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☆ Manhattan DA warns staff they might hear 'fictional explosions' as Lady Gaga films 'Joker' sequel nearby and threats loom over Trump investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg warned his already nervous staff that they might hear "fictional explosions" near their office. The Manhattan office has faced threats amid the hush-money investigation into Donald Trump. There's been crowds of media and police, increased security measures, violent threats, a package of "suspicious white powder," and now, warnings of "fictitious explosions" from a movie shoot. Bragg's warning came after a package with "suspicious white powder" arrived at the address where the grand jury is meeting. "You may see reports about an envelope of white powder that was sent to the office.

☆ New York Post and New York Daily News torch Trump for threats against Bragg in rare moment of agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Both New York tabloids on Saturday called out Trump's violent rhetoric toward Alvin Bragg. But both the liberal-leaning New York Daily News and conservative-leaning New York Post shared a rare moment of consensus on Saturday when they both condemned the threats of violence made by Donald Trump in response to news that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg could soon indict the former president. Similarly, The New York Daily News called Trump "THE DANGEROUS DON," adding that New York politicians slammed "Trump's 'racist bile.'" In one post he referred to Bragg as a George "Soros-backed animal," prompting New York politicians to condemn him for racism and anti-Semitism, according to the Daily News. The New York Post, which was once a reliable Trump stalwart, has recently turned its back on the former president.

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned of potential "death & destruction" if he faces criminal charges, hours after New York prosecutors probing his hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels said they would not be intimidated. for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country?" Trump has denied ever having an affair with Daniels, and has called the payment a "simple private transaction." He has said he did not commit a crime and has called the investigation politically motivated. The Manhattan grand jury probing Trump is not due to reconvene until next week.

☆ Trump says there could be 'death & destruction' if he's indicted in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump said that there's a "potential" for "death & destruction" if he's charged by NY prosecutors. for the Republican Party nomination, with a Crime, when it is known by all that NO Crime has been committed, & also known that potential death & destruction in such a false charge could be catastrophic for our Country?" Trump wrote on his Twitter-like website. Bragg, Trump wrote in the all-caps Truth Social post, "IS JUST CARRYING OUT THE PLANS OF THE RADICAL LEFT LUNATICS. Steel barricades also went up around Trump Tower this week amid his calls for protest, and law enforcement officials have taken steps to secure the downtown Manhattan courthouse where Trump would be arraigned if he's indicted.

☆ GOP Rep. Jim Jordan says he can't comment on Trump's post threatening violence because he's unable to read it without his glasses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jim Jordan said he couldn't comment on Trump's statement that there could be "death" and "destruction" if he's indicted. Jordan initially said he hadn't read Trump's Truth Social post. When a reporter showed him the post, Jordan said he couldn't read well without his glasses. NBC News' Sahil Kapur reported that he asked Jordan about his thoughts on Trump's warning, but Jordan said he hadn't seen the former president's Truth Social post. Kapur added that when he showed Jordan Trump's post, the Ohio congressman replied that he couldn't read it well without his glasses.

☆ Death threat, powder sent to Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg after Trump warning of violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was threatened with assassination in a letter containing powder, hours after former President Donald Trump warned Friday of "potential death & destruction" if he is indicted by a grand jury in a criminal case led by Bragg. said the typewritten note in a letter contained in an envelope addressed to Bragg, WNBC reported, citing law-enforcement sources. The letter, containing an Orlando, Florida, postmark from Tuesday, was found in the DA's mail room in a lower Manhattan building after being received at 11:40 a.m. The white powder in the envelope was found to be non-hazardous, the New York Police Department told CNBC. NYPD investigators and the FBI, which has an office close by, were at the scene investigating the letter.

NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - New York City prosecutors on Thursday said Donald Trump created a false expectation of his arrest and led fellow Republicans in Congress to interfere with a probe of his hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. On Saturday, the former president forecast he would be arrested on Tuesday in the probe by the Manhattan District Attorney's office. The letter said the chairmen's accusations "only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene." It confirmed that Bragg's office was "investigating allegations that Donald Trump engaged in violations of New York State penal law." A former fixer for Trump said he made the payment to Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election at Trump's direction.

☆ Jim Jordan's push for Alvin Bragg's testimony on Trump probe is 'unprecedented,' Manhattan DA's office says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A push from House Republicans to get Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to testify about his probe and expected indictment of former President Donald Trump is "unprecedented," an advisor to Bragg told GOP lawmakers Thursday. In responding to Republicans, Dubeck questioned congressional authority to look into Bragg's investigation. "Congress is not the appropriate branch to review pending criminal matters," Dubeck said in the letter to Jordan and the two other House Republicans dated Thursday. "To assist Congress in understanding the ways in which the DA's Office has used federal funds, we are preparing and will submit a letter describing its use of federal fund," Dubeck said. Dubeck's response to House Republicans comes as Jordan and other Trump defenders leverage the power of their committees to try to discredit the Manhattan investigation.

