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☆ 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.

☆ Steel barricades are going up outside Trump Tower in New York as a Trump indictment looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The NYPD has set up steel barricades outside of the Trump Tower in New York City. Police officers were also seen stationed outside Trump Tower, per the Associated Press. A video from the Associated Press showed steel barricades going up in front of the golden doors of Trump Tower on Tuesday. A person dressed up as Donald Trump in an orange prison jumpsuit stands in front of the barricaded Trump Tower. AP Photo/Bryan WoolstonOn Monday, police put up similar steel barricades outside the Manhattan Criminal Court, where Trump could be indicted, per Politico.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

☆ Trump's legal troubles are threatening to upend the 2024 GOP race, and he's not even charged
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Former President Donald Trump faces possible criminal charges as he's running for president. "If it's a circus, there's only one ringmaster and that's Trump," said GOP pollster B.J. Operatives thinking of ways to land punches on Trump say GOP primary candidates could argue that he would lose the general election because of his legal troubles. Political insiders widely concede that a potential indictment — and how Trump responds — could still backfire on GOP challengers and strengthen Trump. While the circumstances surrounding the 2024 primary are uncharted territory, polling shows a cohort of GOP voters has grown weary of Trump and is seeking an alternative.

☆ 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.

☆ How the Potential Arrest of Donald Trump Could Unfold
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Corinne Ramey | James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

If Donald Trump were to be charged, his lawyers could negotiate a time for him to report to the Manhattan district attorney’s office, where security has been enhanced. The Manhattan grand jury hearing evidence about Donald Trump’s role in a payment to a porn star appears to be wrapping up its work, indicating that prosecutors could soon ask jurors to vote on an indictment of the former president. The grand jury didn’t meet Tuesday, but is set to meet again Wednesday. Mr. Trump, who has denied wrongdoing, has said the probe by the office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg , a Democrat, is politically motivated.

☆ Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg defiant after House GOP demands answers over a possible Trump indictment: 'We will not be intimidated'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alvin Bragg's office responded to House GOP demands that he testify about his investigation of Trump. The DA is investigating Trump's role in a hush-money payment made during his 2016 campaign. The lawmakers, who chair the powerful House judiciary, oversight and administration committees, said a possible indictment of Trump by Bragg would be "an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority." Trump has denied the affair with Daniels and any wrongdoing related to the payment. Legal experts say it's unlikely that Bragg would appear before House lawmakers to testify about the investigation, largely because it remains ongoing.

☆ Donald Trump's lawyer says their legal fight in Manhattan has become an 'all-out war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina called their legal fight in Manhattan an "all-out war." "At that point, this is an all-out war," Tacopina told podcast host Kimberly Guilfoyle — who is also Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancé. Tacopina said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team "will be very sorry" if they bring charges against Trump. But the picture that Tacopina painted of a potential Trump surrender did not include an assurance that Trump will go quietly. Tacopina's choice of the words "all-out war" comes after Trump on Saturday called for his supporters to protest.

☆ Trump is 'going about business as usual' and enjoying higher polling on the day he claimed he'd be arrested, his lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Donald Trump said he would be arrested on Tuesday. Trump is "going about business as usual" and enjoying rising poll numbers, his lawyer said. A Secret Service officer stands in front of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Palm Beach, Florida. Alina Habba, an attorney for Donald Trump, arrives at Trump Tower in New York, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. AP Photo/Bryan WoolstonOn Truth Social, Trump spent Monday and Tuesday bragging about his poll numbers and criticizing Bragg.

☆ 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.

Politico reported that a grand jury was preparing to indict Trump, the front-runner for the Republican 2024 nomination. DeSantis has not declared a presidential run but is widely expected to do so and is by far Trump's most formidable Republican challenger. At a press conference DeSantis criticized Bragg but did not dismiss the case against Trump outright. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair, I just, I can't speak to that," he said. Other than Pence and DeSantis, most major declared and prospective Republican presidential candidates have remained silent on the issue.

A case would be a historic first as no current or former U.S. president has ever been criminally charged. Officials are meeting at New York Police Department headquarters to plan for the indictment, according to an unnamed person involved in the planning, Politico reported. "We’ll be discussing how we bring Trump in," the person involved in the planning was quoted as saying. Trump has denied the affair happened and called the investigation by Bragg, a Democrat, a witch hunt. The New York probe is one of several legal inquiries Trump faces.

Joseph Cress/USA TODAY Sports via REUTERSMarch 20 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's lawyers on Monday asked a Georgia court to quash a special grand jury report detailing its investigation into the former U.S. president's efforts to overturn his 2020 statewide election defeat. The Georgia motion seeks to bar prosecutors from using any evidence or testimony derived from the grand jury's investigation. If charged in New York or Georgia, Trump would become the first former U.S. president to face criminal prosecution. At Willis's request, a special grand jury was convened last year to aid in her investigation. While the grand jury did not have the authority to produce indictments, it could issue subpoenas and heard testimony from 75 witnesses, including top Trump allies such as U.S.

