Sweet Jesus, this seems to have been going on forever. But it finally seems that as slow as the wheels of justice may grind, they’re about to grind one Donald John Trump into dust, taking his POS company with him.
The case in question springs from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, and it involves Donald Trump’s 2016 surreptitious payoffs to porn star Stormy Daniels, and Playmate Karen McDougal to cover up allegations of past affairs.
This is the longest running investigation into Donald Trump’s criminal activity. The payoffs took place in 2016, and everybody is familiar with the details. National Enquirer CEO bought off Karen McDougal for $150,000, thinking he’d be reimbursed by Trump. Of course Traitor Tot stiffed him, so when Stormy Daniels fell into his lap, the Enquirer COE reached out and put the arm on Trump to pay this one off personally.
Which leads to the whole sad Michael Cohen saga. Trump engineered the payoff for Daniels himself, cooked up a scam for Cohen to pay her from personal funds, and be reimbursed by the Trump organization, and then followed through, actually signing the first company heck himself. Future signatories included Don Jr., and Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg.
Reporting shows that the DOJ actively looked at prosecuting Trump through the SDNY, then under the tutelage of Michael Berman. But as Berman made clear in his book, not only did Tubby the Ewok personally quash the investigation, the DOJ also leaned on the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which was also investigating, to stand down.
That didn’t sit well with former Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr., who opened an investigation anyway, and brought in RICO heavy hitter Mark Pomerantz to oversee the case. Incoming Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg mothballed the investigation, leading to angry resignations from Pomerantz and his chief, made public in the media.
But just like in Poltergeist, He’s baaaaaaack. Bragg made a declaration that the Manhattan DA’s office had appointed a Special grand jury, which had commenced receiving testimony today. In New York, unlike in Georgia, a special grand jury can return true bills of indictment. The difference is that Trump’s case is the only one that the grand jury will hear.
And the fireworks have already started. Reporters wrote today that among the miscreants heading into the courthouse were National Enquirer CEO and Trump toady David Pecker. There were also two Trump organization employees who may have been involved with the campaign violations by misrepresenting the purpose of the checks. And almost certainly waiting on deck for the grand jury is former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, the one who blew it all out into the open in the first place.
Look, it took Manhattan DA Bragg a while to grow a pair. But getting convictions against not only former Trump CFO Allan Weisselberg, but the Trump organization as well, Bragg apparently feels the wind in his sails. And the case basically makes itself. After all, Cohen already pled guilty pleaded guilty to the charges. Hiding payoffs isn’t just campaign violation violations, it also called something else in New York state. In New York state, it’s also called fraud. And Trump’s name is on the first check.
If you’re wondering why Bragg is looking to bring charges for an offense from 2016, when the normal statute of limitations is 5 years, Trump is about to be hoist upon his own petard. As I understand it, New York is using a clause in the statute called the Availability of the defendant. When Trump became President in 2017, New York couldn’t question or interview him. Which meant that the statute of limitations was paused in New York state. Once he left office in 2021, the timer started clicking again. Which leaves the Manhattan DA’s office has all the time in the world.
This is Trump’s worst nightmare. Not only is the Manhattan DA’s office planning to haul former Trump organization CFO Allan Weisselberg out of Rikers Island to testify, but this is every defense attorney’s nightmare. Because it is at its heart a documents case. And the Manhattan DA’s office has Michael Cohen ready to walk them through the documents. Since Weisselberg is already serving time on Rikers Island, the Manhattan DA can give him immunity to testify truthfully, both in the grand jury, as well as in open court. And if I’m Allan Weisselberg, I don’t wat to spend one more moment in Rikers Island than absolutely necessary.
Up until now, all of the attention has been centered on Fani Willis in the Fulton County DA’s office to take up the mantle to hold Trump responsible for justice. But now, no matter how slowly the wheels of the DOJ turn, it appears that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office might be right behind her. Don’t touch that dial.
I hope they hang Trump’s A** he’s a crook and always has been .
Looking forward to the upcoming prosecution dogpile.
About goddamn time SOMEONE took the law seriously.
I know this is irrelevant, but doesn’t David Pecker have the perfect last name?
Bragg’s second chance. He blew his first chance.
I want Fat Donnie to die in jail. I want his heirs to join him.there. I will.settle for him.with an ankle monitor unable to go further than the terrace of Man-go-Lardo. No golf. Under a gag order. If he violates it, then jail time at Rikers. In other wordsI will.settle for him.just STFU and going away. And I want the bells pawn to.do.the same. Well, it would be lovely if the Kushners moved to an Israeli kibbutx,and had to.get their hands dirty, and if Don Jr. got caught with enough cocaine to keep a dozen race horses comes up.for a,year, and if one of those endangered species he likes to.murder had Eric for lunch…
Look, I am not an iota happier with Alvin Bragg than anyone here. But I must point out that the case he is now working on is for a crime which was, until now, off limits for prosecution under the statute of limitations. He is only now able to address it because New York creted an amensty period in which the statute of limitations on sex crimes is suspended. I think the suspension is only for a year – but the point is, it gives a very short window inwhich to address this particular offense. And he could not have done so any earlier than he has done.
This is a different case than E. Jean Carol. This isn’t about tantrum having sex w/ anyone, it’s about him paying off these women and lying about where the money came from.
E. Jean was able to add rape charges as an additional case to her defamation case against Tantrumthinskin b/c of the suspension of the statute of limitations. It’s getting so flowcharts are needed to keep track of everything.
I’m so cynical at this point that I don’t think he’ll even be indicted. But even if by some miracle he is AND actually gets convicted, he won’t do 5 minutes in jail. The worst that happens is that he gets a monitor put on his ankle, his SS detail babysits him at maralardo and his life doesn’t change 1 iota. My dream scenario is that he’s bankrupted and the SS are babysitting him in a 1bdrm boca ratón condo and NO ONE is taking his phone calls.