Trump GUILTY of Fraud

[mtrycrafts]

...

Trump’s lawyers have asked the appeals court to delay posting the bond until his appeal of the case is over, arguing that the value of Trump’s properties far exceed the judgment.<<<

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/18/politics/trump-464-million-dollar-bond/index.html

Wonder who appraised those properties. And, how much is left after all the loans on them are paid off.

 

[Mr._Clark]

So Trump doesn’t have the cash as he claimed.

>>>Former President Donald Trump can’t find an insurance company to underwrite his bond to cover the massive judgment against him in the New York attorney general’s civil fraud case, his lawyers told a New York appeals court.

Trump’s attorneys said he has approached 30 underwriters to back the bond, which is due by the end of this month.

“The amount of the judgment, with interest, exceeds $464 million, and very few bonding companies will consider a bond of anything approaching that magnitude,” Trump’s lawyers wrote. (Trump himself was fined $454 million; the $464 million includes the disgorgement for his adult sons Don Jr. and Eric.)

An insurance broker, Gary Giuletti, who testified for Trump during the civil fraud trial, signed an affidavit stating that securing a bond in the full amount “is a practical impossibility.”

Potential underwriters are seeking cash to back the bond, not properties, according to Trump’s lawyers.

Trump’s lawyers have asked the appeals court to delay posting the bond until his appeal of the case is over, arguing that the value of Trump’s properties far exceed the judgment.<<<

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/18/politics/trump-464-million-dollar-bond/index.html

Here's a snip from a NYT article on the same topic.

>>>They appear to be balking over a significant problem: Mr. Trump does not have enough liquidity to obtain the bond. To offer a bond of this size, the companies would require Mr. Trump to pledge more than $550 million in cash, stocks and bonds as collateral — a sum he simply does not have.

Although the former president boasts of his billions, his net worth is derived largely from the value of his real estate, which bond companies rarely accept as collateral. Mr. Trump has more than $350 million in cash, a recent New York Times analysis found, far short of what he needs. . . .

He might have to post an appeal bond worth more — possibly above $500 million, to reflect the interest he will owe — in order to prevent Ms. James from seizing his assets on March 25. . . . The looming deadline could not come at a worse time for Mr. Trump. Just last week he finalized a $91.6 million bond in a defamation case he recently lost to the writer E. Jean Carroll, a costly deal that drained him of precious cash.<<<

Trump Spurned by 30 Companies as He Seeks Bond in $454 Million Judgment

Donald J. Trump’s lawyers said in a court filing that he faces “insurmountable difficulties” as he tries to raise cash for the civil fraud penalty he faces in New York.

www.nytimes.com

Trump previously boasted in a deposition that he had in excess of $400 million in cash.

>>>In an April 2023 deposition, Trump volunteered that he had “substantially in excess of 400 million in cash.”
“Developers usually don’t have cash. They have assets, not cash,” Trump said. “We have, I believe, 400 plus and going up very substantially every month.”

Trump added later that, despite the legal fees he was facing, “I have over 400 — fairly substantially over $400 million in cash. That’s just cash. That’s just cash.”<<<

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/28/trump-said-he-had-400-million-cash-now-his-lawyers-say-bond-is-struggle/

If I didn't know better, I'd say it almost looks like Trump might have been lying

 

[davidscott]

Here's a snip from a NYT article on the same topic.

>>>They appear to be balking over a significant problem: Mr. Trump does not have enough liquidity to obtain the bond. To offer a bond of this size, the companies would require Mr. Trump to pledge more than $550 million in cash, stocks and bonds as collateral — a sum he simply does not have.

Although the former president boasts of his billions, his net worth is derived largely from the value of his real estate, which bond companies rarely accept as collateral. Mr. Trump has more than $350 million in cash, a recent New York Times analysis found, far short of what he needs. . . .

