Apparently, the testimony of Trump lawyer Robert Costello to the grand jury empanelled specifically to target Donald Trump, and a large piece of written testimony on Michael Cohen's reliability as a witness has thrown the planned indictment for a bit of a loop. Nick Arama at Red State reports Bombshell 2018 Letter Delivers a Gut Punch to Manhattan DA's Case Against Trump
In a 2018 letter that Michael Cohen’s then-lawyer wrote to the Federal Election Commission, Cohen said that he “used his own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford,” aka Stormy Daniels, in 2016. That also matches what Cohen told Costello.
Mr. Cohen has not been a government employee during any of the relevant time period. The payment in question does not constitute a campaign contribution or expenditure and, therefore, the FEC lacks jurisdiction over this matter. The complainants have not and cannot present any evidence to the contrary. Accordingly, the complaint should be dismissed.’The letter contradicts what Cohen said later after he flipped on Trump to try to stay out of jail and presumably it also contradicts what he said to the grand jury.
Sundance at CTH, Bombshell 2018 Letter From Cohen Attorney to FEC *SHOULD* Collapse Pretext of Alvin Bragg Nonsense Case Against Donald Trump. At JTN,Nick Givas and John Solomon Memos from 2018-19 shake up Trump case: Cohen denied having incriminating evidence on hush money, "A lawyer who formerly advised Michael Cohen alleges that in 2018 the ex-Trump adviser claimed to know nothing about the former president committing wrongdoing, including on hush money to women " and Ben Whedon, Cohen attorney letter to FEC appears to undercut DA Bragg's Trump case, "Former President Donald Trump shared the letter on Truth Social, declaring it to be "totally exculpatory." Matt Margolis at PJM, Soros-Funded DA Alvin Bragg May Have Hidden Exculpatory Evidence in Trump Case. Ace, Alvin Bragg Hid Exculpatory Evidence From Donald Trump; Knew That Michael Cohen Was Directly Contradicting His Previous Claims Made to Prosecutors, But Presented His New, Improved Testimony While Hiding His Orginal (sic) Testimony. "That's why Rudy Giuliani' attorney Robert Costello insisted on testifying -- to tell the grand jury the things that Soros DA Alvin Bragg was hiding from them." And then, from Hat Hair's John Sexton, a Report of 'Major dissension' within Bragg's office as grand jury is told to stay home for the day. Matt Margolis, Trump Grand Jury Session Abruptly Canceled. From PM, Grand jury investigating Trump over 'hush money' called off for Wednesday, delaying possible indictment vote, "It is unlikely the grand jury will meet for the rest of the week, delaying the process into next week." WaEx, Trump indictment: Manhattan grand jury delays decision to charge former president. Sundance, Bragg Hit the Brakes – Manhattan Grand Jury Told to Take Day Off, Delaying Any Indictment of President Trump. Of course, this doesn't mean they won't indict him, just that they will have to overlook a mountain of exculpatory evidence. As Vicky Taft at PJM notes Of Course Donald Trump Could Be Charged at Any Moment by an Unethical, Spiteful Prosecutor. At Althouse, "But for falsifying business records to be a felony, not a misdemeanor, Mr. Bragg’s prosecutors must show that Mr. Trump’s 'intent to defraud' included an intent to commit or conceal a second crime." "From "The Legal Intricacies That Could Make or Break the Case Against Trump/To try to convict the former president of a felony, prosecutors might attempt to connect state election law to a federal election" (NYT)."
Phil Holloway at Front Page, The Legally and Morally Flawed Case Against Trump. "A twisted perversion of the justice process." At Da Caller, Indicting Trump Has Nothing To Do With The Law. Here’s Why. Rabbi Fischer at Am Spec, Why a Trump Arrest Imperils the American Idea. "It always has been part of the American Oral Law that we do not take into custody or arraign our presidents or former presidents." Margot Cleveland at Da Fed claims Indicting Trump Will Usher In America’s Banana-Republic Stage, or at least make it clear. Matt Margolis at PJM hears Tucker Carlson Makes a Chilling Prediction About Possible Trump Indictment.
"If the Democratic Party is allowed to do this, allowed to crush the presidential front-runner, the main threat to their power, with a bogus criminal case, where does that leave us? We’re done because that precedent will live forever and voters will never again determine the outcome of a presidential election. It’s remarkable when you think about it,” Carlson said. “What happens if they get away with this? No one seems to be thinking this through. Everyone’s all spun up, but what happens if they get away with this? "
"Tell me how you analyze a Brady motion," Kennedy told Crews. The Brady motion is a request by a defendant to compel prosecutors in a criminal case to turn over potentially favorable evidence. It is named after the Supreme Court case that affirmed it, Brady v. Maryland. "How I analyze a Brady motion...Senator, in my four and a half years on the bench, I don't believe I've had the occasion to address a Brady motion in my career," Crews replied. "Do you know what a Brady motion is?" Kennedy asked.
Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair, tries to explain Why the White House isn't telling Congress about spy balloons "We could read any number of ulterior motives into this story, but the bottom line seems to be that they still really don’t have a handle on the situation." At WaEx, Nevada governor slams Biden for locking up mineral-rich land in new monuments. That's OK, we can always get them from China, right? But at LI, Mary Chastain has good news for Biden, a Report that Kamala Harris Will Campaign in Urban Centers, Target Black Voters for Biden’s 2024 Campaign, “But I don’t know that the people who have to make that happen feel that way right now. I don’t know that she has what it takes to get over the hump in our present environment.”
At the Free Bacon, Think Tank Executive Provided ‘Explosive’ Info to FBI About Hunter Biden’s Chinese Deals, Lawyer Claims. "An Israeli think tank executive claims he told the FBI in 2019 that members of the Biden family warned a Chinese energy executive about a coming federal investigation, allowing him to flee the country before being placed under arrest." Uh oh. From Breitbart, White House Withholds Requested Info About Biden’s Classified Doc Scandal Cover-Up. At the PI, Hunter Biden Scandal Plagues President
Da Caller claims Trump Unveils Plan To ‘Dismantle The Deep State’ I'm rooting for it, but the Deep State is tougher than Kudzu. Althouse, "Ever since Trump perfected the template (grandiose, manipulative, easily wounded, unable to tolerate even minor scenarios in which he isn’t deemed central or special)...". Rick Moran at PJM, Trump Continues to Increase His Primary Lead Over DeSantis After Indictment Threat. At the FreeP, Amid Arrest Claim, Trump’s Popularity Surges Relative To Florida Gov. DeSantis Robin M. Itzler at Am Think thinks There Are Compelling Pragmatic Considerations Behind Supporting Trump Or DeSantis "It’s still very early in the cycle, but my guess is that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will not run for president." I disagree. At NYPo, Trump’s ‘DeSanctimonious’ nickname is ‘fine,’ Ron DeSantis says. At Twitchy, Maybe when Ron DeSantis has a few extra minutes, he can explain to Maggie Haberman how jokes work. Why waste the time? No DeSantis fan, sundance, Returning to Neocon Roots – DeSantis Backtracks on His Tucker Carlson Ukraine Position as Territorial Dispute, Now Says “I think it’s been mischaracterized,” and “Putin is a war criminal” At the Conservative Brief, Geraldo Rivera Roasted After Giving His Pick For Republican Presidential Nominee, and rightly; Chris Christie?
Rick Moran wonders Is Iowa Becoming the 'Florida of the North'? Tom Finnerty at The Pipeline thinks he detects Chinese Interference in Canadian Elections? Looks That Way
Even though it was quite clear that Fed rate hikes had precipitated the current banking crisis the Fed is going to raise the rate again. Rock, hard place. From the Peacock, Fed hikes rates by a quarter percentage point, indicates increases are near an end. The Center Square, Treasury Secretary Yellen warns more bank bailouts could be coming, “Our intervention was necessary to protect the broader U.S. banking system,” she said. Steve Dewey at Am Spec, Back-to-Back Bank Closures: The Fallout From the Failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. "The failure of two large regional banks had an array of causes, but the remedial actions of federal regulators are of even greater concern." Joe Popularis at Da Fed says The Silicon Valley Bank Bailout Sends Exactly The Wrong Message And Endangers The Economy. Leslie Eastman at LI, Monday’s Stock Market Roller Coaster Session Shows Banks’ Sales May Ease Current Crisis. "However, there are signs new problems could be on the horizon as midsize banks are now asking FDIC to protect all deposits."1945 explains Why The U.S. Economy Could Crash This Summer.
Hat Hair's Beege Wellborn, sees the CBO considering "means testing" for VA disability payments among other nasty ways to cut spending. Athena Thorne at PJM thinks the U.S. Takes a Step Closer to National Divorce as Anti-ESG States Coalition Announced.
At Althouse, "Stanford Law School is requiring all students to attend educational programming on free speech after protesters interrupted a speech..." ""... by a conservative federal judge earlier this month. The law school will hold 'a mandatory half-day session in spring quarter for all students on the topic of freedom of speech and the norms of the legal profession,' Stanford Law School Dean Jenny Martinez said in a public letter to students Wednesday. Associate Dean Tirien Steinbach, who spoke at the March 9 event with US Judge Kyle Duncan, 'is currently on leave,' Martinez said." John Sexton, Stanford Law announces DEI dean is on leave, students will get mandatory free speech training. From the New Criterion, Juiced at Stanford "On the free-speech double standard at Stanford Law School." David Berentstein at the Volokh Report congratulates Stanford Law Dean Jennifer Martinez's Excellent Defense of Free Speech and Civility. Insty at his substack, It Should Be Safe to be Unpopular.
To be continued . . .
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