LIVE THREAD....Day 21: Closing Arguments And Verdict

[mystery-ak]

NYP

5 minutes ago
Cohen wasn't working for Trump 'for free': prosecutors

Manhattan prosecutor Joshua Steinglass says that Michael Cohen wasn't working for free when he was Trump's personal attorney, and that he was making cold hard cash based off the job title alone.

“He was making way more money than any government job can pay – and don't I know that," Steinglass said, drawing a laugh from the overflow room.

Steinglass added, “[Cohen's] not working for free. It’s called goodwill."

The prosecutor argued that Cohen "wanted to keep Mr. Trump out so he caa keep the title of personal attorney to the President."

Cohen testified that the lofty title has helped him make millions through consulting and more than $4 million from books and podcasts that focus on Trump.

[mystery-ak]

The government must prove Trump intended to violate federal election law: Sol Wisenberg

Former deputy independent counsel Sol Wisenberg said Tuesday amid closing arguments in NY v. Trump trial that the prosecution must prove former President Donald Trump "intended to violate a federal election law."

"The judge has made it certainly much easier for [the prosecution] with his rulings. Somebody had mentioned earlier, why doesn't the defense object more and, you know, you can alwasy solve that by saying, 'Your honor, I'd like to have a running objection to this argument or libe of testimony.' I'm not sure if that's been done or not, but the real test will come when we find out for sure tomorrow the final decision by the judge on the jury instructions," Wisenberg, a Fox News Contributor, said during an appearance on "Your World."

"What we've been able to glean so far from the transcripts we've seen is that he's going for the most part with the prosecution's theory," Wisenberg added of Judge Juan Merchan. "But keep this in mind, they still have to prove, the government still has to prove, that Donald Trump, forget about everything else ... they've got to prove that he intended to violate a federal election law, whether it be civil or criminal."

Wisenberg, who said he believes there "a million" problems with the trial overall, said he has not seen "any evidence, even from Cohen, that they discussed the federal election code."
Posted by Kyle Morris

[mystery-ak]

9 min(s) ago
Andy McCarthy inside court: Prosecution slamming Trump defense's 'disastrous unforced error'

Now Steinglass is slamming defense with Trump’s public statements publicly and on financial disclosure form that he reimbursed Cohen. How on earth Blanche could open to the jury telling them that Trump did not reimburse Cohen is just baffling. And, naturally, Steinglass is arguing that the only rational reason the defense would mislead the jury on the reimbursement is that they’d otherwise have to admit that the business records are false.

Just a disastrous unforced error. Since it was not a crime to reimburse Cohen for a lawful NDA, there was no reason to deny that Trump had done this.

-- Andy McCarthy, former assistant U.S. attorney and FNC contributor
Posted by Brianna Herlihy

[mystery-ak]

NYP
a few seconds ago

Prosecutor: It's 'crazy' to suggest that Trump did not know about Cohen's checks, invoices
By Ben Kochman

Part of Trump's defense is that he was so busy in the White House that he was not paying attention to the allegedly fudged business records at the core of the case.

But the idea that Trump signed off on $35,000 checks to Michael Cohen without knowing they were meant to reimburse him for the hush money payout is "crazy," prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said.

"The defendant’s entire business philosophy was to be involved in everything,"

Steinglass showed jurors excerpts of Trump's books in which he bragged about signing checks himself and double checking invoices from "decorators" and other vendors to make sure they don't over-charge him.

"If Donald Trump is checking the invoices from his decorator, you can bet that he’s checking the invoices for Michael Cohen,” the prosecutor said.

[libertybele]

This indicates the jury has had enough. LET'S GET THIS CHARADE OVER WITH! NOW! The jury is already done with the prosecutions dog-and-pony show.

The jury is tired -- they want to be done -- so -- I can see the judge delaying until tomorrow.  OR -- this could be a strategy to ensure that they won't get a hung jury.  The jurors will vote so that they can be done.

[mystery-ak]

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
ADA Steinglass siting Hope Hicks’ testimony where she said, “I think Mr. Trump’s opinion was it was better to be dealing with it now, and that it would have been bad to have that story come out before the election.”

