PALM BEACH, Fla., April 5, 2023—To a crowd of approximately 500 loyal supporters at his Mar-a-Lago home, the 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump, delivered a 25-minute response to his Manhattan Criminal Court arraignment that took place earlier Tuesday afternoon.
Trump accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of illegally leaking the content of the indictment prior to it being unsealed at the hearing on April 4.
“The criminal is the district attorney because he illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury information, for which he should be prosecuted or at a minimum, he should resign,” said Trump. “Alvin Bragg’s wife confirmed a report that claimed her husband has Trump nailed on felonies. She has since locked down her Twitter account.”
In the state of New York, it is a Class E felony to leak grand jury testimony. Both CNN and Reuters reported on Friday, March 31, that the former president was facing at least 30 counts and cited two sources familiar with the case.
“[I] Spent time there today as you possibly read, with a local failed district attorney, charging a former President of the United States for the first time in history on a basis that every single pundit and legal analyst said, ‘There is no case, there’s no case,’” Trump said.
During his speech, the 45th President chastised former New York County Special Assistant District Attorney Mark F. Pomerantz, who lead the investigation, unpaid, into Trump’s finances prior to resigning last year after Bragg halted indictment efforts.
“His [Bragg] chief prosecutor [Pomerantz] who represented the Democrats and crooked Hillary Clinton and a firm run by Chuck Schumer’s brother Robert,” said Trump. “He quit the firm in order to go to work in the DA office, in order to get Trump. Can you imagine that? Hillary Clinton’s lawyer, a Democrat lawyer, a Democrat firm. Ultimately, he quit as chief prosecutor because Bragg didn’t think he had a case.”
The former president exposed the relationship between New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the case, and the Biden administration. The Daily Mail reports that Merchan’s daughter, Loren, 34, was the former digital director for then-candidate Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign and is now partner and president of Authentic Campaigns, a progressive digital firm, and worked on several high-profile Democratic campaigns – including for President Joe Biden.
“This is where we are as a nation,” Trump said. “Who would’ve thought they can’t beat us at the ballot box, so they try and beat us through the law.”
In addition to the New York case, Trump is facing three other criminal investigations: The alleged mishandling of classified documents found at his private residence in Mar-a-Lago after leaving office, allegedly interfering with the certification of the 2020 election, and allegations he pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in a phone call to “find” votes to win the state.
In a bombshell revelation during his speech, Trump shared that the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking to charge him through the Espionage Act, which carries the death penalty, in its investigation of his handling of classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago last year. Attorney General Merrick Garland’s appointed Justice Department prosecutor, John “Jack” Smith, is spearheading this investigation.
“Apparently, they’re not looking at me through the view of the non-criminal Presidential Records Act,” said Trump. “They came up with a new one. This is a new one, and they’re looking at me through the Espionage Act.
“Think of that, how does that sound, of 1917 where the penalty is death, even though that has absolutely nothing to do with openly taking boxes of documents and mostly clothing and other things to my home, which President Obama has done…the Bushes have done…Jimmy Carter has done…Ronald Reagan has done…everybody has done.
“In fact, Hillary Clinton got rid of 33,000 emails and that was okay, but nobody has done it like Joe Biden.”
For the transcript of the speech President Donald J Trump delivered at Mar-a-Lago in its entirety, click here.
Manhattan Criminal Court Arraignment Hearing
The 45th President of the United States, Donald J Trump, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday, April 4, after 34 felony counts related to payments made to two women—$130,000 to porn actor Stormy Daniels and $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
After a five-year investigation first led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., who did not seek re-election in 2021, the unsealed indictment alleges, “The defendant DONALD J. TRUMP repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.”
The charges were announced by New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan. The unsealed indictment by the Grand Jury of the County of New York accuses the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, of 34 counts of FALSIFYING BUSINESS RECORDS IN THE FIRST DEGREE, in violation of Penal Law §175.10. The counts are as follows:
- An invoice from Michael Cohen dated February 14, 2017
- A General Ledger (GL) entry related to voucher number 842457
- A General Ledger (GL) entry related to voucher number 842460
- Made and caused a false entry related to check number 000138
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated February 16, 2017 and transmitted on or about March 16, 2017
- A General Ledger (GL) entry related to voucher number 846907
- Made and caused a false entry related to check number 000147
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated April 13, 2017
- A General Ledger (GL) entry related to voucher number 858770
- Made and caused a false entry related to check stub dated June 19, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated May 22, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 855331
- Made and caused a false entry related to check stub dated May 23, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated June 16, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 858772
- Made and caused a false entry related to check and check stub dated June 19, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated July 11, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 861096
- Made and caused a false entry related to a check and check stub dated July 11, 2017, bearing check number 002781
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated August 1, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 863641
- Made and caused a false entry related to check and check stub dated August 1, 2017, bearing check number 002821
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated September 11, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 868174
- Made and caused a false entry related to check and check stub dated September 12, 2017, bearing check number 002908
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated October 18, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 872654
- Made and caused a false entry related to a check and check stub dated October 18, 2017, bearing check number 002944
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated November 20, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 876511
- Made and caused a false entry related to a check and check stub dated November 21, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an invoice from Michael Cohen dated December 1, 2017
- Made and caused a false entry related to an entry in the Detail General Ledger for Donald J. Trump, bearing voucher number 877785
- Made and caused a false entry related to a check and check stub dated December 5, 2017, bearing check number 003006
#BREAKING: Trump’s legal team speaking to the press:
“Today’s unsealing of the records shows the rule of law has died in this country.”
“If this man’s name was not Donald J. Trump we all would not be here today.”
“Trump will be having a press conference at 8pm ET.” pic.twitter.com/o85HvlvKlG
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 4, 2023
If convicted, the former president could face over 100 years in prison—up to four years per charge. However, this being a Class E Felony, the least severe felony charge in New York state and with no prior criminal history, it is unlikely he would be sentenced to prison.
The next court date for the 45th President is December 4; however, it is unknown if he will be required to appear. His legal team will attempt to have the case tossed before it ever gets to trial. The charges, which are usually treated as misdemeanors, are coming almost six years after the payoffs. New York’s statute of limitations are two years for misdemeanor offenses and five years for certain felony offenses.
Author: Mario Lotmore
One Response
Such a raging asshole. But hey, this is America.