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Edited by: TJVNews.com
In a dramatic turn of events during former President Donald Trump’s civil business fraud trial, New York Judge Arthur Engoron issued a stern gag order on Tuesday, as was reported by the Associated Press. The order applies to all parties involved in the case and is intended to prevent verbal attacks on court staff. This decision came in response to a recent social media post by the former president, in which he disparaged Allison Greenfield, Judge Engoron’s principal law clerk, the AP report added.
The contentious post featured a photo of Greenfield with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, taken at a public event. Trump, who is a leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has consistently framed the lawsuit and trial as a politically motivated attack by New York’s Democratic attorney general, Letitia James, according to the AP report. He accused Greenfield of collaborating with the judge in an attempt to undermine his case.
Trump wrote that it was “disgraceful” that Greenfield was working with the judge in the courtroom. The AP reported that he claimed that she “should not be allowed to be in his ear on every single question” and “hates Trump.”
Apart from the distraction caused by this social media exchange, the New York based trial continued with Trump voluntarily attending for a second day, as was noted in the AP report.
The gag order came after Trump and lawyers for both sides repeatedly went into court behind closed doors during Tuesday’s lunch break, the AP report said.
Heading into court ahead of the gag order, Trump said it was a “very good day in court.” The AP reported that earlier, he reiterated key points of his defense, including that the financial statements bore disclaimers saying that they weren’t audited and that others “might reach different conclusions” about his financial position if they had more information.
“This case is a scam. It can’t be fraud when you’ve told institutions to do their own work,” Trump said Tuesday.
Trump seized the opportunity to create a media spectacle that ensured he was back in the spotlight. And he once again portrayed himself as a victim of a politicized justice system — a posture that has helped him emerge as the undisputed leader of the 2024 GOP primary, the AP report said.
James scored an early victory when Engoron, a Democrat, ruled last week that Trump committed fraud by exaggerating the size of his penthouse at Trump Tower, claiming his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was worth as much as $739 million and putting similar oversized valuations on office towers, golf courses and other assets, as was reported by the AP.
Additionally, Judge Engoron clarified a comment he had made earlier regarding the statute of limitations. The AP report indicated that on Monday, he had suggested that testimony related to Trump’s 2011 financial statement might exceed the legal time limit relevant to James’ lawsuit. This lawsuit alleges chronic deception by Trump and his business in their financial statements submitted to banks, insurers, and others, the AP report added. Trump vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
The statute of limitations restricts claims pertaining to activities before a specific date in 2014. Trump’s legal team has argued that this limitation should eliminate most of the case. However, Engoron ruled last week that all claims were allowable within the statute of limitations, according to the AP report. He emphasized on Tuesday that the trial was not an opportunity to re-litigate his previous decisions and that, at this early stage, both sides would be given significant leeway to connect older evidence to the lawsuit’s claims.
Accountant Donald Bender continued his testimony regarding his years of preparing Trump’s financial statements based on information provided by Trump’s company. The AP report indicated that in some instances, the Trump Organization failed to provide all necessary documents, despite assurances to the accounting firm that they had disclosed all relevant financial records.
“They were not giving all of the documents that we needed,” Bender testified, explaining that “there were certain appraisals out there for a number of years that we had never seen.”
During cross-examination, Trump’s lawyer, Jesus M. Suarez, spoke in grandiose terms about Trump’s presidency, referring to him as both the 45th and possibly the 47th president of the United States, as was reported by the AP. This prompted laughter in the courtroom and an objection from the state’s lawyer, who cited relevance.
Regarding the gag order, Judge Engoron did not mention Trump by name but stated that a defendant in the case had posted a disparaging, untrue, and personally identifying message about a member of his staff on social media. As was stated in the AP report, he firmly asserted that personal attacks on court staff were unacceptable and not appropriate.
Trump had already deleted the contentious post, and Engoron ordered its removal. Trump had also commented on the clerk’s role with the judge on Monday, suggesting that she should not be allowed to influence every question and claimed that she “hates Trump.”
The trial, which is non-jury, centers on the remaining six claims in the lawsuit and the potential penalties Trump may face. The AP reported that New York Attorney General Letitia James seeks $250 million in damages and a ban on Trump conducting business in New York. The judge has already ruled that some of Trump’s companies should be dissolved as a punitive measure.
Trump’s legal team maintains that the financial statements accurately represent the value of luxury properties associated with Trump. According to the AP report, they have argued that these properties are uniquely valuable due to their connection with the former president. Trump plans to testify later in the trial, though attendance is not mandatory. While expressing his preference for being on the campaign trail, he has used the courthouse hallway as a platform for political messaging.
Meanwhile, the New York City courtroom was abuzz with anticipation as reporters waited overnight to secure seats on Monday. News helicopters tracked his motorcade’s journey from Trump Tower to the courthouse in lower Manhattan. Cable networks broadcasted the spectacle live on television, the AP reported. Monday marked a significant moment in the ongoing legal saga of former President Donald Trump.
However, Tuesday presented a different scene. The courtroom had empty seats, and cable coverage waned amidst other news, including a bid to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Hunter Biden’s court appearance in Delaware, where he pleaded not guilty to federal firearms charges, as was indicated in the AP report. Despite the reduced attention, these appearances underscored how adeptly Trump has used his legal troubles to benefit his political campaign.
The former president’s appearances in court generated far more attention than a standard campaign rally could have offered, as reported by the Associated Press. Trump seized the opportunity to rally his base and bolster his fundraising efforts, characterizing the cases against him as a coordinated attempt to sabotage his campaign.
“It’s a scam, it’s a sham,” he declared on Monday morning. “It’s a witch hunt and a disgrace.”