Steinglass somehow says this is proof that Trump cared more about the election than his family.

[mystery-ak]

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
1m
Steinglass is back and asks the jury if they are good to go a little bit longer, then says, “Alright”, attempting to sound like Matthew McConaughey, but failing spectacularly…the Pravda Press loves it though.

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
4m
Another objection by the Trump defense overruled by Merchan. That’s seven objections by the defense, only one sustained.

Steinglass asks if Merchan wants him to keep going, to power through?

Merchan asks him to approach.

[mystery-ak]

1 min(s) ago
Trey Gowdy inside court: Trump defense 'has all but given up on objecting' prosecution's arguments

It seems the defense has all but given up on objecting.  Whether it's because so much has already come in, or their objections get shut down - who knows.  But it sure seems they have lost the resolve to fight with this judge.

-- Trey Gowdy, “Sunday Night in America” host and former federal prosecutor
Posted by Brianna Herlihy

[mystery-ak]

5 min(s) ago
Jonathan Turley inside court: Judge is letting 'false claim' by prosecution 'stand uncontradicted'

Steinglass just said that it is a fact that these were campaign violations. Nothing from the judge and nothing for the defense. This jury has now been told dozens of times that the payments were campaign violations and the Judge is letting that false claim stand uncontradicted.

He literally said that Trump lied in denying that these were campaign contributions because they were in fact such violations. Merchan is treating this all as argument. However, Steinglass is making a statement of law that is contradicted by a wide variety of experts.

-- Jonathan Turley, constitutional law attorney and FNC contributor

[mystery-ak]

Gutfeld: America is still no closer to knowing what Trump did wrong

Fox News Channel's Greg Gutfeld said Tuesday that Americans are still "no closer to knowing" what former President Donald Trump "did wrong" as the prosecution continues to make its case in the courtroom to the jury.

"Despite six weeks, 22 witnesses, and tawdry testimony about spankings, America's still no closer to knowing what Donald Trump did wrong, except pay a scummy lawyer who stole $60,000 from him," Gutfeld said during Tuesday's episode of "The Five."

"The ex-president's lawyer, Todd Blanche, arguing that there was no intent to defraud and no conspiracy to influence the 2016 election," Gutfeld continued. "And as for Bragg's star witness, Blanche saying, 'Michael Cohen is the G.L.O.A.T, he's the greatest liar of all time. You cannot send someone to prison based on the words of Michael Cohen.'"

"The judge not happy about that last line, telling jurors to ignore the suggestion that the former president could be sent to prison if convicted," Gutfeld added, further describing the scene in courtroom scene on Tuesday.

Gutfeld said the prosecution was "busy trying to clean up Cohen's theft and lying by saying, 'We didn't pick Michael Cohen, Trump did.'"

Gutfeld's remarks came as the prosecution continued its closing remarks late into the evening on Tuesday.
Posted by Kyle Morris

[mystery-ak]

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
Steinglass now citing Trump’s books throughout the years about retaliation and getting even.

Part of the defendant’s strategy is to intimidate witnesses to make sure other potential witnesses think twice.

Steinglass now citing one of President Trump’s Truth Social posts where he called Stormy Daniels a “horseface” and Cohen a “Jailbird.”

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
6m
Steinglass cites President Trump’s tweets when GLOAT Michael Cohen decided to cooperate with the Mueller Russia investigation: The defendant was furious. His fixer had done the unthinkable and Mr. Trump immediately went on the attack. An attack that continues today.

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
10m
Blanche objects to Steinglass mentioning something about Federal Election’s…lawyers approach Merchan’s bench.

[mystery-ak]

2 min(s) ago
Jonathan Turley inside court: Judge allowing prosecution to read unrelated quotes from Trump books

Merchan is now allowing the prosecutors to quote from books on how Trump said that you should attack those who attack you. How is this related to the charge of falsified documents hiding an election violation? It does not seem to matter in the courtroom of Judge Juan Merchan.

