The Russia Investigations and other Trump-related cases

[N.E. Brigand]

Jacqueline Alemany of the Washington Post writes: "Two gifts to the Trump family from foreign nations are missing -- golf clubs from Shinzo Abe and a life-sized portrait of Trump. Over 100 gifts worth approximately $300,000 were not properly reported to the government, as required by federal law".

[N.E. Brigand]

Holy conflict of interest, Batman!

It's pretty funny that this has been public knowledge because it was revealed (five years ago yesterday) in a TV interview.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Holy conflict of interest, Batman!

It's pretty funny that this has been public knowledge because it was revealed (five years ago yesterday) in a TV interview.

I know, right? It's pretty hard to surprise me but this one was pretty shocking.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

[River]

I've been wondering what leaks he is referring to regarding any imminent indictment and arrest. The most detail I've heard on either is coming from him. Perhaps one of his attorney's got a courtesy call?

If he gets perp-walked will his SS detail be in attendance?

[N.E. Brigand]

I've been wondering what leaks he is referring to regarding any imminent indictment and arrest. The most detail I've heard on either is coming from him. Perhaps one of his attorneys got a courtesy call?

If he gets perp-walked will his SS detail be in attendance?

That's the theory I've seen floated: the office of District Attorney Alvin Bragg may have informed Donald Trump's legal team that if the grand jury votes Monday to indict Trump, then charges would be filed on Tuesday and there would need to be discussions on how Trump surrenders himself. But it's not clear to me that any such call was made. Trump may be responding only to media reports. And speaking of Trump's reaction Politico reports that in response, Bragg wrote to his staff that "we do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York."

[Voronwë the Faithful]

The plot thickens!



N.E.B.'s friend Marcy suggests that this might be a sign that part of the charges might be witness tampering.

[N.E. Brigand]

So Trump's team requested that Costello testify to the grand jury? How does that work? If Costello is meant to provide information favorable to Trump or derogatory about Cohen, who's asking the questions to which he's responding with that testimony?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I will try to answer with my limited understanding. First of all, apparently NY provides that a subject of a potential indictment can request that a witness be heard by the grand jury. The grand jury does not have to hear the witness, however. Assuming that Costello does appear, my assumption is that the questions will be asked by the prosecutors and/or the members of the grand jury itself, not by Trump's defense attorneys. Normally defense attorneys aren't even allowed to be present for witnesses before the grand jury (at least that is my understanding), even if the witness is the subject of the investigation. It is very unlikely that Costello is going to say anything that is going to convince the grand jury not to indict, and it is more likely that he will provide valuable information to the prosecution about Trump's potential defenses.

[N.E. Brigand]

Thanks, V. I agree that whatever the merits of Alvin Bragg's case, an appearance by Robert Costello is unlikely to help Donald Trump's position. And Trump seems to think so, as well, to judge from the several angry rants he posted today on his social network, including one in which he seems to be hinting at the suggestion that perhaps New York's police should decline to enforce any charges brought against him.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

And another one in which he quotes Simon & Garfunkel!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Most seem to think this means that Costello bombed in his testimony. Reportedly there will either be a sealed indictment this evening or not until Wednesday.

[RoseMorninStar]

No one should ruin Simon & Garfunkel!

[N.E. Brigand]

Donald Trump's undeclared presidential primary opponent, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, tried to have it both ways today. He began by repeatedly describing Alvin Bragg as a "Soros-funded prosecutor" -- a statement that Donald Trump himself has made many times and which is generally understood to be an antisemitic trope -- and ending by describing Bragg as soft on crime and arguing that Bragg was reaching back to prosecute actions of "many, many years ago." But in between those pro-Trump remarks, DeSantis said, "Look, I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I can't speak to that."

In response, Trump posted on his social media network that if DeSantis were as well-known as Trump is, he'd understand what it was like to be the subject of (what Trump claims are) untrue accusations, and he warned that DeSantis someday may be "unfairly and illegally attacked" for sexual impropriety (Trump threw in a little homophobia to rile up his base) -- at which time DeSantis would "want to fight these misfits just like I do!"

[Voronwë the Faithful]

No one should ruin Simon & Garfunkel!

But "Heaven holds a place for those who pray." (The line that Trump quoted for some inexplicable reason was "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?")

Conflicting stories coming from Costello and Cohen. Costello says that Cohen is going to testify on Wednesday. Cohen says that no one has asked him to come back on Wednesday. Most likely Cohen is right and the D.A. will give his summation to the grand jury on Wednesday (they don't meet tomorrow) and then they will vote on the indictment. If they vote yes (which is not guaranteed but extremely likely), the indictment will be sealed initially until the D.A. makes arrangements for Trump to be arraigned. If he refused to cooperate, they will have to arrest him; his lawyers say that he will cooperate but who knows. Most likely, the indictment will be unsealed on Thursday morning, though it could happen late on Wednesday if everything goes smoothly.

x-posted with N.E.B. - I almost posted about the Trump/DeSantis exchange in the 2024 thread, though it probably does rightfully belong here.

[Sunsilver]

An e-friend who has access to Trump's posts on Truth Social reports he is now convinced he's going to be arrested. He says it's like watching "a rat in a hot box."

That almost makes me want to download the Truth Social app...

almost, but not quite.

Edit: you can access his posts here without signing up for the app: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump

[Frelga]

People keep posting AI generated pictures of Trump being arrested in increasingly dramatic and improbable ways. Handcuffs! Cops wrestling him to the ground! Lightly disguised Biden joining the cops!

Meanwhile in the real world, it's crickets.

[RoseMorninStar]

Since the information that Trump would be arrested today came from an unreliable narrator (Trump himself), it's possible he lied to generate outrage & protests on his behalf. If that is the case, I imagine today has been a great disappointment.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Most likely, it will happen on Thursday, but it could be late tomorrow afternoon.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It now looks like it won't happen until next week (if at all).

Here is the very excellent letter (other than one typo; why is that other people's typo's are so much easier for me to spot than my own?), sent by the Manhattan D.A.'s general counsel to the three GOP congressional chairmen who demanded documents and testimony about their investigation into Trump.

https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000187 ... 6c9d1d0000