Of course, this being Trump, he’ll argue that any sentence at all is disproportionate.
We could sentence him to an hour of being snuggled by ten playful kittens, and he’d complain that it should have been twenty kittens.
Wouldn’t this run afoul of the prohibition against ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ - or would that not apply to the kittens…?
Kittens are tough. There’s nothing in the world quite so fierce as a kitten.
The idea that any kitten would snuggle with Trump is an insult to cats everywhere.
We’ll smear him with tuna juice and catnip first.
What have those kittens ever done to you?
So Speaker Mike Johnson is also in court today along with a few other Republicans
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/14/politics/trump-allies-courthouse-appearances
Is this a sign that the trial is not playing as badly with their base as they feared so now they are more confident to align themselves with Trump?
They should hang a colorful mobile of baby animals over Donnie’s seat so he can bat at them as he falls asleep.
If one or more of them give press conferences bashing the witnesses, judge, and/or jury we’ll know why they were ‘ordered’ to appear.
It’s pretty well known Trump keeps up with the gossip, and apparently he was displeased that there was any media noting the distinct lack of presence from family and supporters. Just like he remains displeased about reports that he falls asleep during the proceedings.
They’re Schrödinger’s Witnesses. If Trump wins, they’ll be saying, “I went to watch Trump crush these fakes charges, as I always knew he would! MAGA!”; if Trump loses, it will be their, “I looked into his heart, and knew that day that he was guilty!” escape hatch.
We won’t know which way their waveform will collapse until the verdict is read.
that was suggested by rachel maddow…along with swatting motions.
cohen back on the stand. there was a sidebar discussion before the jury and witness.
they are starting with cohen in the oval office with trump.
Worst game of Clue ever.
Trump’s base seems to be somewhat indifferent in regards to the trial. They might not like it, but they don’t care enough to actually protest against it. I wonder if this is Trump’s attempt to drum up some protests. I think he hates arriving and leaving each day without running into his supporters.
No it’s a sign they want something from Trump. For the others this is basically the job interview for VP and cabinet roles. For Johnson it’s showing Trump that he turned up for him, and his GOP opponents like MTG and Gaetz didn’t, for next time they try something.
cnn updates:
The jury is seeing an email from former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney from February 6, 2017.
“Just a reminder to get me the invoices you spoke to Allen about,” it reads. The jury previously saw this email.
McConney testified about this email earlier at trial. McConney said on the stand he sent this email to Michael Cohen at the direction of his boss Allen Weisselberg
Michael Cohen is discussing an Oval office meeting with Trump.
Cohen says he visited the White House that same day and had a conversation with Trump in the Oval Office.
“I was sitting with President Trump and he asked me if I was OK. He asked me if I needed money. And I said, ‘no all good.’ He said because I can get a check. I said, ‘no, I’m OK.’ He said, ‘Alright, just make sure you deal with Allen,’” Cohen testifies.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked whether Trump said anything about what would be forthcoming to Cohen.
“Yes, it would be a check for January and February,” Cohen says.
Under the plan, Cohen would send a series of false invoices requesting payment for legal services he performed pursuant to a retainer agreement and receive monthly checks for $35,000 for a total of $420,000 to cover the payment to Daniels, his taxes and a bonus, prosecutors alleged.
Prosecutors also allege there was never a retainer agreement.
The jury is now seeing emails between Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization controller, and Michael Cohen
In one of them dated February 14, 2017, Cohen asks McConney to remind him the monthly amount he is supposed to invoice.
McConney responds to remind Cohen it was $35,000 per month, the emails show.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger confirmed with Michael Cohen that had there been a retainer agreement it would be accompanied by an agreed upon monthly amount.
But there was no retainer agreement, Hoffinger said.
Cohen said there wasn’t one.
Cohen’s tone and manner so far is the same as Monday. He is careful, measured and even toned.
Michael Cohen confirmed the invoices were actually reimbursement for the hush money payment and not for legal services.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is asking whether the description in the invoice for legal services rendered was true.
“No ma’am,” Cohen says.
Hoffinger again asks Cohen what the payments were actually for.
He says, "Reimbursement to me of the hush money fee along with red finch and the bonus”
“Was this invoice a false record?” Hoffinger asks.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cohen says.
Hoffinger goes on to ask, “Were any of those invoices that you submitted based on services performed for the months indicated pursuant to a retainer agreement?”
“No ma’am they were for a reimbursement,” Cohen says.
The prosecutor is now going through the invoice, the check stub and check for March.
The check stub states it is a payment for a retainer agreement.
“Was this in fact a retainer for that month,” Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asks.
“No ma’am,” says Cohen
“Was the description in the check stub a false statement,” she asks. Cohen confirms it was.
