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michael cohen
Democracy Defenders Stress NY Trump Trial 'Is About Voter Deception'
"Trump engaged in criminal acts to cover up the truth just days before the 2016 election, and now he will finally face a jury of everyday Americans."
Apr 15, 2024
As former U.S. President Donald Trump's first of four potential criminal trials began in New York on Monday, progressive groups emphasized that what is often called a hush money case involving a porn star "is about voter deception."
Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate to face Democratic President Joe Biden in November, faces 88 felony charges across the four cases. For this one, he was indicted by a New York grand jury last spring with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to alleged hush money payments to cover up sex scandals during the 2016 election cycle.
The payments were made by Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, to porn star Stormy Daniels, and by the tabloid The National Enquirer to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model. The twice-impeached ex-president has pleaded not guilty.
"This case is about the allegation that Trump criminally hid information from voters to influence the outcome of the 2016 election," said Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of the watchdog group Public Citizen, in a statement Monday.
"You can draw a clear pattern from this election interference behavior to his more emboldened efforts to subvert the 2020 election, which led to the January 6th insurrection, a lasting stain on American democracy," she added, referring to the 2021 U.S. Capitol attack that some critics argue makes him constitutionally ineligible to hold office again. "Accountability for criminal deception of voters is absolutely necessary to ensure future candidates and public officials know they can't get away with this sort of conduct."
Gilbert stressed that "despite what Donald Trump and his allies may claim, no one is above the law—including a former president charged with serious crimes, and today marks the start of the legal system's chance to prove this point."
Stand Up America president and founder Sean Eldridge similarly celebrated that "Donald Trump will finally face accountability for falsifying his company's business records in order to conceal damning information from voters ahead of the 2016 election."
"Concealing secret payments and then lying in official filings to cover it up is a serious crime, which is why Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts," Eldridge said. "This case is a clear example of Trump's pattern of engaging in criminal behavior to cling to power and hide the truth from the American people. No one is above the law in the United States of America, including former presidents."
"A functioning democracy depends on voters having the information they need to pick their leaders," he continued. "Trump engaged in criminal acts to cover up the truth just days before the 2016 election, and now he will finally face a jury of everyday Americans."
This is the first criminal trial of a former American president. Monday featured a series of rulings from Judge Juan Merchan—who has rejected Trump's demands that he step away from the case—and the beginning of jury selection.
The New York Timesreported that "the initial pool of prospective jurors dwindled rapidly. More than half of the first group of 96 were dismissed in short order after indicating that they did not believe they could be impartial. Court adjourned for the day roughly two hours after jury selection began, with zero jurors chosen."
In addition to the case in New York, Trump faces two federal cases—overseen by Special Counsel Jack Smith because of Trump's 2024 campaign. One is about his mishandling of classified material and the other stems from his attempt to reverse the 2020 election results. The Republican also faces a Georgia case for interfering with the last presidential contest.
It is not clear whether any of the other three cases will go to trial before the November election. Trump is trying to claim presidential immunity to get the federal election charges dismissed and the U.S. Supreme Court—to which he appointed three justices—is set to hear arguments in that case on April 25.
Public Citizen is among the groups that last week submitted briefs to the high court criticizing Trump's claims. The watchdog's president, Robert Weissman, said that "Trump's legal theory defies common sense and would enable an almost limitless tyranny. Nothing in the Constitution—which aims to prevent tyranny—supports Trump's theory."
This post has been updated with the former president's 88 charges, reduced from 91 in March.
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'This P*ssy Grabbed Back': Stormy Daniels Speaks Out After Trump Indictment
The porn star said she is unafraid of facing the former president in court: "I've seen him naked. There's no way he could be scarier with his clothes on."
Mar 31, 2023
Stormy Daniels reacted Friday to the criminal indictment of former U.S. President Donald Trump with a play on his infamous taped remarks seemingly confessing to sexually assaulting women.
"This pussy grabbed back," Daniels—the porn star paid $130,000 by Trump fixer Michael Cohen in return for silence about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with the future president—told The Times of London in a paywalled article.
One month before the 2016 presidential election, a 2005 recording of Trump telling "Access Hollywood" host Billy Bush that "when you're a star," women let you "do anything" to them," including "grab 'em by the pussy" surfaced.
More than two dozen women and a 13-year-old girl have accused Trump—a 2024 Republican presidential candidate—of sexual misconduct, including assault.
"Trump is no longer untouchable," Daniels continued in the interview. "A person in power is not exempt from the law. And no matter what your job is, or what your bank account says, you're held accountable for the things you've said and done, and justice is served."
\u201c\ud83d\udd3a EXCLUSIVE: Stormy Daniels speaks out after Trump is charged with paying alleged hush money.\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s done so much worse that he should have been taken down [for] before. I am fully aware of the insanity of it being a porn star. But it\u2019s also poetic; this pussy grabbed back\u201d\u201d— The Times and The Sunday Times (@The Times and The Sunday Times) 1680282617
Daniels called Trump's indictment—which reportedly involves over 30 as-of-yet unspecified counts stemming from the $130,000 payment—a "vindication."
"But it's bittersweet," she added. "He's done so much worse that he should have been taken down [for] before. I am fully aware of the insanity of it being a porn star. But it's also poetic."
Trump is both the first president to be impeached twice and the first ex-president to face criminal charges.
Daniels said she learned about the indictment while she was out riding her horse, whose name is Redemption.
"There's something really ironic and hilarious that I got the news about the indictment while I was sitting on a horse named Redemption," she said, adding that she used some of the $130,000 hush money payment to buy a horse trailer.
