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| credit: N. Anderson Wackydoodle sez: And he hates NATO! |
Update: Judge Engoron ordered Don 'Legit' and his companies to disgorge $354 million plus interest for persistent financial fraud. His verdict falls short of the "corporate death penalty" predicted by some prominent on-line pundits. Trumpilini is barred from conducting business in New York for three years, and his sons barred from being officers of a New York company for two years. Allen Weisselberg, former CFO was ordered to pay $1 million penalty. Judge Engoron wrote that their, "complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological.” The penalties are not required to be paid while appeals are pending, which may take years. Court ordered monitoring of the company remains in place for three years. The state Attorney General had asked that Trump be penalized at least $370 million and suffer a lifetime ban on doing business in New York. What the verdict means for his campaign finances is unclear, since he now has the backing of the Repugnant Party. He has installed his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, as co-chair of the national committee. According to her the party's sole purpose is to elect Donald Trump president again.
Most informed commentators, including his former fixer Michael Cohen, think he will have to begin selling assets, possibly at distressed prices to meet his judgments and/or appeal costs. He faces more civil damage suits in DC from officers injured by Boss Trump's mob on January 6th. When all is said and done, he could be facing more than a billion dollars in judgements and legal expenses as a result of his egomanical malfeasence,
More: In a classic defense counsel move, Trump attorneys put the prosecutor on the stand and tried her for alleged extra-legal misconduct that would disqualify her from prosecuting Don 'Legit' for election interference and RICO in Georgia. The claim is that her affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade that she hired constitutes a conflict of interest. Willis testified that she reimbursed Wade for joint vacations in cash. Some of the amounts reached $2500, which illicited a snicker from one of the co-defendants listening to her testimony. He was promptly admonished by Judge McAfee. Willis explained that she was taught by her attorney father to always keep a six months worth of cash in her household for contingencies. Her father testified that keeping that amount of cash in the house, "is a black thing". The unusual transaction aside, defense counsel failed to produce significant evidence of financial gain from Willis hiring Wade as a special prosecutor in her office. Wade testified that the romantic relationship did not begin until after he was hired in November 2021 when investigation of Trumpilini was already underway. It is obvious to US Person that this defense tactic is intended to distract from the trial of the actual defendants in the case with salacious details of the prosecutor's private life.
{15.02.24}Perhaps the most inept judge in the Southern District of Florida, and an obvious pro-MAGA minion, has finally committed reversible error in her continuing efforts to postpone trial for her leader. Judge Eileen Cannon ruled that the government must provide personal indentification information for its 12 witnesses to the defense. In doing so she applied the wrong legal standard to the issue. The government has argued strenuously that it has compelling reasons for keeping the witness' personal identity information confidential. Witnesses in this and other Trump cases have received threats to their safety-- typical mob and even fascist behavior, attempting to intimidate those who would testify against 'the leader' Don Trumpilini.
Jack Smith could file an appeal now, but has given the jurist an opportunity to withdraw her erroneous order in a motion to reconsider. If he appeals--and he should given her record in the prosecution--the Eleventh Circuit will likely overrule her given prior controlling precedent in the Circuit. It would be the third time Cannon would be overruled. Prior practice in the Circuit has been removal of a judge from a case in these circumstances. Special Prosecutor Smith would be well rid of her given her demonstrated--albeit inept-- bias in favor of the defendant.
In the New York civil fraud case, state Supreme Court Judge Engoron is expected to hand down his decision this week. Possible equitable relief for persistent fraud could put Trump.Org out of business in New York. The criminal trial for the Stormy Daniel's payoff has been set for March 25th.
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| credit B. Bramhall |