President-elect Donald Trump prepares to speak at the conservative gathering AmericaFest in Phoenix on Dec. 29, 2024. (Photo by Gage Skidmore | CC BY-SA 2.0)
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in New York on 34 felony convictions on Jan. 10, just days ahead of his presidential inauguration, according to an order issued Friday by New York Justice Juan Merchan.
Merchan wrote he won’t seek incarceration for Trump but rather an “unconditional discharge” that would leave Trump with a criminal record in New York but avoids any serious penalties. A Trump spokesperson on Friday indicated the president-elect would fight the sentencing.
Trump, who is set to be sworn in as the 47th president on Jan. 20, has all but seen his multiple criminal cases go quiet after winning the 2024 presidential election in November.
Trump made history in May as the first former president to become a convicted felon after a jury found him guilty of falsifying business records to hide a hush-money scheme involving his personal lawyer Michael Cohen and adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump’s New York sentencing date was delayed multiple times, including shortly after Trump’s win on Nov. 5 prompted Merchan to pause and examine moving forward with sentencing a president-elect.
Trump’s attorneys also held up their client’s sentencing as they fought evidence presented in the case after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in July that former presidents are shielded from criminal prosecution for official acts.
Merchan ultimately ruled on Dec. 16 that the majority of Trump’s case “related entirely to unofficial conduct entitled to no immunity protection.”
No jail time for Trump
In his Friday order, Merchan said the complex situation involving Trump likely will never be seen again.
“Finding no legal impediment to sentencing and recognizing that Presidential immunity will likely attach once Defendant takes his Oath of Office, it is incumbent upon this Court to set this matter down for the imposition of sentence prior to January 20, 2025,” Merchan wrote, adding that all further avenues have been exhausted “in what is an unprecedented, and likely never to be repeated legal scenario.”
“This Court must sentence Defendant within a reasonable time following verdict; and Defendant must be permitted to avail himself of every available appeal, a path he has made clear he intends to pursue but which only becomes fully available upon sentencing,” Merchan continued.
Merchan has given Trump the option to appear in person or virtually for the sentencing.
Merchan’s order comes as the U.S. Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith, citing a longstanding protocol of not prosecuting sitting presidents, closed Trump’s two federal cases — one alleging election interference in the 2020 presidential election, and the other focused on classified documents illegally stashed at Trump’s Florida resort after his first presidency.
‘Witch Hunt’
Steven Cheung, Trump communications director, issued a statement Friday criticizing Merchan as “deeply conflicted” and alleging the judge is in “direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence.”
“This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” Cheung continued. “President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts. There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”
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Ashley Murray
Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Sunday, he said in a letter posted to social media, creating an unprecedented vacancy atop the Democratic ticket one month before he was scheduled to officially accept his party’s nomination.
In a followup post less than 30 minutes later, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee.
Biden’s withdrawal came after a weeks-long pressure campaign from party insiders following a disastrous June 27 debate performance against GOP candidate former President Donald Trump.
The move throws an already-unusual presidential race into further chaos, and it was not immediately clear Sunday how Democrats would choose a replacement for Biden in November’s election, though Harris would have a strong claim to lead the ticket.
Biden praised Harris as “an extraordinary partner” in the administration’s accomplishments.
Biden, who has been fighting a COVID-19 infection at home in Delaware since last week, was not specific about his reasons for stepping aside, but said he believed it was in the country’s best interest.
“It has been the great honor of my life to serve as your President,” he wrote in the one-page letter. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
Biden, 81, appeared frail and confused at several points throughout the debate, leading to worries among elected Democrats and the party’s voters that he was no longer up to the task of governing or contesting Trump’s bid to win back the White House.
As several congressional Democrats called for him to quit the race, others asked that he ramp up his public schedule and include more unrehearsed appearances that could demonstrate his fitness.
But a more robust schedule of news interviews, press conferences and campaign rallies did not sufficiently quiet the Democratic voices saying Biden’s candidacy was likely to throw the presidential race to Trump – whom Biden and others have described as an existential threat to U.S. democracy – and deeply handicap Democrats in other races up and down November’s ballot.
On Friday, Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico brought the number of senators calling on Biden to drop out to four. A day earlier, Montana Sen. Jon Tester said Biden should drop his reelection campaign and that Democrats should hold an open nomination process at their Chicago convention next month.
In the U.S. House, 29 Democrats had called for Biden to withdraw from the race by the end of the day July 19.
In a post following the announcement to his social media site, Truth Social, Trump said Biden was “never” fit to serve as president.
“Crooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve – And never was!” Trump wrote. “He only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn’t capable of being President, and he wasn’t – And now, look what he’s done to our Country.”
More details of announcement
In the letter, Biden praised his administration’s accomplishments over three-and-a-half years, saying he’d worked to make “historic investments” in the country, lowered prescription drug costs, nominated the first Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court and “passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world.”
“Together we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,” Biden wrote. “We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.”
Biden said he would “speak to the Nation later this week” about the decision.
He praised Harris and other supporters.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected,” he wrote. “I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.”
In follow-up posts, Biden said he was endorsing Harris and added a fundraising link.