He might have to post an appeal bond worth more — possibly above $500 million, to reflect the interest he will owe — in order to prevent Ms. James from seizing his assets on March 25. . . . The looming deadline could not come at a worse time for Mr. Trump. Just last week he finalized a $91.6 million bond in a defamation case he recently lost to the writer E. Jean Carroll, a costly deal that drained him of precious cash.<<<

Trump Spurned by 30 Companies as He Seeks Bond in $454 Million Judgment

Donald J. Trump’s lawyers said in a court filing that he faces “insurmountable difficulties” as he tries to raise cash for the civil fraud penalty he faces in New York.

www.nytimes.com

Trump previously boasted in a deposition that he had in excess of $400 million in cash.

>>>In an April 2023 deposition, Trump volunteered that he had “substantially in excess of 400 million in cash.”
“Developers usually don’t have cash. They have assets, not cash,” Trump said. “We have, I believe, 400 plus and going up very substantially every month.”

Trump added later that, despite the legal fees he was facing, “I have over 400 — fairly substantially over $400 million in cash. That’s just cash. That’s just cash.”<<<

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/02/28/trump-said-he-had-400-million-cash-now-his-lawyers-say-bond-is-struggle/

If I didn't know better, I'd say it almost looks like Trump might have been lying

Imagine that.

 

[Mr._Clark]

The court said posting bond for $175 million is sufficient:

>>>With Donald J. Trump on the clock to secure a nearly half-billion dollar bond in his civil fraud case, a New York appeals court appears to have handed the former president a lifeline on Monday, accepting a far smaller bond of $175 million.

The ruling by a five-judge panel of appellate court judges is a crucial and unexpected victory for the former president, potentially staving off a looming financial disaster. Had the court denied his request — and had he failed to obtain the full bond — Mr. Trump was at risk of losing control over his bank accounts and, eventually, even some of his marquee properties.<<<

Trump’s Bond in Civil Fraud Case Is Reduced to $175 Million

The former president was racing to secure a half-billion-dollar bond, but an appeals court lowered the amount. The surprise decision may help him stave off financial disaster.

www.nytimes.com

This is highly speculative on my part, but this might suggest that the appellate court expects to significantly reduce the total damages.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Trump is now asking for a delay on the hush money case on the basis that presidential immunity in the federal case will allegedly impact whether or not some evidence will be introduced in the hush money case.
. . .

This reeks of desperation.

Desperation is a stinky cologne, John.

Super Troopers (2001) clip with quote Desperation is a stinky cologne, John. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip.

getyarn.io

And . . . drum roll . . . the judge rejected Trump's immunity claims in the criminal hush money case.

>>>A New York judge rejected former President Trump’s presidential immunity claims in his hush money case Wednesday, saying Trump waited too long to raise the defense. . . . Unlike his other three criminal indictments, Trump had not argued he was immune from his 34 charges in the hush money case, which stems from payments made before he was president.<<<

Hush money judge rejects Trump’s immunity claims as untimely

A New York judge rejected former President Trump’s presidential immunity claims in his hush money case Wednesday, saying Trump waited too long to raise the defense. Judge Juan Merchan’s rulin…

thehill.com

Trump's legal antics are starting to remind of the Gong Show (from wiki: "Each show presented a competition of amateur performers of often dubious talent . . ."). It would be entertaining to see Trump's lawyers (AKA amateurs of dubious talent) start one of their ridiculous arguments in court only to have the judge wack the gong before they even completed their losing argument.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Desperation is a stinky cologne, John.

Super Troopers (2001) clip with quote Desperation is a stinky cologne, John. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip.

getyarn.io

And . . . drum roll . . . the judge rejected Trump's immunity claims in the criminal hush money case.

>>>A New York judge rejected former President Trump’s presidential immunity claims in his hush money case Wednesday, saying Trump waited too long to raise the defense. . . . Unlike his other three criminal indictments, Trump had not argued he was immune from his 34 charges in the hush money case, which stems from payments made before he was president.<<<

Hush money judge rejects Trump’s immunity claims as untimely

A New York judge rejected former President Trump’s presidential immunity claims in his hush money case Wednesday, saying Trump waited too long to raise the defense. Judge Juan Merchan’s rulin…

thehill.com

Trump's legal antics are starting to remind of the Gong Show (from wiki: "Each show presented a competition of amateur performers of often dubious talent . . ."). It would be entertaining to see Trump's lawyers (AKA amateurs of dubious talent) start one of their ridiculous arguments in court only to have the judge wack the gong before they even completed their losing argument.