☆ Trump mocks calls for his supporters to stay 'peaceful' and falsely claims that 'this is the Gestapo' in all-caps rant
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump ripped into the Manhattan DA in an all-caps Truth Social rant Thursday. He also appeared to mock calls for his supporters to remain "peaceful" as he stares in the face of a potential indictment. Trump continued, falsely claiming that "THIS IS NO LEGAL SYSTEM, THIS IS THE GESTAPO, THIS IS RUSSIA AND CHINA, BUT WORSE. The former president, who over the weekend called on his followers to "protest" and "take our nation back," also mocked calls for his supporters to stay civil and peaceful. In one infamous December 2020 tweet, Trump told his supporters to converge on the Capitol to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election.

☆ Trump claims Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is backed by George Soros. Here's why that attack is an antisemitic trope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Trump said Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is backed by the billionaire philanthropist George Soros. To be clear, there is no evidence that George Soros has donated to Bragg. "George Soros and Alvin Bragg have never met in person or spoken by telephone, email, Zoom etc.," Vachon told Insider via email. Neither George Soros nor Democracy PAC contributed to Alvin Bragg's campaign for Manhattan District Attorney." To the far right, Soros represents a member of that cabal, said Lorber, an analyst at Political Research Associates.

☆ Who is Alvin Bragg? What to know about the Manhattan district attorney investigating Trump.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is leading the Trump investigation into Stormy Daniels' hush money payoff. He led the New York attorney general's successful 2018 lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which paid $2 million in court-ordered damages for illegally misusing charitable funds. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks at a press conference after the sentencing hearing of the Trump Organization at the New York Supreme Court in New York City. Bragg is highly controversial for his approach to crimeBeyond the ongoing Trump investigation, Bragg has been harshly criticized for being too lenient while the city struggles with rising crime. Bragg's stance provoked instant blowback in New York City and in conservative media.

☆ The Manhattan DA's likely case against Trump would be far from a 'slam dunk conviction'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

New York state prosecutors have never brought an election law case involving a federal campaign, per NYT. If the DA's office brings a criminal case against Trump, it would be far from a "slam dunk conviction," one ex-prosecutor said. Among the charges Trump could face is violating New York's business records statute, which bars individuals from falsifying business records with an intent to defraud. Some legal experts have pointed out that New York has a long history of bringing felony prosecutions based on falsifying business records. If Trump is charged with falsifying business records, "expect to see this defense."

☆ There's 'no way in hell' Trump's bombastic approach to his potential indictment would help him in court: defense attorney
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There's "no way" Trump's reaction to his possible indictment will help him, defense attorneys said. As a potential indictment looms, Trump has lashed out on social media, calling for protests. But there's no way that Trump's bombastic approach to his possible indictment over allegations of a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels would help him in a courtroom, criminal defense attorneys not connected to the case told Insider. Bederow, a former prosecutor for the Manhattan district attorney's office, called Trump's recent behavior toward his potential indictment "a terrible look" that demonstrates "instability" and "poor judgment." "There's no way Trump begging to be perp-walked and handcuffed and demanding that his supporters protest is helping" a potential criminal case, Bederow said.

☆ Manhattan prosecutor's office says Trump created a 'false expectation' of immediate arrest and accuses House Republicans of interfering with investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office fired back at Republicans on Thursday. In a letter, the DA's office accused the GOP of interfering in a legal investigation. Former President Donald Trump had earlier claimed he would be arrested on Tuesday. The letter from Bragg's office was published Thursday afternoon by Axios. That came after Trump, over the weekend, asserted that he would be arrested on Tuesday of this week.

A Manhattan grand jury did not meet as had been expected on Wednesday, a law enforcement source said, although it was unclear why that was or how much longer the grand jury would take to conclude its work. The Insider news outlet first reported the news that the grand jury would not convene on Wednesday. A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office declined to comment on the grand jury. Security officials are bracing for possible unrest, but so far few of Trump's supporters have heeded his call for protests. Several media outlets reported that his lawyer, Evan Corcoran, would testify on Friday before a federal grand jury in Washington investigating whether Trump mishandled sensitive federal documents.