-- Jonathan Turley, constitutional law attorney and FNC contributor
Posted by Brianna Herlihy

[mystery-ak]

I can't believe this!

4 minutes ago
Prosecutor says Trump's social media post is a 'call to arms' for followers before backtracking

Manhattan prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said that one of Trump's posts on Truth Social was a "call to arms" to his followers — which was immediately objected by Trump attorney Todd Blanche.

 "IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!" Trump wrote in the Aug. 4, 2023 Truth Social.

“It’s a throng of his followers, it’s call to arms!” Steinglass said, only to back track after a side bar with the judge.

“I’m not saying it was Mr. Trump’s intention to get his throngs involved… I’m just going to skip to the next one," Steinglass said.

[mystery-ak]

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
Merchan sustains only his third objection by the Trump Defense of this Iliad of a Closing Argument, then he sustains a fourth objection. Now Merchan says that now is a good time to take our final break of the day (he meant evening).

Jury is dismissed temporarily.

Blanche is objecting to this line of argument about Stormy Daniels and her security and how there is no link between President Trump and the security that Stormy Daniels has used. He continues that it’s extremely prejudicial.

Steinglass now saying that this was something they agreed upon earlier. Cites the People vs. Edwards case.

Merchan says that Steinglass does not need to go further with this considering the last 4 hours (Merchan is short an hour as it’s been 5 hours…and counting). Objection sustained
5:56 PM · May 28, 2024

[mystery-ak]

‘Potential misconduct’ behind Judge Merchan’s several Trump trial assignments, Stefanik charges

 New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik sent a letter to New York officials arguing there may have been "misconduct" within the New York Supreme Court system to ensure Judge Juan Merchan presided over the unprecedented NY v. Trump trial.

"One cannot help but suspect that the ‘random selection’ at work in the assignment of Acting Justice Merchan, a Democrat Party donor, to these cases involving prominent Republicans, is in fact not random at all," Stefanik wrote in a letter Tuesday warning of "potential misconduct" sent to the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct and the Inspector General of the New York State Unified Court System. The Daily Mail first reported the letter Tuesday.

Stefanik pointed to how Merchan has overseen a handful of cases involving Trump or his allies, including the NY v. Trump case, the criminal trial against the Trump Organization in 2022 - a case that found the organization guilty of tax fraud - and is set to oversee the upcoming trial of Trump ally Steve Bannon.

"The simple answer to why Acting Justice Merchan has been assigned to these cases would seem to be that whoever made the assignment intentionally selected Acting Justice Merchan to handle them to increase the chance that Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, and Steven Bannon would ultimately be convicted," Stefanik continued in the letter.

Read the entire article from Emma Colton here.

[mystery-ak]

4 min(s) ago
Trey Gowdy inside court: Trump defense's objections overruled by judge

[It] is stunning some of the objections which are overruled by this judge. Prosecution just accused DJT of threatening witnesses and the objection was overruled. For a judge who labored over whether to allow impeachment witnesses to testify and excluded the FEC expert, he allows allegations of criminality in threatening witnesses?

-- Trey Gowdy, “Sunday Night in America” host and former federal prosecutor
Posted by Brianna Herlihy

[mystery-ak]

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
President Trump has reentered the courtroom, as the Soros funded DA is still in the courtroom. Merchan is seated.

Merchan tells Steinglass that the jury needs to leave by 8pm, so as we are approaching 8pm, have a colleague hand you a note that you need to wrap it up.

Awaiting the jury…

[240B]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clKi92j6eLE

[mystery-ak]

Merchan sets time restriction for prosecution team's closing arguments

Presiding Judge Juan Merchan told the prosecution team they have to wrap up their closing arguments for the day by 8 p.m.

The prosecution team began their closing arguments around 2 p.m., meaning they made their case to the jury across a six-hour span. The defense team kicked off their closing arguments just after 9:30 a.m. and wrapped up just ahead of 1 p.m.

"I think their strategy is: throw a lot at the jury, make the closing seem so long, that the jury will start to say, 'well, that closing was so long, they must have had a lot to say they must have proved their case,'" New York attorney Rebecca Rose Woodland said on Fox News of the prosecution's lengthy arguments.

