You Will Anyway: Trump's defense in the Stormy Daniels case

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Trump's defense in the Stormy Daniels case

MSNBC host Ari Melber spoke to Donald Trump's lawyer on his Tuesday episode of "The Beat."

[...]

"Sounds like you're saying one, not a campaign finance crime," Melber said, following up on that piece of the interview. "The misdemeanor, sure, maybe, but you don't want to deal with the misdemeanor. You're kind of admitting part of the misdemeanor."

"Ari, please don't put those words in my mouth," said lawyer Joe Tacopina.

"But they weren't legal services," Melber said.

"His lawyer classified them as legal services his lawyer sent him an invoice for legal services. His lawyer told him they'd be properly classified as legal services even if you put them in your checkbook," complained Tacopina. He complained that a lie would be if Trump said he purchased a horse. He also said that Trump had no obligation to say anything about the donations to the FEC.

"I suppose the question becomes, did any company owned by Donald Trump or controlled by him or Donald Trump personally tell the government this is legal services because that would be false?" said Melber.

"The government being the United States government, and that answer is absolutely not," said Tacopina.

"Can you substantiate that?" asked Melber

"I don't need to substantiate anything, they need to substantiate a charge," said the lawyer.

"In a criminal court, that's true," said Melber.

Raw Story

I'm not sure exactly what charge Alvin Bragg is going to bring against Trump. But I have a feeling he's going to lose the case - especially if the charge is violation of campaign funding laws. This is not the best case against him out there. And neither his lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen, or Stormy Daniels are sympathetic figures.

Given that Alvin Bragg originally declined to pursue this case, and that he has now jumped ahead of both Letitia James in New York (Trump Organization fraud) and Fani Willis in Georgia (interference with the 2020 election) to get his case going first, I'm wondering if Bragg is going forward with a case he might well lose in order to help Trump. Because if he does lose the case, it WILL help Trump.

You can watch the MSNBC interview of Joe Tacopina here.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE 03/15/2023:

Ordinarily, I'd say that's a very good question. Only in this case, I wouldn't doubt it if she has negotiated legal rights to have her attorneys go over Trump's finances with a fine tooth comb to see what he's trying to hide from her.

UPDATE 03/21/2023: Oh my.

Another excuse for delay while Trump gets a new lawyer.

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GUILDENSTERN: What a fine persecution---to be kept intrigued without ever quite being enlightened.

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ROSENCRANTZ : The only thing that makes it bearable is the irrational belief that somebody interesting will come on in a minute.

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GUILDENSTERN: But for God's sake what are we supposed to do?!

PLAYER: Relax. Respond. That's what people do. You can't go through life questioning your situation at every turn.

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