Once, some political rivals believed that Trump’s extensive legal issues might deter Republican voters from choosing him as their nominee, as was noted in the AP report. However, his standing within the GOP primary has only improved since the indictments, and he has raised millions of dollars.
While most politicians might avoid drawing additional attention to accusations of wrongdoing, Trump embraced the cameras. He addressed the media outside the courtroom multiple times throughout the day, vehemently criticizing the case and providing commentary. The AP reported that he continued this pattern as he arrived at court on Tuesday morning.
According to the AP report, Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary, commented on Trump’s unconventional approach: “Every lawyer would say, ‘Don’t talk.’ Every candidate would obey the lawyer. Trump just throws out the playbook.” Fleischer noted that, for Trump, the lines between campaigning and the courtroom have blurred.
“Every day is a day on the stump, whether it’s in Iowa, New Hampshire, or in the courtroom,” Fleischer said, according to the AP report. “Every appearance is an opportunity to ring a bell, strike a message, say he’s the victim of a weaponized Justice Department, and he’s the only one who can change Washington.”
Throughout Monday, Trump observed the proceedings from the defense table, occasionally conferring with his legal team. He grew visibly agitated during the morning’s opening statements, vehemently disputing the suggestion that his net worth was less than he claimed, the AP reported. He also directed his ire toward the judge and Attorney General James. During a lunch break, he sneered at the state attorney general, casting a hostile glance her way.
However, Trump’s mood shifted by the end of the day. He exited the courtroom claiming a victory, citing comments that he believed indicated the judge’s alignment with the defense’s view that most of the suit’s allegations occurred too long ago to be considered. The AP reported that Kevin Wallace, a lawyer in James’ office, assured that they would link the cited incidents to a more recent loan agreement.
Despite his apparent legal success, Trump lamented, “I’d love to be campaigning instead of doing this.” He maintained that the legal proceedings were politically motivated and had disrupted his campaign.
“This was for politics,” he asserted, as noted in the AP report. “Now, it has been very successful for them because they took me off the campaign trail ’cause I’ve been sitting in a courthouse all day long instead of being in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, or a lot of other places I could be at.”
This dual role of campaigner and defendant will be Trump’s reality going forward. The AP report stated that he will alternate between visits to early voting states and courtrooms, including a future testimony in the New York civil trial. On February 15, he must make an in-person court appearance in New York regarding a criminal trial where he is accused of misclassifying hush money payments during his 2016 campaign. His federal trial in Washington, related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, is tentatively set to begin on March 4. Meanwhile, his New York trial is scheduled to commence on March 25, and the federal trial in the Mar-a-Lago documents case is set for May 20, the AP reported. His trial in Georgia, involving his efforts to challenge the state’s 2020 election results, has not yet been scheduled.
Plans for Trump’s attendance during the first days of the New York trial were revealed in legal filings last week. The AP also reported that his appearance was strategically utilized by lawyers representing Trump in a separate lawsuit against his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to postpone a deposition.
In May, Trump expressed a desire to attend an earlier civil trial brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of rape. However, he did not end up doing so, and a jury subsequently found him liable for sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room, according to the AP report.
On his social media platform, known as “Truth Social”, Trump explained his decision to appear in court on Monday as a fight for his name and reputation. He told reporters, “I want to watch this witch hunt myself,” emphasizing that he has been subjected to a witch hunt for years, but the current situation has become particularly contentious, the AP said.
Trump is expected to return to testify in the case in the coming weeks, ensuring that his legal battles remain intertwined with his political ambitions, further blurring the lines between the courtroom and the campaign trail.
In related developments, the AP reported that in a move that further underscores the ongoing divide within the Republican Party, former President Donald Trump’s campaign has called on the Republican National Committee (RNC) to cancel all remaining presidential primary debates. The campaign argues that the RNC should prioritize efforts to defeat President Joe Biden in the 2024 election instead.
The AP also reported that late on Monday, senior campaign advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita issued a statement in which they reiterated false claims of election fraud, alleging without evidence that Democrats are plotting to steal the 2024 election. They also restated Trump’s unsubstantiated belief that the 2020 election was stolen, despite numerous legal cases, investigations, and the findings of his own attorney general that no widespread fraud occurred.
In their statement, Wiles and LaCivita insisted that the November debate in Miami, as well as all future debates, should be canceled. As was reported by the AP, they argued that anything less than this, along with other reasons not to cancel, would signal to grassroots Republicans that their concerns about voter integrity are not being taken seriously and that national Republicans are more focused on aiding Biden than ensuring a fair and secure election.
Former President Trump has already skipped the first two debates. During those debates, several of his rivals criticized his absence. Trump has also declared that he will not participate in any future debates.
The Republican National Committee has not yet responded to requests for comments on the matter. Meanwhile, the AP report indicated that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a potential contender for the GOP nomination, rejected the Trump campaign’s call to cancel debates. A spokesman for DeSantis emphasized the importance of having a president who is willing to engage in debates and discussions in various forums.
“Donald Trump should defend his record to the American people and debate Ron DeSantis on their vision and specific plans to stop American decline and restore our country,” said Bryan Griffin, the spokesman for Governor DeSantis, according to the AP report. “But Trump knows he can’t defend his record, and he isn’t the fighter he was in 2016.”
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel had previously declined to answer questions about Trump’s request to end the debates during a recent call with reporters. McDaniel, however, expressed the importance of participating in early and mail-in voting, a practice the GOP is encouraging through its “Bank Your Vote” initiative, as was noted in the AP report. This initiative aims to engage Republicans in states across the country, despite some criticism of early voting from within the party.
Despite these developments, it is clear that the divide within the Republican Party persists, with Trump’s influence continuing to shape the party’s direction and strategy as the 2024 presidential election draws closer.
(Sources: AP)
