Civilian Responders,&#8221; and criminal punishment with &#8220;Restorative Justice Programs.&#8221;
Bragg&#8217;s prosecution of Trump failed to separate itself from politics in the eye of the public. A recent <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/plurality-americans-trumps-guilty-verdict-correct-hush-money/story?id=110744698">poll</a> found that 47 percent of Americans think the charges against Trump were politically motivated, compared to just 38 percent who say they were not.

Legal Defense Fund’s National Equal Justice Awards Dinner

Trump Prosecutor Alvin Bragg Attended Fundraiser For Group That Fought To Keep Trump Off Ballot

NAACP

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> Republican from upstate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> is calling on her state&#8217;s Democratic governor, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kathy-hochul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathy Hochul</a>, to pardon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> after the former president was recently found guilty on all counts in a hush money trial.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), a New York Bar Association member, made the request in a letter on Thursday that also urged Hochul to remove Alvin Bragg as Manhattan district attorney, saying he failed to uphold the &#8220;high ethical standards&#8221; of his role.
Bragg &#8220;used a warped version of events to push the manufactured charges&#8221; against Trump, a decision that was, &#8220;At best &#8230; legally questionable, at worst it’s criminal,&#8221; Tenney wrote in the letter, which has been <a href="https://tenney.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/tenney.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/trump%20pardon%20letter%20.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to her congressional website.
She said Bragg &#8220;neglected to prosecute other individuals&#8221; in similar cases &#8220;as his only purpose in bringing this case is to target the former President,&#8221; adding, &#8220;Targeting an individual, especially for political purposes, is unethical and unconstitutional.&#8221;
A jury returned a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guilty verdict</a> against Trump on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film star Stormy Daniel as part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme to influence the 2016 election.
Trump, who denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-race-plunges-into-uncharted-territory-trump-awaits-july-sentencing-2024-05-31/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to appeal. Sentencing is set for July 11, just four days before Trump is expected to receive the GOP presidential nomination at the Republican convention in Milwaukee.
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Hochul has given no indication that she is interested in dealing Trump a pardon as he seeks a second term in the White House. The New York governor released a <a href="https://x.com/JonCampbellNY/status/1796318381160702383" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> saying the verdict &#8220;reaffirms that no one is above the law.&#8221;
Still, there is some pressure from the Democratic Party. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who briefly challenged President Joe Biden for their party&#8217;s presidential nomination, <a href="https://x.com/deanbphillips/status/1796695686215348594" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> to X that Hochul &#8220;should pardon him [Trump] for the good of the country.&#8221;
Three other criminal matters hang over Trump, including two led by special counsel Jack Smith and another by Georgia&#8217;s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. It is unclear whether any of those will reach the trial stage before the 2024 election.

Governor Kathy Hochul

NY Rep Calls On Governor Hochul To Pardon Trump

Congress

Kathy Hochul

Pardon

Manhattan District Attorney <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alvin-bragg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alvin Bragg</a> is slated to testify before a GOP-led House committee next month, just one day after former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is scheduled to be sentenced following his guilty verdict in a New York hush-money case.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/11/us/politics/alvin-bragg-congress-trump-conviction.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Tuesday that the hearing is set for July 12. Matthew Colangelo, a prosecutor who has drawn <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-jordan-demands-documents-about-bragg-prosecutor-matthew-colangelo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrutiny</a> for making the jump to Bragg&#8217;s team after leaving a senior role at the Biden administration&#8217;s Department of Justice (DOJ), is also expected to testify.
&#8220;We respect our government institutions and plan to appear voluntarily before the subcommittee,&#8221; Bragg&#8217;s office said in a statement after bemoaning &#8220;dangerous misinformation, baseless claims and conspiracy theories&#8221; following the jury&#8217;s guilty verdict.
Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH), who also leads the Weaponization panel, had been pushing for Bragg to appear at a hearing on June 13 about the DA&#8217;s office. Bragg previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bragg-agrees-to-testify-before-house-on-trump-prosecution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agreed</a> to testify, but pushed for a new date because the Trump case had yet to run its full course.
The hearing planned for this week is still on, with Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, former Federal Election Commission Commissioner Trey Trainor, and Baker Hostetler of counsel Elizabeth Price Foley <a href="https://house.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0275399506e2bdd8fe2012b77&amp;id=3322de2da3&amp;e=5ad049e321" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> as witnesses.
At the end of May, jurors returned a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/verdict-trump-found-guilty-on-all-charges-in-hush-money-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guilty verdict</a> against Trump on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to allegedly cover up a tryst with adult film star Stormy Daniels as part of a “catch-and-kill” scheme to influence the 2016 election.
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Trump, who denied the affair and pleaded not guilty to the charges, has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/white-house-race-plunges-into-uncharted-territory-trump-awaits-july-sentencing-2024-05-31/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> to appeal. Bragg praised the jury and said his team followed &#8220;the facts and the law without fear or favor.&#8221; Sentencing is scheduled for July 11. It remains unclear whether Trump will get any prison time.
Republicans have raised concerns about Bragg being motivated by politics, noting how the feds declined to bring the hush-money case against Trump. They also point to Colangelo&#8217;s <a href="https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/republicans-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/JDJ%20to%20AG%20Letitia%20James%20re%20Colangelo.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">past work</a>, which included leading a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/05/nyregion/alvin-bragg-trump-investigation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">civil inquiry</a> against Trump in New York before joining the DOJ.
The DOJ <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000190-075b-d29e-a9f3-677bfc9e0000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to a demand by Jordan for information that might show a coordinated effort, claiming a &#8220;comprehensive search&#8221; of emails turned up no communications between the Manhattan DA and agency leadership regarding the investigation and prosecution of Trump.
As he runs another campaign for the White House, Trump is facing three other criminal matters on the state and federal level related to his handling of classified documents and the 2020 election. The former president has maintained his innocence throughout.

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