Staff Reports
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is trying to impede former President Donald Trump’s access to essential trial materials and his right to public comment on evidence, according to his lawyers. Trump’s lawyers labeled Bragg’s demands “extreme” and noted the double standard in the district attorney’s expectations. They accused prosecutors of not holding themselves accountable while holding Trump to these demands and restrictions.
The filing stated that “President Trump is the leading Republican candidate for president of the United States. To state the obvious, there will continue to be significant public commentary about this case and his candidacy, to which he has a right and a need to respond, both for his own sake and for the benefit of the voting public.”
Shockingly, Bragg charged Trump with 34 felonies, despite the fact that the charges had long passed the statute of limitations and should have been misdemeanors in the first place. These charges are related to Trump’s alleged affair with former porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election and his attempts to cover it up with false business statements. Although Trump denies the affair, he paid a settlement to Daniels to prevent her from speaking publicly about it.
Todd Blanche, Susan R. Necheles, and Joseph Tacopina, Trump’s lawyers, pointed out that Bragg made prohibited statements during his news conference. They argued that a deal had been in the works before Bragg took the stand, and that prosecutors believe their witnesses can quote from grand jury evidence but not Trump or his counsel.
The motive behind this prosecution is politically motivated, and most people on both sides of the aisle believe the indictment was designed with this goal in mind. It’s clear that Trump doesn’t want his ability to publicly discuss his case to be restricted, specifically since he has a considerable social media profile and vast support from Republicans who perceive him as the victim of unfair prosecution.
The prosecution seeks to eliminate his voice in the public domain, which is his sole mode of preventing his political enemies from harming his chances of winning the GOP nomination in 2024. According to Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and his podcast partner Ben Ferguson, his 2016 opponent, Hillary Clinton, could be prosecuted for the same wrongdoing as Trump as her campaign paid for the Steele Dossier, but she has not faced charges. This bias demonstrates how they seek to damage Trump, which has only aided him instead of working against him so far.