WASHINGTON, March 20 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to be indicted by a grand jury late Monday or on Wednesday in a hush payments case involving a porn star, Politico reported on Monday, citing three unidentified people involved in the deliberations. Law enforcement officials are meeting at New York Police Department headquarters to plan for the indictment, according to an unnamed person involved in the planning, the news outlet reported. "We’ll be discussing how we bring Trump in," the person involved in the planning was quoted as saying. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has been investigating a $130,000 hush payment made by Michael Cohen, Trump's estranged former fixer, to porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign. He said "illegal leaks" indicated an arrest on Tuesday, but provided no evidence, and his spokesman said Trump had not been notified of any impending arrest.

☆ Witness may challenge Michael Cohen claims in Trump case
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump greets supporters accompanied by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds during a campaign rally, in Davenport, Iowa, U.S. March 13, 2023. Robert Costello has been asked to appear before the grand jury at the request of Trump's lawyers because he may have information that calls into question events as described by Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, the source said. Cohen testified before the grand jury twice last week. Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has said he would continue campaigning even if charged with a crime. The grand jury will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to formally charge Trump with a crime.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kevin McCarthy say Americans shouldn't protest if Trump gets indicted
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kevin McCarthy say people shouldn't protest if Trump gets indicted. "I don't think people should protest this, no," McCarthy said, adding that "we want calmness out there." "And I think President Trump, if you talk to him, he doesn't believe that, either." "Of course, President Trump means peaceful protests," Greene added, per the outlet. Representatives for Trump, Greene, and McCarthy did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comments sent after business hours.

☆ Stormy Daniels is tweeting up a storm with zinger after zinger about Donald Trump ahead of a possible indictment in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Stormy Daniels posted snarky tweets about Donald Trump ahead of his possible indictment in New York. Trump could be indicted in New York over hush money payments to Daniels. Daniels, a self-described porn star, is at the center of the hush money payments investigation that may lead to a Trump indictment in New York in the coming days. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is currently investigating if Trump violated New York election and document laws by giving Daniels $130,000 in hush money payments to keep quiet about an affair. Daniels' lawyer and a spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ George Conway says an insanity defense is Donald Trump's best shot against a possible indictment in New York, but that he'll never use it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

George Conway says an insanity defense might be Trump's best shot in New York. Conway was weighing in on a series of incoherent Truth Social rants Trump posted on Sunday. Conway was responding on Twitter to screenshots of one of Trump's Truth Social rants on Sunday. "Are the coup-attempter's lawyers intending to use these posts as their proof in an insanity defense?" Conway told Insider on Sunday that from a legal perspective, even an insanity defense won't help Trump get off the hook in New York.

☆ House Republicans are rallying to Trump's defense, but they're unlikely to be able to stop a possible indictment
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Sonam Sheth | Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

House Republicans are demanding documents and testimony from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. It's the latest major step the GOP-led House has taken to defend Trump as he faces a possible criminal indictment. And without the backing of the Justice Department, it's unclear what consequences, if any, Congress can impose on Bragg's office. Yet while the lawmakers may have made valid criticisms, former Trump White House attorney Ty Cobb said, the letter is "bad form." Monday's letter also comes after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pledged to subject Bragg's office to congressional investigations in anticipation of a possible Trump indictment.

Security analysts who monitor far-right chatter on social media, said initially the impulse of Trump's followers was to heed his call and hit the streets. But by Monday, the tone had shifted, according to the analysts and messages on several social media platforms examined by Reuters. "QAnon-related folks and some MAGA adherents are talking about how this is one big trap in some cases, that this is an operation intended to get (Trump's) supporters in trouble," Segal said. Almost immediately thereafter there was a second wave of, 'Don't protest, it's a trap just like January 6th,' that really overtook the first," Burghart said. Activist Laura Loomer, a prominent Trump supporter in Florida, called on Saturday for a "peaceful" Tuesday protest outside Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

A grand jury was expected to indict Trump late on Monday or on Wednesday, Politico reported, for arranging payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the White House again in 2024, had predicted he would be arrested on Tuesday. But on Monday, the grand jury still appeared to be collecting evidence before deciding whether charges were warranted. New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters police were monitoring social media and keeping an eye out for "inappropriate actions" in the city. Trump faces two civil trials involving former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who claims that Trump defamed her by denying he raped her.

☆ US House Republicans launch investigation of Manhattan DA in Trump probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

His fellow Republicans including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have accused Bragg, a Democrat, of abuse of power and using his office to pursue a political agenda. McCarthy had also said he would direct House committees to determine whether federal funds have been used in the district attorney's probe. The letter was signed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil. "Congress has no jurisdiction to investigate the Manhattan DA, which receives no federal funding nor has any other federal nexus," added Goldman, who was lead counsel in a 2019 House impeachment of Trump. Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has said he would continue campaigning even if charged with a crime.

☆ DeSantis breaks his silence on the 'manufactured circus' around expected Trump indictment: 'I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ron DeSantis of Florida has ended his silence on former President Donald Trump's expected indictment by a Manhattan grand jury. Amid criticism from Trump and his campaign, DeSantis generally has stayed away from hitting Trump directly. "I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. The Trump campaign hit DeSantis over the weekend when he failed to issue a statement as news swirled predicting Trump's expected indictment this week. You're not fooling anyone," tweeted Liz Harrington, Trump campaign spokeswoman, referring to DeSantis' promotion of his new book, "The Courage to be Free."

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