At least one of Trump’s four criminal trials is set to begin while the others are now in jeopardy
After five decades of playing fast and loose with the laws of New York, and a plenary of fraud, deception and corruption, legal appeasement seems to be declining and legal accountability seems to be ramping up as the proverbial hens are finally returning home to roost for the former Houdini of white-collar crime, Donald J. Trump.
First, there was the civil judgment of 5 million dollars awarded to the writer E. Jean Carroll by a federal jury of Trump’s peers. Then there was a second judgment of $83.3 million in damages awarded to Carroll by another jury of Trump’s peers for the additional defamatory statements that he continued to make after the first judgment was rendered for denying that he had sexually assaulted Carroll. And then there was the New York civil fraud decision by Judge Arthur Engoron holding Trump and his sons, Eric and Don, Jr. financially liable to the tune of more than $350 million underscoring “the extent of Trump and the Trump Organization’s white-collar malfeasance.” Last week, Judge Engoron turned down a request by Trump’s lawyers to postpone payment.
However, in the case of the historic $454 million judgment, “a figure that is growing by more than $100,000 in interest every day,” Trump sought a stay yesterday in opposition to New York law that requires first forking over the entire amount in damages or putting up a cash bond for the same known in the New York civil court system as an “undertaking.”
Trump also had previously done the same thing with the $83.3 million ruling by a jury in the second E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit. Neither of these appeals should go anywhere and the clock is still ticking in each case and soon time will be up before Carroll’s attorneys and then the New York attorney general Letitia James can start seizing the former president’s assets and property.
I can think of several nations that would happily fork over half a billion dollars to have that kind of hold over a possible future sitting President of the United States. None of that is good for the USA though.
Trump’s problem now is that:
this is all very public
that kind of money is going to leave a trail and is being watched - it’s not his typical moving the shell game he is used to
Besides being 77 years old. He’s in the endgame anyway. If he doesn’t get re-elected he’ll be demolished by the consequences of his prior crimes. If he does get into office, his supporters will happily look the other way when he starts selling our nation and its citizens to the highest foreign and domestic power brokers.
Bonus: If he doesn’t get reelected the entire Republican party will collapse. It has expelled anyone who isn’t vehemently and publicly pro-Trump. Their entire fundraising apparatus relies on Trump. Their entire base is pro-Trump at this point as well and those people basically hate every other party leader except maybe Mitch McConnell who will keel over any moment now (though that may have already happened 😁).
They haven’t had much of a party platform since the 1980s and their last staple–overturning Roe v Wade–has been achieved. They have no legislative priorities other than, “elect Trump” or “pardon Trump”. The only thing remaining that they stand for is dismantling government (aka “tax reduction”, ending oversight of all kinds, and literally calling for the end of democracy) which isn’t popular enough to survive without Trump.
Basically, with Trump they can do whatever TF they want as long as the orange criminal is fed. Without Trump they have to actually sell their BS and none of it is popular… Even among the Republican base.
Jared already banked $2b from the saudis so….there’s the price starting point