NEW YORK—On Tuesday, April 30, the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump started with accusations that the former President violated a gag order. Trump has been forbidden to speak ill of those prosecuting him, the Judge, or the jurors in the ongoing trial.
Also on April 30, Judge Juan Merchan agreed to allow the former President to attend the high school graduation of his youngest son, Baron Trump in Mar-a-Lago.
“I don’t think the May 17 date is a problem, so Mr. Trump can attend his son’s graduation,” Judge Merchan stated. It appears that young Barron will be allowed to have both his father and mother present for his commencement.
On Monday, April 22, the case of NY v. Trump, kicked off with the prosecution questioning witnesses such as David Pecker of the National Inquirer. The witness claims to write articles that put former President Trump in a better light and use a “Catch and Kill,” tactic that Pecker says media outlets use to fizzle out negative reports.
CNN, MSNBC, and other news outlets have written equally derogatory reports regarding news about Donald Trump. This point was not challenged.
Another witness used by the prosecution is Michael Cohen. In a statement Trump made about his former attorney, Trump called him a “known liar.” The judge and prosecuting attorneys use Trump’s statement against him as fodder for a fire, now saying that Trump has violated his gag order. Judge Merchan offers to throw Trump in jail should he speak again.
The original hush money trial began back in 2016. Trump’s then attorney, Michael Cohen reportedly paid $130,000, hush money to adult film star, and former pole dancer from Louisiana, Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford, who goes by the stage name, “Stormy Daniels.” The money was reportedly to pay Daniels off to keep quiet about an alleged affair she claimed transpired in 2006.
In 2018, an investigation revealed that Stormy Daniels never really intended to sue Trump. It was done without her consent by her then-attorney, and now convicted felon, Michael Avanati.
Now, the case comes up again with the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, and known Trump-hater, charged him with 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The Fifth Amendment clearly states that a defendant may not be tried twice for the same crime. The verbiage of the Amendment must confuse some investigators and prosecuting attorneys or perhaps they are just clever and found another way to try a former sitting President for the same crime twice.
