Trump Corruption

The Daily Beast reports: Former publishing executive David Pecker is set to testify first for the prosecution at Donald Trump’s Manhattan trial this week. Pecker, who ran The National Enquirer at the time of the alleged hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign, would be able to help shed light on how the publication …

The New York Times reports: The first criminal trial of an American president will debut on Monday for a jury of 12 New Yorkers, as prosecutors and defense lawyers deliver opening statements that provide dueling interpretations of the evidence against Donald J. Trump. The unprecedented case, which centers on Mr. Trump’s efforts to cover up a sex scandal involving a …

Newsweek reports: Melania Trump announcing the sale of a new customizable necklace on her website has been met with a wave of criticism and mockery on social media. On Sunday, the former first lady took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce the unveiling of her Mother’s Day necklaces selling for $245 apiece. The former model’s “signature is included on each …

Politico reports: A PAC controlled by former President Donald Trump that has devoted tens of millions of dollars to his and his allies’ legal bills could be running out of cash after spending nearly $3.7 million on legal fees in March. Save America, Trump’s leadership PAC, has now spent $59.5 million on legal consulting since the start of 2023. It …

The Guardian reports: Residents at Trump Plaza, a 40-story high-rise in the suburban New York city of New Rochelle, are pushing for the building to be renamed and to escape a near-two decade association with the legally-troubled ex-president and real estate mogul. It would follow the slew of buildings in New York City and elsewhere that have abandoned the Trump …

The Associated Press reports: He seems “selfish and self-serving,” said one woman. The way he carries himself in public “leaves something to be desired,” said another. His “negative rhetoric and bias,” said another man, is what is “most harmful.” Over the past week, Donald Trump has been forced to sit inside a frigid New York courtroom and listen to a …

The Hill reports: The New York attorney general’s office has asked a judge to void the $175 million bond former President Trump secured to put off paying the larger monetary damage award in his civil fraud case. State lawyers said in court filings Friday that the former president and his co-defendants — the Trump Organization and its top executives, including …

CNN Business reports: Trump Media, the parent company of the former president’s Truth Social, alerted Nasdaq Inc. on Thursday of what the company suspects is illegal activity driving down the price of its shares. In a letter to the exchange, Devin Nunes, the CEO of Trump Media (DJT), laid out what he believes could be deemed “naked” short selling. Naked …

Politico reports: Rep. Bennie Thompson, the former chair of the Jan. 6 select committee, has filed legislation that would strip Secret Service protection for anyone sentenced to jail for a felony, our colleague Kyle Cheney reports. It’s a not-so-subtle shot at Donald Trump, who is sitting in an NYC courtroom facing felony charges this week. Under the Mississippi Democrat’s bill, …

Law & Crimes reports: A federal watchdog group has sued former President Donald Trump, asking that the FBI and the Department of Justice investigate whether he knowingly and criminally made “material false statements” about a $50 million loan which “may have never existed at all.” “His reporting of a non-existent loan dwarfs portrayals by other government employees, who have been …

Courthouse News reports: A federal judge ruled today that the indictment for Donald Trump employees Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira was detailed enough for both to stand trial on accusations they conspired with their boss to hide sensitive records at his Mar-a-Lago resort. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon rejected arguments in an order filed Thursday from Trump’s co-defendants …

“If a President does not have Immunity, the Opposing Party, during his/her term in Office, can extort and blackmail the President by saying that, ‘if you don’t give us everything we want, we will Indict you for things you did while in Office,’ even if everything done was totally Legal and Appropriate. “That would be the end of the Presidency, …

The Meidas Touch reports: Donald Trump has hired a new addition to his communications team, according to reports, to assist his campaign with a very unique request. Natalie Harp is tasked with accompanying Trump on golf trips and to other events “equipped with a laptop and sometimes a printer to show him uplifting news articles, online posts, or other materials.” …

Reuters reports: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is using his hush money trial to squeeze his loyal army of small donors and personally lobby major backers as he scrambles to reduce a major fundraising disadvantage with Democratic President Joe Biden. His campaign has been firing off daily, dramatically worded fundraising appeals to small donors – who rallied to support him …

The Daily Beast reports: Even before Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York began, it was clear that the lengthy and demanding proceedings would fundamentally change his 2024 campaign. But it only took a few days to show that Trump’s hush money trial will be even more damaging, more constraining, and more significant than anyone expected. On Tuesday, The Daily …

Politico reports: Former President Donald Trump’s political operation said Thursday that it plans to deploy more than 100,000 attorneys and volunteers across battleground states to monitor — and potentially challenge — vote counting in November. The initiative — which the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee described as “the most extensive and monumental election integrity program in the nation’s …

Law & Crime reports: The so-called “Kraken” of the legal system has won a personal and professional victory in the Lone Star State. On Thursday, a Dallas-based court of appeals upheld a trial court decision that decided against any form of discipline for attorney Sidney Powell over her November 2020 lawsuits that sought “to prevent the certification of election results …

Variety reports: Netflix reported its first-quarter 2024 earnings Thursday, revealing it added a whopping 9.33 million paid subscribers. Analysts consensus estimates were for Netflix to add 3.93 million paid subs globally in Q1 (to reach 264.21 million), according to StreetAccount. These impressive Q1 results come following a better-than-expected 13.1 million subscribers added for the fourth quarter of 2023, which was …

ABC News reports: A federal judge has rejected an effort by former President Donald Trump to pause several civil lawsuits filed against him seeking to hold him accountable for his actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot, according to a newly posted ruling. Trump had asked D.C. District Judge Amit Mehta to stay proceedings in the lawsuits — brought …

Raw Story reports: “I’m supposed to be in New Hampshire,” Trump said to reporters after emerging from the courthouse. “I’ve been here all day.” The former president reiterated that he believes the trial against him, for business record fraud to allegedly cover up an affair with an adult film star ahead of the 2016 election, is “very unfair.” He waved …