Sixteen days into the 'hush money' trial of former President Trump and the 'star witness' Michael Cohen taking the stand, New York DA Alvin Bragg has yet to reveal a crime.
The bombshell we have all been waiting on doesn't appear to materialize.
In the case involving the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, Cohen, a lawyer for Trump who entered a guilty plea to charges of lying to Congress in 2018 and who was charged with perjury by a federal judge in March, testified on Monday.
Read: Trump Leads Biden In Swing States Of Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, And Pennsylvania
“There is nothing illegal here. What Cohen was describing is not a crime,” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said. “The prosecutors are making great fanfare over proving non-criminal acts and non-contested allegations. Yeah, there was a NDA. Yeah, money was paid. That happens all the time and so we’re still left with this bizarre situation of a trial over something that none of us have yet been told what the crime is.”
“I can't imagine any competent lawyer would not be embarrassed by what has happened in this Courtroom…This day is truly going to go down as a day of infamy for the New York Legal System. Watching this unfold in that Courtroom as a lawyer is really deeply disturbing…They keep on referring to these documents. The documents don’t move the ball. The documents show an NDA and a payment that’s not in dispute. They are not unlawful. They are not unlawful as a Federal Campaign Contribution," Turley added.
Turley is not alone in that sentiment.
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville showed up in the courtroom Monday in a show of support for the former President.
Giving remarks to the media following a portion of the hearing Monday, Sen. Tuberville blasted the ‘depressing’ court atmosphere and the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Choen.
“He’s (Trump) been here a month. I am disappointed in looking at the Americans, supposedly American citizens in that courtroom, that the D.A. comes in, and he acts like it is his Super Bowl, and I guess it is.” said Tuberville.
“The Republican candidate for president of the United States is going through mental anguish in a courtroom that’s very depressing, very depressing. I’m glad to stand by President Trump. I’m a friend of his, I’m here more of a friend than just backing him as the candidate as president,” said Tuberville.
“I’m sitting there listening to a guy on the stand that they had to get out of house arrest because he lied in another court, testifying this court. He’s a convicted felon. I mean, this guy, he’s up there giving an acting scene and all of a sudden he comes out and says, oh, I have recorded President Trump on my telephone,” said Tuberville.
“This guy worked for President Trump,” blasted Tuberville. “I mean, how can you be convinced by somebody who is a serial liar? There should be no reason for anybody to listen to this guy. But at the end of the day, the Democrats, The Democrats are trying to beat President Trump in the jury box because they can’t beat him at the Ballot Box; that’s the story.”
What are others saying?
Senator J.D. Vance: “What's going on in that courtroom is a THREAT to AMERICAN DEMOCRACY. We cannot have a Country where you get to prosecute your Political Opponents instead of persuading Voters.”
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird: "Let the American People decide who the next Leader of the Free World will be. Politics has absolutely NO PLACE in this courtroom or any other."
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis: "The people of the State of New York would wish that Soros funded D.A. Alvin Bragg would focus on the ACTUAL crime that is plaguing our City. THIS IS A SHAM TRIAL!"
Leo Terrell: "There is not a single shred of evidence that President Trump participated in a crime, either falsifying records, or to hide a Campaign State or Federal Finance charge."
Read: Alan Dershowitz: Trump’s New York Trial Is A Stupendous Legal Catastrophe
Andrew McCarthy: “Bragg has no authority to enforce Federal Law...The NDA payments were not Campaign expenditures under Federal Law...That’s why the FEC and DOJ — which do have exclusive authority to enforce Federal Law — took no action against Trump...Bragg is making up his own version of Federal Campaign Law.”
Michael Smerconish, CNN: “A person, 4 or 5 weeks now into a trial, ought to be told of exactly that which they're being prosecuted for, and that just hasn't happened, and all of those who were on Radio and Television, like myself, act as if it is the case that we all know, and that Trump's been put on notice, but it really isn't true!"
Mark Levin: "A fraudulent intent is required to prove a crime. But a fraudulent intent to commit what crime? If Bragg cannot articulate the crime or won’t, how can Trump have had a criminal intent to commit it, whatever it is? This is Alice in Wonderland and 1984 combined! Let me put it as succinctly as possible: There’s no crime, State or Federal, with which to link Donald Trump...This is a case looking for a Legal basis. THERE IS NONE!"
Marc Thiessen: “I don't think things are going well for the prosecution in the Court of Law, but in the Court of Public Opinion, they're doing even worse...Trump is rising in the Polls!”
Matt Whitaker: “Another day of trial, and nowhere close to allegations or evidence of illegality.”
Andy McCarthy: “Bragg knows what he is doing is improper, completely political case. Maybe Merchan is having second thoughts…They haven't come close to proving that fraud has taken place, and they don't just have to prove that fraud has taken place, they have to prove that it was fraud that included a specific intent to commit another crime, ‘which we believe is a Federal Campaign Finance Crime’…But there's not a scintilla of evidence that Trump was even thinking about Federal Campaign Law.”
Senator Tim Scott: “Objective is to keep Trump off the Campaign trail…[It’s a] two-tiered Justice System, Sham, and not a Courtroom - This is a stage to find Trump guilty in eyes of public – Shameful!”
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