Trump, who voluntarily appeared in the New York prosecutor’s office and court on Tuesday, was taken into custody for a few hours to face charges. But this is a procedural moment – after the end of the meeting, he was released, he flew to his residence in Palm Beach (Florida). Nevertheless, the American media called this event “historic”, because nothing like this had ever happened in the United States before.
After the court hearing in the case against Trump, documents containing accusations against the former White House chief were declassified.
In the conclusion of the jury of the judicial district of New York, the ex-president is charged with “falsification of commercial documents in the first degree”. A separate report, signed by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, alleges that the falsification of documents was carried out to cover up “unlawful acts that prevented the dissemination of information that could harm Trump in the eyes of voters during the 2016 campaign. “. “Catch and kill” incriminating evidence – that’s what the prosecutor calls this scheme.
Even some critics of Donald Trump believe the allegations against him have set a dangerous precedent for political persecution in the United States.
We are talking in particular about the episode of the payment of 130,000 dollars in compensation to the pornographic actress Stormy Daniels for her silence on her alleged sexual relationship with Trump in 2006, when he was married. Other such actions taken by Trump’s entourage are also described.
Later, Bragg held a press conference for reporters, stating that Trump, in his view, had covered up the violation of several laws. It’s New York State Elections Law, which makes it a crime to conspire to promote a candidate by unlawful means. Additionally, Bragg believes that Daniels’ payment exceeded legal contribution limits.
Trump himself was terse in New York, but on his return to Palm Beach he delivered a heavy blow to his opponents. He said he did not admit guilt and refused the offer to settle the matter out of court. “Virtually all the lawyers say there is no case,” he said, “no action has been taken in violation of the law.”
Trump called the whole process ‘election interference on an unprecedented scale’ with the help of law enforcement, President Joe Biden’s family ‘criminals’ and America a ‘failed state’ who “goes to hell”. “This is not a trial, this is persecution,” he concluded.
Trump’s expressive way of speaking is well known, especially when it comes to attacking him personally. But it is noteworthy that this time almost the entire Republican Party establishment, including those who did not get along well with Trump, commented on the situation with the same expressions.
For example, even Sen. Mitt Romney, who was a regular critic of Trump, this time said the New York prosecutor’s office “did too much to please the political agenda,” which “sets a dangerous precedent for prosecutions.” criminal charges against political opponents and undermines public confidence in our justice system.”
Senator Marco Rubio pointed out that with Trump’s indictment, “American politics has crossed a line” by setting a precedent for the manipulation of the law for political gain. According to him, it is “poison for the country”, capable of “forever changing” the political landscape in the United States.
John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, even referenced the words he attributed to Lavrenty Beria: “If there was a person, there would be an article” (the exact authorship of this sentence n has not been established – Note “RG” ).
But in the camp of the Democratic Party, an atypical silence reigns. Democratic politicians, who are generally not stingy with criticism of Trump, seem to understand how ambiguously the American public views the trial and are afraid to bolster suspicions of a politicized process with their comments.
The next hearing with Trump’s personal participation, according to CNN, will not take place until December 4. It is still difficult to predict the outcome of the procedure and its long-term consequences. The indictment relates to sections of the New York Criminal Code on falsifying business records, which is a felony if done to conceal another violation. In this case, prosecutors have yet to prove such a connection. According to axios.com, “an unusual legal strategy could be a big challenge” for the New York district attorney’s office.
Under these sections of the New York Penal Code, the penalty is up to a term of imprisonment of up to four years. But in the absence of a criminal record, a lighter sentence is usually chosen, which does not provide for a real prison sentence.
At the same time, as axios.com notes, legal experts agree that another investigation against him is potentially far more dangerous for Trump. We are talking about secret documents that Trump allegedly illegally kept at his home after leaving the White House and did not turn over to the archives, as required by law. Last year, in connection with this case, FBI agents raided Trump’s residence in Florida. Therefore, the charges against Trump may not be the last.