So then would anything have changed if he brought it up at the beginning?
He was not a president then so how could he have immunity no matter when he brought it up unless it is a delaying tactic.

 

[Swerd]

Trump's legal antics are starting to remind of the Gong Show (from wiki: "Each show presented a competition of amateur performers of often dubious talent . . ."). It would be entertaining to see Trump's lawyers (AKA amateurs of dubious talent) start one of their ridiculous arguments in court only to have the judge wack the gong before they even completed their losing argument.

Where is Chuck Barris when we need him?

 

[lovinthehd]

Where is Chuck Barris when we need him?

We talkin' Chuck the assassin or just gong show ?

 

[Mr._Clark]

So then would anything have changed if he brought it up at the beginning?

I doubt it. The judge could have tossed it on the merits but it would have required a more detailed ruling addressing all of the garbage arguments. Timing is much easier.

Reading between the lines, the judge thinks the arguments are without merit so he's not worried about a guilty verdict being overturned on appeal, even if Trump somehow manages to win his immunity arguments in the other cases.

 

[Swerd]

We talkin' Chuck the assassin or just gong show ?

Same guy … right?

 

[Mr._Clark]

Desperation is a stinky cologne, John.

Super Troopers (2001) clip with quote Desperation is a stinky cologne, John. Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip.

getyarn.io

Trump's losers (oops "lawyers") are serving up another smoking pile of desperation.

>>>Donald J. Trump, a week away from standing trial in Manhattan on criminal charges that he falsified records to cover up a sex scandal, has indicated he plans to file a lawsuit against the judge overseeing the case.

Court records showed on Monday that Mr. Trump was filing an action against the judge, Juan M. Merchan, though the papers were not immediately made public. An online court docket where Mr. Trump is expected to file the so-called Article 78 action — a special proceeding that can be used to challenge New York state government agencies and judges — showed that the related paperwork was sealed. . . . Mr. Trump’s unorthodox move — essentially an appeal in the form of a lawsuit — is unlikely to succeed, particularly so close to trial. . . .

Lawsuits against judges are unusual, but this is not Mr. Trump’s first attempt to use that tactic to try to delay a trial. Last year, he sued the New York judge presiding over his civil fraud trial — an effort the appeals court ultimately rejected. <<<

Appeals Court Denies Another Trump Attempt to Delay Trial

Donald J. Trump’s lawyers sought to pause his Manhattan criminal trial as they argued that it should be moved, but a judge rejected their appeal.

www.nytimes.com

Trump's rather extreme desperation to avoid this trial is somewhat curious. I find myself wondering if there is more going on than meets the eye.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... I find myself wondering if there is more going on than meets the eye.

Sure getting that feeling that something more sinister issue is there he is trying to cover up.

ps. he is worried about the evidence he is facing as he knows what he and the world will hear in court. All Trump insiders testifying.

 

[davidscott]

We talkin' Chuck the assassin or just gong show ?

I miss the unknown comic.

 

[isolar8001]

 

[Mr._Clark]

Keep it coming. Great stuff.

Since you asked, Weisselberg was just sentenced to another five months for perjury.

>>>The former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization on Wednesday was sentenced to five months in prison for perjury stemming from former President Trump’s civil fraud case. . . . The charges stemmed from a 2020 deposition with the New York attorney general’s office as it built its sprawling civil fraud case against the Trump Organization, but as part of the deal, he also admitted to lying during his trial testimony and another deposition last year. . . .

Weisselberg’s 5-month sentence marks his second stint in prison, after the former CFO pleaded guilty in 2022 to evading nearly $2 million in taxes over a decade through backchannel compensation from the Trump Organization. He was sentenced to five months at the Rikers Island jail for the tax evasion and served nearly 100 days there.<<<

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4585017-allen-weisselberg-ex-trump-organzation-cfo-sentenced-to-5-months-in-prison-for-perjury/

Trump's greatest ability might be conning others to take the fall for him.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Just when I thought Trump had reached max desperation in the hush money case, his lawyers filed yet another appeal today (after losing yet another one on Monday).