For those wondering about possible defenses, this would be it. If Trump could produce such an agreement, and certify that it’s legitimate, the case would fall apart.
Of course, Cohen also knows this. And he’d know if such a document existed or not. If he’s lying here, he’s just set himself up for a slam-dunk perjury charge. So it would be extremely surprising if such a document actually shows up.
And the prosecution has shown that Donald likes to micro-manage everything. It’s beyond imagining that he wouldn’t have an agreement for such a retainer, if it actually existed.
What’s “red finch?”
from cnn updates:
The March check from the revocable trust was signed by Donald Trump Jr. and former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg, Cohen says.
Looking at a signed check for $35,000 to Cohen in April, Hoffinger asked, “Whose signature is it?”
“Donald J. Trump,” Cohen said.
“Were any of those checks in fact for work during the months described in those check stubs?” Hoffinger asks Cohen.
“No ma’am,” Cohen replied.
Jurors first saw these checks during testimony from Jeff McConney and Trump Org. employee Deborah Tarasoff. McConney testified that he would forward the invoices to Tarasoff, who handles accounts payable for the checks to be cut to Cohen.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is having Michael Cohen go through the invoices, and Cohen has his glasses on the edge of his nose as he’s reading them aloud.
Trump is leaning over and whispering with his attorney Todd Blanche as Cohen is walking through the paperwork.
As prosecutor Susan Hoffinger goes through each monthly invoice and payment to Michael Cohen, she makes an effort to repeatedly use language like “false invoice” that “falsely states” it is for a retainer agreement that did not exist.
Cohen confirms each time the invoice “falsely states” the payment was for services rendered during that month. She also confirms with him each time the description on each check stub “falsely states” it’s for a retainer.
Asked who signed each of the checks from April and beyond, Michael Cohen confirmed each time: “Donald J. Trump.”
The prosecution continued to review the checks for each month with Cohen.
Michael Cohen confirmed the December 1, 2017, invoice was the last he sent.
Asked why it was the last one, he said, “because I had been reimbursed $420,000.”
Remember: Cohen testified yesterday that the reimbursement included the $130,000 hush money fee, along with the Red Finch fee, a line item that is for tech services, and his bonus.
Michael Cohen says he did “minimal” work for Trump and Melania Trump in 2017.
Michael Cohen says he reviewed an agreement with Madame Tussauds for Melania Trump when the museum wanted to create a wax model of her.
Cohen says he was not paid for the work for Melania Trump.
“I didn’t expect to be paid on it. It wasn’t enough work to have me send an invoice,” Cohen testifies.
Michael Cohen said he was working with Trump attorney Marc Kasowtiz on Summer Zervos “matter” and delivered documents to Trump in the Oval Office.
Zervos, a former “Apprentice” contestant, sued Trump in 2017 after he denied allegations that he had sexually assaulted her. Zervos agreed to drop her claims in 2021.
Reminder: Cohen did not have an official role with the Trump White House.
Michael Cohen has confirmed that he occasionally exchanged emails with Alan Garten, general counsel for the Trump Organization, in that time in 2017 and beyond. He didn’t bill Trump for the work reiterating on the stand, “I didn’t expect to be paid and it was very minimal work.”
Cohen said he thinks he spent less than 10 hours on work for Trump in 2017.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked whether the $420,000 he was paid had anything to do with the minimal work he did for Mr. Trump in 2017? “No, ma’am,” Cohen said.
“As a result of the Stormy Daniels matter and her electing to go public Mr. Trump wanted a action to be filed — an arbitration action — to be filed against her for a breach of the nondisclosure agreement and so I was contacted by Eric Trump, as well as I spoke to Mr. Trump, regarding how to go forward with this arbitration proceedings,” Cohen testified.
Michael Cohen confirms he got more clients after being named Trump’s personal counsel. He said he did mostly “consulting” and “advisory” services for them —but no legal work.
Cohen says he made about $4 million in 2017 and 2018 from consulting work he did for other clients.
Michael Cohen said he continued to lie for Trump. Asked why he continued to lie, Cohen said, “Out of loyalty and in order to protect him.”
Cohen said he held the title of Trump’s personal counsel for “approximately 15 months.”
Trump opened his eyes to look at Cohen on the stand as he said this. He then whispered something to his attorney Emil Bove.
Michael Cohen says he was subpoenaed to testify to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees during the Russia investigations in 2017.
Cohen says he felt “a tremendous amount of pressure.”
“It’s the first time I had ever been subpoenaed by Congress to come in and testify,” he says.
Cohen’s attorney was being paid by the Trump Organization. Asked if that was important to him at the time, Cohen says, “very much so.”
Cohen says he felt he needed Trump’s legal support at the time, “I felt I needed it, it was extremely important to me.”
i believe that was an i. t. thing.