But members of the grand jury were told to stay home on Wednesday, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secret grand jury proceedings. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Security was high around the courthouse where the grand jury has been meeting, with court officers out early and barricades up around the building. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - A New York grand jury was expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield the first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen has said he made the payments at Trump's direction to buy her silence about Trump's extramarital affair. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

☆ Joe Tacopina risks being disqualified as Trump's defense lawyer because Stormy Daniels considered hiring him 5 years ago, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Depending on what Daniels told Tacopina, he could be disqualified in the case, experts say. Tacopina didn't end up taking on Daniels as a client. And the communications from Daniels didn't create a conflict of representation, according to Tacopina. Even if Tacopina didn't take on Daniels as a client, lawyers still have obligations to prospective clients, legal experts say. That appears to be the position of Daniels' attorney.

☆ Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's ties to billionaire George Soros are not as close as Republicans claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

As Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg moves to bring an expected indictment against Donald Trump, Republicans lawmakers leaping to the former president's defense have fixated on what they call Bragg's ties to billionaire George Soros. There is also no indication the Open Society Policy Center's donation was directed toward an eventual Color of Change campaign to influence Bragg. The funding from Soros' nonprofit was not targeted toward the campaign to support McCarter, the Color of Change official told CNBC. Open Society's website says the group's donation was intended "to support [Color of Change]'s social welfare activities" over the course of five years. Months before Bragg won a 2021 Democratic primary on his way to becoming Manhattan DA, George Soros' son, Jonathan, and his wife, combined to donate $20,000 to Bragg's campaign, state records show.

☆ Trump seems disconnected from reality and is still rolling around Mar-a-Lago in a golf cart even as a potential indictment in New York looms: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump is still living a relaxed lifestyle, despite facing a possible indictment, per NYT. Citing several people who have spent time with Trump in the last few days, The Times reported that the former president was seen cruising around Mar-a-Lago in his golf cart. Trump faces a possible indictment by a New York grand jury, as the Manhattan district attorney's office investigates the hush-money case involving porn star Stormy Daniels. The Times reported that Trump immediately went golfing after making the social media post, leaving his legal team to answer the public's confusion. After golfing on Saturday, Trump then flew to Oklahoma to watch collegiate wrestling, The Times reported.

☆ Here's what Trump's possible arrest in New York could look like
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Anti-Trump demonstrators protest outside the Manhattan District Attorney's office in New York City on March 21, 2023. But even if the grand jury hearing evidence in the probe does vote for an indictment, it's unclear when Trump would be arrested. Here's how the process could go:SurrenderThe grand jury was impaneled in January to determine whether there was enough evidence in Bragg's probe to charge Trump with a crime. Given Trump's recent calls for protests, prosecutors may have an incentive to give Trump a shorter surrender date, Bachner said. Once at the DA's office, Trump would be formally arrested, he'd be fingerprinted, get his mugshot taken and be interviewed by DA detectives for an arrest report.

NEW YORK, March 22 (Reuters) - - A New York grand jury is expected on Wednesday to resume its closed-door investigation of whether Donald Trump made illegal hush-money payments to a porn star, which could yield first-ever criminal charges against any U.S. president. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating $130,000 paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of Trump's 2016 election campaign. Trump has denied the affair took place, and others in his orbit have said Cohen acted on his own. On Monday, the grand jury heard from a witness, lawyer Robert Costello, who said that Cohen acted on his own. Cohen has publicly said that Trump directed him to make the payments and has appeared twice before the grand jury.

☆ Trump indictment grand jury not 'likely' to meet Thursday either after Manhattan DA paused Stormy Daniels case Wednesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Manhattan grand jury meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the Trump 'hush-money' case. Wednesday's grand jury session was canceled, Insider first reported. Star prosecution witness Michael Cohen had told reporters as recently as last week that he had expected to be the grand jury's final witness. But Wednesday's pause in the grand jury's activity — especially if the panel does take the rest of this week off — will likely delay the process into next week. Prosecutors are barred from divulging grand jury details; Bragg's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Exclusive: Trump 'hush money' grand jury called off for Wednesday, delaying possible indictment vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Manhattan grand jury meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the Trump 'hush-money' case. Wednesday's grand jury session has been canceled, high-ranking law enforcement sources tell Insider. Star prosecution witness Michael Cohen had told reporters as recently as last week that he had expected to be the grand jury's final witness. The reason for the pause could be unrelated to the grand jury's investigation. Prosecutors are barred from divulging grand jury details; Bragg's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Trump's looming indictment causes his feud with DeSantis to boil over into insults and insinuations about a 'porn star' and 'underage' classmates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The Trump indictment news put DeSantis on the spot, given he's expected to run for president. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair," DeSantis said. "But when he can actually make a positive difference — whether that's the Silicon Valley bailout or the Trump indictment — he shuts up for political convenience. Asked about the battle, DeSantis' political team pointed to the governor's comments Monday saying that he would not participate in helping Bragg with an extradition. Ron DeSantis' interview with the New York Post.

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