>>>Lawyers for Donald Trump have filed another appeal in the hush money case to challenge the order by the trial’s judge denying him from arguing he has presidential immunity.

Trump’s attorneys also are challenging Judge Juan Merchan’s “refusal” to recuse himself from the trial and a previous ruling related to how dockets are made publicly.

In a brief two-page notice of petition filed on Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers alleged the judge exceeded his authority in those rulings and have asked the appeals court to hold a hearing on May 6.

The court filing posted on the public docket does not indicate that Trump is seeking an emergency hearing before the appeals court to delay the trial in this notice of petition.

After CNN reviewed the petition on the docket, the filing was sealed.<<<

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/10/politics/trump-lawyers-appeal-hush-money-case/index.html

It's curious that, based on the public docket, the filing apparently does not include a request for an emergency hearing. I suspect a request was filed, but it didn't appear on the public docket.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Just when I thought Trump had reached max desperation in the hush money case, his lawyers filed yet another appeal today (after losing yet another one on Monday).

>>>Lawyers for Donald Trump have filed another appeal in the hush money case to challenge the order by the trial’s judge denying him from arguing he has presidential immunity.

Trump’s attorneys also are challenging Judge Juan Merchan’s “refusal” to recuse himself from the trial and a previous ruling related to how dockets are made publicly.

In a brief two-page notice of petition filed on Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers alleged the judge exceeded his authority in those rulings and have asked the appeals court to hold a hearing on May 6.

The court filing posted on the public docket does not indicate that Trump is seeking an emergency hearing before the appeals court to delay the trial in this notice of petition.

After CNN reviewed the petition on the docket, the filing was sealed.<<<

https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/10/politics/trump-lawyers-appeal-hush-money-case/index.html

It's curious that, based on the public docket, the filing apparently does not include a request for an emergency hearing. I suspect a request was filed, but it didn't appear on the public docket.

Interesting. Yet another delay tactic, keep challenging.
Presidential immunity for acts before being elected? LOL

 

[Mr._Clark]

Interesting. Yet another delay tactic, keep challenging.
Presidential immunity for acts before being elected? LOL

And . . . drum roll . . . hell froze over and the appeals court agreed with Trump and called off the trial.

Just kidding, Trump of course lost again.

>>>In Mr. Trump’s latest last-minute bid to delay a trial that starts Monday, he filed a civil action in an appeals court against the judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan. It sought to delay the trial while the appeals court reconsidered several of the judge’s rulings.

A single appellate court judge, Ellen Gesmer, promptly rejected Mr. Trump’s request.<<<

Trump Loses His Third Try in a Week to Delay Manhattan Trial

Donald J. Trump was turned down when he asked an appeals court — again — to stave off his prosecution on charges that he faked business records to cover up a sex scandal.

www.nytimes.com

 

[ab17182]

It's not exactly shocking news that Trump's legal team is playing the delay game. Given his track record, it's not surprising he's dragging his feet; after all, the guy seems to have an aversion to accountability.

But let's not mistake an appeal for a second shot at the trial. It's more like a review of the trial proceedings to see if any mistakes were made. This law firm explains best here. The appellate judges aren't going to retry the case. They'll just check if the district court or law enforcement slipped up during the trial. So, while Trump might buy himself some time, it's doubtful it'll have much of an impact on the overall outcome.

 

[Mr._Clark]

Meanwhile, in the Florida documents case judge Cannon is delaying again.

>>>Judge Aileen Cannon suspended a key deadline in former President Trump’s documents case after his attorneys suggested that special counsel Jack Smith’s team had “failed to preserve critical evidence” in the case after prosecutors disclosed some classified records may not be in the original order in which they were found.

The suspension marks yet another delay in a prosecution where Cannon has yet to even set a new trial date, casting further doubt on the chances the case will come before a jury ahead of the election.<<<(emphasis added)

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/4648830-mar-a-lago-deadline-evidence-handling-trump-classified-documents/

Trump's lawyers will undoubtedly argue that Trump can't even be tried because the original order of the documents was crucial.