"They seem to be just coming up with nonsense after nonsense and trying to justify some of this extraneous information as evidence in an election interference case. It is not. So I think that you've had a great point, it's just the prosecution really grasping at straws. Again, trying to either confuse the jury or make it appear as if they're very important because they're going on for such a long time. They have so much to say. But what they're saying doesn't have merit," she continued.
Posted by Emma Colton

[Bigun]

[mystery-ak]

6 minutes ago
Cohen had '130,000' reasons to get Trump's blessing before paying Daniels: DA
By Ben Kochman

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is now drawing jurors' attention to Cohen's testimony that he asked for Trump's blessing before paying Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money before the 2016 election.

Cohen, who has admitted being financially motivated and confessed to stealing from Trump's business, testified that he would have only agreed to front the money had Trump promised to repay him.

"Cohen had 130,000 reasons to get the defendant’s blessing," Steinglass said.

[mystery-ak]

1 min(s) ago
Jonathan Turley inside court: Prosecution scored 'some good points' but judge 'made the difference'

Going late is still a better option for the defense. The worst case scenario was to allow the prosecution to give an hour closing just before they are instructed by the court and sent into deliberations in the morning. Right now, the jury is likely in overload and tired....The government likely went too long for that reason.

Steinglass did score some good points. However, it was the judge more than the evidence or the prosecutor that has made the difference today. Steinglass has been allowed to virtually testify while making repeated improper arguments. Merchan has done little and what he did was too late. As we have seen in prior weeks, he finally sustained objections only after the damage was done. Judge allowed Steinglass to make highly improper arguments and then would offer the judicial equivalent of a tsk, tsk.

-- Jonathan Turley, constitutional law attorney and FNC contributor
Posted by Brianna Herlihy

[mystery-ak]

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
2m
Blanche again objects, Merchan sustains and sharply tells Steinglass that he will explain the law. Blanche asks if they can approach the bench, Merchan denies and Steinglass continues.

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
4m
ADA Steinglass says that President Trump personally signed the false DJT check on his own, so this is a no brainer in this case.

As for the intent to defraud and while we can’t get in the defendant’s mind, jury’s determine intent all the time.

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
6m
Blanche objects twice, Merchan sustains twice and says to Steinglass that he will instruct the jury on the law and the evidence.

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
7m
Steinglass makes another joke about whenever this summation finally ends, but this time does not get any smiles or laughs from the jury.

[mystery-ak]

4 min(s) ago
Andy McCarthy inside court: Prosecution used 5 hours to 'dizzy' jury

Basically, we have spent 5 hours here so the prosecutors could dizzy the jury into believing there are oceans of evidence. As it washes over the listener hour after hour, you easily miss that there is no evidence of Trump’s participation in a crime. Participation in burying damaging information, sure. But not of a crime that Trump and others aged to commit.

Bragg’s hope is that by bludgeoning the jury with waves and waves of evidence, no one will notice that it is not evidence of crimes — prosecutors figure they fill that void with Cohen’s guilty plea, which Merchan has allowed them to use as if it were admissible evidence against Trump, which it’s not.

-- Andy McCarthy, former assistant U.S. attorney and FNC contributor
Posted by Brianna Herlihy

[mystery-ak]

Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
·
1m
Steinglass closes: “In the interest of justice for the people of the State of New York, I ask that you find the defendant guilty.”

Merchan says he will give the jury instructions tomorrow, not tonight. Tells them we will come in at 10am tomorrow as we worked late tonight.

Post
Conversation
Andrew H. Giuliani
@AndrewHGiuliani
Steinglass says that while the defendant has a right to a trial, the evidence is overwhelming. The defendant has now had his day in court. You cannot treat Donald Trump different from other potential defendants.

Donald Trump cannot shoot someone on 5th avenue and get alway with it. Objection by Blanche. Merchan sustains.

My note: Let’s see if Merchan dresses down Steinglass for that comment the way he did Blanche earlier this morning.