Donald Trump – Could result in prison

NEW YORK/OSLO (Dagbladet): This week the criminal trial against Trump in New York began in earnest. And already today he has to defend himself against accusations from the prosecution that he has repeatedly broken the restricted muzzle imposed on him.

Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York for 34 counts of falsifying business documents. According to the prosecution, this happened to cover up the payment of hush money to the porn actor Stormy Daniels.

They claim Trump paid out $130,000 in hush money before the 2016 election to prevent Daniels from going public with allegations that she and Trump had a sexual affair in 2006.

Trump came to court in New York on Tuesday and must start with a hearing on possible violations of the oral cavity.

In the previous days in court, he has made harsh attacks on both the judge and the trial on the way in.

Today, he did not mention the trial when he spoke to the press outside the courtroom. Instead, he was preoccupied with the Republican primary election taking place in Pennsylvania today.

– Today is a big day in Pennsylvania, says Trump.

After the court adjourned for the day, Trump speaks to the press outside the courtroom.

First he took the opportunity to complain about the room temperature.

– It was completely freezing in the courtroom, claims the former president.

He then alleged that the gagging he is imposed on is unconstitutional.

– I love talking to you. I would like to say everything I think, but I am prevented, says Trump.

Thousands of dollars

Trump is required not to make statements about witnesses, jurors and lawyers in the case, which is taking place in lower Manhattan. The prosecution, led by Attorney General Alvin Bragg, alleges that Trump has violated this order at least ten times in the past month.

They have therefore requested that Trump be fined 1,000 dollars (about 11,000 kroner) per violation, reports ABC News.

This means that Trump may be forced to pay a fine of 10,000 dollars (about 110,000 kroner).

Prosecutor Chris Convey starts the day by going through what he believes to be the various violations. Eight of the ten examples are from Trump’s posts on Truth Social. The other two are on the official website of his election campaign organization.

– This is a threat to this trial, says Conroy.

He believes the referee really needs to stop this behaviour.

– The witnesses have a legitimate reason to fear that they will be exposed to similar hateful language, says Conroy.

– The defendant has demonstrated a willingness to break the muzzle. He has attacked witnesses in this case in the past as well. We ask that the court reminds the defendant that further violations of the muzzle can result in prison, prosecutor Christopher Conroy said in court last week.

Losing patience

Trump’s defender, Todd Blanche, tries to claim that Trump has not broken the muzzle on purpose. He also claims that Trump’s statements about his former fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels are a defense against a “flood of political attacks”.

Both Cohen and Daniels are considered key witnesses in the case against Trump. Judge Juan Merchan, however, seems unimpressed by Blanche’s argument. Especially after Blanche claims that it is Trump’s right to defend himself against two different legal standards.

– So you mean there are two different standards in this courtroom? Merchan asks.

Finally, the judge loses patience with Trump’s defense attorney.

– I ask the questions here. Okay. I will decide whether or not your client has shown contempt, so don’t turn this upside down, Merchan tells Blanche, referring to alleged posts critical of Trump.

Time and again, Trump’s defender claims that Trump complies with the muzzle. The judge will have an end to this hearing:

– You lose all credibility in court now, says the judge to Trump’s defender.

– Paid for the stories

The judge has closed the hearing without making an immediate decision. Trump leaves the courtroom looking clearly frustrated, according to the reporters present in the courtroom. Outside, he doesn’t say a word to the press until he goes into a break room.

After the break, the trial will continue with testimony from David Pecker, former publisher and editor-in-chief of the tabloid National Enquirer.

Also on Monday, Pecker stood in the witness box, where he said that he has been a good friend of Trump, and helped to cover up potentially damaging articles before the presidential election in 2016.

According to the prosecution, Pecker, Trump and his then-lawyer Cohen must have met in Trump Tower in August 2015 and discussed so-called “catch and kill”; that is, buying exclusive rights to stories, then never publishing them.

– We used “chequebook journalism” and we paid for the stories, he said from the witness stand on Monday.

On Tuesday, Pecker is back in the witness box, where he will be questioned about his relationship with Trump.

– I have had a brilliant relationship with Mr Trump over the years, says Pecker.

He then describes a very symbiotic relationship between Trump and the National Enquirer. Among other things, Trump used to tip him in advance about who would be fired from his well-known reality show “The Apprentice”.

Paternity charge

Pecker also says in the witness box that he would be Trump’s “eyes and ears” in the election campaign.

– I said that I would publish positive stories about Trump, and negative stories about his opponents, he says.

Furthermore, he says that if he heard about any women who wanted to put Trump in a bad light, he would notify Trump’s lawyer at the time, Cohen.

– I thought that many women would come out to try to sell their stories, because Trump was known as the most desirable bachelor who dated the most beautiful women, he says and adds:

– And it’s clear, based on my past experience, that when someone runs for public office like this, it’s very common for women to call up magazines like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories.

Prosecutors begin questioning Pecker about the alleged kickbacks allegedly paid to a doorman at a Trump building.

The man initially claimed he knew Trump had children out of wedlock with a woman who worked in the building. This later turned out to be a lie, but the National Enquirer is said to have bought the rights to the story, then not to publish it.

Trump clearly shows that he is very uncomfortable with this story. He frowns and shakes his head.

Pecker says that Cohen called him furiously to deny that the child was Trump’s.

Pecker then negotiated a deal with the doorman for $30,000.

– This could be a very good case, which I thought was important to be removed from the market. And Cohen said thank you very much, and that “the boss” will be very pleased, says Pecker.

Begging for donations

Shortly after the hearing, Trump’s campaign organization sent out a letter to his supporters asking for donations.

– Biden’s corrupt court is holding me hostage, once again! writes ex-president to his supporters.

Trump has long claimed that this and the three other criminal cases in which he is charged are part of a political witch hunt by President Joe Biden.

Trump also attacked the judge in a post on Truth Social during the break.

The judge’s decision

After the hearing, it will be up to the judge in the case, Juan Merchan, to make a decision. If he wants to set an even stricter example than what the prosecutor’s office is proposing, he can ultimately imprison Trump for up to 30 days. However, this is highly unlikely in this case, according to American media.

After the gagging hearing, the court today continues the questioning of the former head of the National Enquirer, David Pecker. He is alleged to have been involved in the payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels by the National Enquirer buying exclusive rights to her story and then not publishing it. In the American press, this is referred to as a “catch and kill” method.

The American supermarket tabloid also reportedly helped Trump stifle other negative news stories in addition to helping him write negative stories about his opponents.