Trump, hush money and the increasingly quaint notion of embarrassment

[robosmith]

Trump, hush money and the increasingly quaint notion of embarrassment

 

Quote

 

The New York charges, of which there are 34, have sometime been referred to as comprising the “runt” of the criminal cases against Trump because legal experts view them as the fuzziest and weakest. The road to Bragg’s accusation of election interference winds through a sordid field of tabloid stories, porn, payoffs and sex. Nonetheless, sitting in a courtroom as a criminal defendant is serious business and having to do so as a former president speaks to both the power of this democracy and the fragility of it. There’s nothing small about this case, it’s just that the country’s fealty to decency, respectability and honesty has retreated further and further into the distance.

The elements of the New York case occurred back before Trump’s election lies helped to spark an insurrection, before Trump saw “good people” among the white nationalists marching in Charlottesville clutching tiki torches and spewing hate, before Trump aspired to use the American military to intimidate fellow citizens exercising their right to free speech and assembly. Those things shocked the consciousness until they no longer did. Until they became mere markers on the road to … where? As the completed jury was being settled, a man tossed pamphlets filled with conspiracy theories into the air and set himself ablaze across from the courthouse. Bystanders screamed, police and civilians attempted to douse the flames, and the man was rushed to a hospital. Law enforcement made statements. Security was discussed. The trial would press on. And then, within minutes, it seemed, the horror had faded. The surprise had dissipated. We are numb.

This case isn’t marked by dire references to top-secret documents or calls to halt the peaceful transfer of power or a shady plot to find votes. It’s more human scale than that. And so, it takes us back to a time when we still — occasionally — treated each other like humans instead of adversaries, mobs, monsters and heretics. Despite all the attendant security, scrutiny and Trump’s own bluster, this is the trial that reminds the public that the former president is merely a man — not a god, not an omnipotent leader, not the bearer of Everyman’s burden. His alleged crimes are those borne out of fear and shame. This is a trial that reminds us of the smallness of Trump even as the idea of him, the myth of him has become outsize.

The former president and his lawyers have worked mightily to delay the start of this case, but now that it has launched, it’s moved more briskly than many expected. It was both heartbreaking and heartening to follow along as the jury was assembled. New Yorkers’ anxieties and fears bubbled to the surface in the cold, dingy courtroom in Lower Manhattan as they considered the pressure they would face and what it would mean if their identity were made public as members of the jury sitting in judgment of Trump. Some even wept. But as riddled with emotion as they were, they retained an earnest desire to do right by a fellow citizen even if it was one whose political beliefs they abhorred, whose personality they found savage and whose behavior they deemed foul.

The public knows little about the jurors as a matter of security. But the details that are known paint them as New Yorkers with varying political opinions and professions who are engaged with the daily news to widely different degrees. They are tasked with looking into our past and brushing the dust off old saws such as shame, shock and dignity.

They have promised to be fair, which is to say that they’ve agreed to treat the defendant with respect. That, too, is a quaint notion. Bless them for holding fast to it. 

 

 

[Fluffypants]

Why isn't Hilary on trial for this too? She did the exact same thing, and the biggest difference is hers is more egregious because she actually used campaign funds for it.

We all remember the fake dossier she paid for with campaign funds and hid as legal expenses. This thing was faker than a 3 dollar bill and was sent to the FBI and treated as legitimate and was used to investigate Trump. Hmm sounds like a more cut and dry case of election interference, the only reason to do this is to hurt someones campaign.

Trump paid off a porn star to keep her mouth shut over an affair which could of been done for a number of reasons beyond a campaign and he used personal funds.

We are days into this thing and all the prosecution has done is bring forth a bunch of things that aren't illegal and pretending they are, while the liberal piece of trash judge doesn't do his job and remind the jury that these things were not illegal.

Now we have Alvin making a claim that 2 alleged misdemeanors = a felony which is not how the law is supposed to work.

Edited April 29, 2024 by Fluffypants

[CdnFox]

8 minutes ago, Fluffypants said:

Now we have Alvin making a claim that 2 alleged misdemeanors = a felony which is not how the law is supposed to work.

This has been a recent thing in the states where prosecutors desperate for a felony conviction are trying to press a bunch of misdemeanours into a big ball and pretend it's a felony.  Like a kid trying to make a bar of soap by pressing left over soap slivers together.

 

[robosmith]

8 hours ago, Fluffypants said:

Why isn't Hilary on trial for this too? She did the exact same thing, and the biggest difference is hers is more egregious because she actually used campaign funds for it.

We all remember the fake dossier she paid for with campaign funds and hid as legal expenses. This thing was faker than a 3 dollar bill and was sent to the FBI and treated as legitimate and was used to investigate Trump. Hmm sounds like a more cut and dry case of election interference, the only reason to do this is to hurt someones campaign.

Trump paid off a porn star to keep her mouth shut over an affair which could of been done for a number of reasons beyond a campaign and he used personal funds.

We are days into this thing and all the prosecution has done is bring forth a bunch of things that aren't illegal and pretending they are, while the liberal piece of trash judge doesn't do his job and remind the jury that these things were not illegal.

We have trials to PROVE that ^YOUR DRIVEL is wrong.

Unfortunate that you don't have access to news which reports the SWORN TESTIMONY.

No one ever proved any of the Steele Dossier is FALSE and that's why you provided NO EVIDENCE for ^YOUR OPINION. 

8 hours ago, Fluffypants said:

Now we have Alvin making a claim that 2 alleged misdemeanors = a felony which is not how the law is supposed to work.

Your amateur OPINION means NOTHING in NY state court where they follow NY state LAW.

The 34 alleged felonies were the product of fraudulent business records being used to cover up a campaign finance violation.

Hillary didn't do that.

Edited April 30, 2024 by robosmith

[Nationalist]

3 hours ago, robosmith said:

 

No one ever proved any of the Steele Dossier is FALSE and that's why you provided NO EVIDENCE for ^YOUR OPINION. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/04/durham-probe-analyst-tied-to-christopher-steele-trump-russia-dossier-arrested.html

[gatomontes99]

Omg. Someone still believes the Steele Fossier is factual? Unbelievable.

[Nationalist]

33 minutes ago, gatomontes99 said:

Omg. Someone still believes the Steele Fossier is factual? Unbelievable.

These Libbies lie as a matter of course. That and cheating are the only tools they know how to use.

[Fluffypants]

6 hours ago, robosmith said:

The 34 alleged felonies were the product of fraudulent business records being used to cover up a campaign finance violation.

Hillary didn't do that.

Yes she did

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/30/dnc-clinton-campaign-fine-dossier-spending-disclosure-00021910

From the link

"The FEC fined both organizations after a pair of now years-old complaints — one from the Campaign Legal Center and another from the conservative Coolidge Reagan Foundation — alleged that the party and campaign reported payments to the powerhouse Democratic law firm Perkins Coie as legal expenses, when in actuality some of the money was earmarked for “paying Fusion GPS through Perkins Coie to conduct opposition research on Donald Trump,” as the Campaign Legal Center’s original complaint read."

Notice how she was fined for campaign violations by the FEC yet they didn't do anything to Trump over campaign violations because they didn't think they were campaign violations.

Edited April 30, 2024 by Fluffypants

[Fluffypants]

2 hours ago, gatomontes99 said:

Omg. Someone still believes the Steele Fossier is factual? Unbelievable.

Democrats still believe Trump called soldiers losers in France even though it was based off hearsay and everyone at the meeting said that it never happened and the Secret Service said he didn't visit the cemetery due to weather conditions.