\u201cThank you to everyone for your support and love! I have so many messages coming in that I can't respond...also don't want to spill my champagne \ud83d\ude1c #Teamstormy merch/autograph orders are pouring in, too! Thank you for that as well but allow a few extra days for shipment.\u201d— Stormy Daniels (@Stormy Daniels) 1680219745
Daniels said the indictment will "divide people" and questioned whether Trump would ultimately be held accountable, noting that he has "already gotten away with inciting a riot."
"Whatever the outcome is, it's going to cause violence, and there's going to be injuries and death," Daniels warned. "There's the potential for a lot of good to come from this. But either way, a lot of bad is going to come from it, too."
However, Daniels says she's undaunted by the prospect of facing Trump in court.
"I've seen him naked," she explained. "There's no way he could be scarier with his clothes on."
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'A Huge Deal for Accountability': New York Grand Jury Votes to Indict Donald Trump
The historic charges against the 2024 candidate "are the first ever brought against him, but they will not be the last," said one Trump critic, noting that "we know of literally dozens of credible allegations of crimes."
Mar 30, 2023
A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict former U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, The New York Timesreported Thursday, citing five people with knowledge of the matter.
The grand jury's move makes Trump the first ex-president to face criminal charges—and comes as the 76-year-old is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. An indictment or even conviction in the case would not prevent him from running.
After other outlets also confirmed the historic vote, a spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that "this evening we contacted Mr. Trump's attorney to coordinate his surrender to the Manhattan DA's office for his arraignment on a [New York] Supreme Court indictment, which remains under seal. Guidance will be provided when the arraignment date is selected."
Citing two unnamed sources familiar with the case, CNNreported that Trump faces over 30 counts related to business fraud.
"Donald Trump has spent his entire political career dodging accountability for his wanton disregard for the law. It is finally catching up to him."
In a phone call with ABC News producer John Santucci, Trump said this is an "attack on our country" and "political persecution," adding that "they are trying to impact an election." The twice-impeached former president made similar remarks in a lengthy statement.
Asked by Santucci asked if he will turn himself in, Trump responded, "You take care, John," and hung up. Trump attorney Joe Tacopina toldNBC News that his client is expected to surrender to the DA's office early next week.
Trump supporters expressed outrage over the development—as did Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to also run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination but said Thursday that his state "will not assist in an extradition request."
Despite warnings that this case "is the first to result in an indictment, though arguably the toughest to win," as Mark Joseph Stern wrote for Slate, critics of Trump still welcomed the news as a long-awaited step toward accountability.
\u201cDonald Trump was the most corrupt president in American history. He was the first president to be impeached twice, and now he\u2019s the first former president to be criminally indicted.\n\nTrump's corruption is finally catching up to him.\u201d— Citizens for Ethics (@Citizens for Ethics) 1680214108
"We know of literally dozens of credible allegations of crimes committed by Donald Trump as president or running for it, with no charges filed. Until now," tweeted Noah Bookbinder, president of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). "We can't yet evaluate these charges, but make no mistake, this is a huge deal for accountability."
"Donald Trump has spent his entire political career dodging accountability for his wanton disregard for the law. It is finally catching up to him," Bookbinder added. "The charges in New York are the first ever brought against him, but they will not be the last."
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) similarly said "this is just one of many criminal acts for which Donald Trump is being investigated. Make no mistake: the fact that one of the most powerful people in the world was investigated impartially and indicted is testament to the fact that we still live in a nation of laws. And no one is above the law."
Daniels has alleged that she had an extramarital sexual affair with Trump, which he denies. Daniels' attorney, Clark Brewster, said that "the indictment of Donald Trump is no cause for joy. The hard work and conscientiousness of the grand jurors must be respected. Now let truth and justice prevail. No one is above the law."
Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen, who made a $130,000 payment to Daniels, said Thursday that "accountability matters and I stand by my testimony and the evidence I have provided" to the district attorney.
Aaron Scherb, senior director of legislative affairs at Common Cause, pointed to Cohen's prison time on Thursday.
"No American is above the law, including former presidents, and Donald Trump will get his day in court," said Scherb. "Donald Trump and his co-conspirators clearly appeared to have broken the law and his attorney at the time has already served time in federal prison for charges related to the $130,000 hush money payout. The Manhattan district attorney's office is right to hold the former president to the same standard as every other American."
\u201cHere\u2019s my new piece for \u2066@MSNBCDaily\u2069 on the importance of Donald Trump being indicted. Hope you\u2019ll have a look. https://t.co/QzNpk2iM2Q\u201d— Glenn Kirschner (@Glenn Kirschner) 1680212959
John Bonifaz, president of Free Speech for People, said that "Donald Trump must face the rule of law for all of the crimes he has committed, and this indictment by the Manhattan grand jury is an important first step."
Free Speech for People has argued that Trump and congressional Republicans who provoked and supported the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol should be ineligible to serve, citing the section of the 14th Amendment that bars from federal office anyone who has taken an oath to support the Constitution then "engaged in insurrection or rebellion."
Urging secretaries of state and chief election officials across the country to "do their job," Bonifaz said that "the insurrectionist disqualification clause of the 14th Amendment makes clear that Trump is disqualified from holding any future public office based on his role in inciting and mobilizing the January 6th insurrection."
"No prior indictment or conviction is required in order to enforce Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment against Trump," he added. "To protect our republic, we must uphold this critical constitutional provision at this moment in history."
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