Donald Trump lawyer Alina Habba — who represented the ex-president in New York Attorney General Letitia James' successful civil fraud case against him — claimed during a Sunday Fox News interview that the MAGA hopeful's current ongoing hush money trial is unlawful and not based on any facts.
"As I've said, and I'm not speaking now to posture for the president, but just generally as an attorney, as an American who understands the law, and how to apply laws to facts, there are no facts that support this alleged crime. We're not even sure what the crime is."
"We have to make sure that the jury charges that Judge Merchan — who, again, we have said is severely conflicted, for reasons I can't speak to because of the unconstitutional gag order — but this judge is the judge that determines the jury instructions. The jury instructions are the roadmap for non-attorneys and jurors to follow the law."
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"It's going to be critical, and frankly, at this point, I have zero confidence in the fact that this person, who should not be sitting on the bench right now, will do the right thing and give jury instructions that are in an appropriate manner without any persuasion towards the prosecutions."
Newsweek notes, "Under New York law, falsifying business records is a misdemeanor unless it was done to conceal another crime. Prosecutors allege that the hush money was disguised as legal fees because it amounted to an illegal campaign contribution as it was paid to help Trump win the 2016 election by preventing negative stories about him from being revealed to voters.
Several attorneys, legal and political experts slammed Habba for her assertions.
Former US attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade replied: "Witness testimony, text messages, checks, invoices, ledger entries, handwritten notes, and recordings are evidence of the crime of falsifying business records to conceal another crime (campaign finance and tax violations). The jury will decide whether the evidence proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt."
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Bloomberg Opinion senior executive editor Tim O'Brien wrote: "Translation: 'I'm posturing for the president. He likes my posture.'"
HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Dáte commented: "This is the woman who told a judge she didn’t appreciate how she was being spoken to in court. Her client went on to lose bigly."
MSNBC's Katie Phang Show host Katie Phang said: "Siri: show me someone who doesn’t know the first thing about a judge, a jury, or the law."
Watch the video below or at this link.
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