After former President Donald Trump reportedly violated the court-ordered silence order four times in the past three days, yet another order was presented Thursday morning to show cause to hold him in contempt before David Pecker’s testimony began.
“Before Pecker takes the stand again, the DA is filing another order showing cause for contempt regarding 4 violations in the past 3 days in Trump’s 2) public comments outside the courtroom and 1) on cable and 1) in a interview with PA station about Cohen, Merchan, jury (“95% Democrat”),” reported LA Times senior legal affairs columnist Harry Litman.
CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen reported from the courthouse:
BREAKING: Another order to show cause to disdain Trump
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The third – for four more violations in the last three days
April 22 in press conference. outside court: “Cohen is a lawyer…wasn’t very good at his representation…” 1/x
And there is more. Another Cohen slam. A blow to the jury “who was picked so quickly…largely Democrats. Calling Cohen “a convicted liar… he’s done some pretty bad things…” And the kicker
This morning: ‘Pecker was very nice, a nice guy.’ DA: Message to Pecker.
Judge looks at the order to show cause as Pecker takes the stand, the jury is called in
Very serious allegations, but the judge will deal with them later, so that the trial will keep moving in the meantime
As Trump continues to attack the jury and witness Michael Cohen, his relative praise for former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker has raised eyebrows.
Is Trump messaging Pecker to keep it cute, offering him something in exchange for testimonials about a certain species, or is this a response to knowing that Pecker reportedly kept a safe full of documents detailing scandals and payoffs involving Donald was, were described? Trump, and he might add a lot more, which would be even more damaging.
“In Pecker’s betrayal of Trump and Cohen, court documents revealed that the Enquirer kept a vault full of documents detailing hush money payments and other stories that could damage Trump’s reputation,” The Cut reported in 2018.
Whatever motivates Trump to continue behaving as if the gag order doesn’t apply to him, he’s behaving as if he’s certain the law doesn’t apply to him. There is no other defendant who would continue to behave this way, sending mob-style messages to witnesses, jurors and a judge.
Trump and his lawyers have previously called his alleged violations political speeches, but there is nothing political about these comments, even though Trump used the word Democrats in an attempt to cast doubt on the entire jury. That’s because by “Democrats,” Trump means anyone who deals with facts, anyone who opposes criminal activity, and anyone who isn’t a blind supporter of his.
Trump cannot remain silent while others talk about him. He cannot allow a story to be told about him that he does not direct. Perhaps the threat of prison will sink in for him, but I suspect he knows as well as most of us how unlikely it is that he will be held to any normal standard.
Norm Eisen currently has a book on Amazon titled “Trying Trump.”
President Biden is literally rebuilding America as prosecutors build a case that could convict Donald Trump.
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