“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” he said. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Trump gains in polls
The about face in what was to be a 2020 presidential election rematch leaves Democrats searching for a new candidate as Trump, who promises authoritarian-style leadership, has gained support in recent polls.
With just 107 days until Election Day, Biden’s move marks the latest date in modern presidential history that a candidate has withdrawn from the race.
President Lyndon Johnson announced in March 1968 that he would not seek reelection that year, leaving Democratic delegates to decide on a replacement – ultimately Vice President Hubert Humphrey – at the party’s convention that summer in Chicago.
Harris appears to be in a strong position to replace Biden as the party’s standard bearer, though questions remain about how the process will play out and who would become the vice presidential nominee.
Democrats praise decision
Reaction poured in shortly after the Sunday afternoon announcement, with Democrats largely praising Biden’s record and calling his decision courageous.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that he understood Biden’s decision to step out of the race was “not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.”
“Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being,” the New York Democrat said.
Several Republicans called for Biden to resign his office.
“If Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X. “He must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.”
A crescendoing chorus to step down
Biden faced calls for him to abandon his reelection bid from congressional Democrats, even as he tried to stabilize the debate aftershock by holding a series of campaign rallies, sitting down for interviews and holding a press conference at the annual NATO conference.
Democratic lawmakers largelypresented a public front of support for Biden in statements and passing interviews in the U.S. Capitol hallways with reporters.
What began as a trickle of dissent from rank-and-file Democrats — beginning with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and a handful of doubtful senior House Democrats — steadily grew to a torrent by Friday.
50-year career in Washington
Biden’s exit marks the closure of a long, storied career in Washington, including 38 years in the U.S. Senate, featuring stints leading the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees, and eight years as vice president under President Barack Obama.
Biden’s presidency was punctuated with major economic wins for Democrats, beginning with nearly $2 trillion to combat the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
His leadership with a Democratic majority in Congress resulted in substantial nationwide infrastructure investments, drove financial incentives to tackle climate change and revive the U.S. global role in semiconductor manufacturing, and strengthened flagging tax enforcement.
However, low approval ratings followed Biden throughout his presidency as Americans aimed their frustrations over inflation at the White House and assigned blame for record numbers of border crossings as a divided Congress – after Democrats lost their House majority in the 2022 midterms – failed to pass immigration restrictions negotiated with the administration.
Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war also hurt his support among young and progressive voters as Israel’s continued offensive against Hamas militants in the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip killed tens of thousands of civilians. Protesters against the U.S. supply of weapons to Israel interrupted dozens of Biden’s reelection campaign events through 2024.
Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.
JACOB FISCHLER
Jacob covers federal policy as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Based in Oregon, he focuses on Western issues. His coverage areas include climate, energy development, public lands and infrastructure.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
WASHINGTON — Taxpayers across the United States could be guaranteed a free public option to file federal tax returns online as the Internal Revenue Service announced plans Thursday to make its Direct File program permanent.
The pilot program offered in 12 states from March to April drew roughly 140,000 accepted returns this filing season and saved participants $5.6 million in tax preparation costs and helped filers receive $90 million in refunds, according to the IRS.
The states involved in this year’s pilot included Arizona, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
The agency is now inviting all 50 states to participate and will accommodate however many sign on, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters on a call Thursday morning.
“We heard directly from hundreds of organizations across the country, more than 100 members of Congress, individual direct file users and those that are interested in using direct file. The clear message is that many taxpayers across the nation want the IRS to provide options for filing electronically at no cost,” Werfel said.
Yellen touted results of a user survey that showed 90% of participants rate their experience as excellent or above average.
“They appreciated that it allowed them to quickly fix mistakes and there were no fees or upsells. The success of the Direct File pilot means there’s now strong demand for direct file from taxpayers across the country,” Yellen said.
The average American spends $270 and 13 hours filing their taxes, according to the agency’s Taxpayer Burden Survey.
The program ‘delivered’
The left-leaning Economic Security Project, which advocates for tax credits for low-income and middle class households, praised the IRS decision to make permanent the program that “delivered on the promise of free and simplified tax filing for taxpayers.”
“It was evident that taxpayers saw the value of Direct File, both in making their lives easier and demonstrating what great government customer service looks like,” Adam Ruben, the organization’s vice president of campaigns and political strategy, said in a statement Thursday.
“We are already working with our partners in states across the nation to support the expansion of Direct File next year so more taxpayers can take advantage of free and simplified tax filing in the next tax season,” he said.
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top tax writer of the upper chamber, praised the IRS announcement in a statement Thursday as “tremendous news for taxpayers all over the country who are tired of getting ripped off by the big tax prep companies that routinely upcharge for unnecessary services, oversell the quality of their products and offer crummy customer service.”
Werfel said the IRS cannot provide an estimated cost of expanding the program because the agency has yet to learn how many states will jump on board.
The cost to run the program this year totaled $31.8 million, breaking down to $24.6 million in IRS costs, and $7.2 million in U.S. Digital Service costs to create the online platform, Werfel said.
Among the tens of billions of dollars Congress authorized for the IRS in its 2022 budget reconciliation law, otherwise known as the Inflation Reduction Act, $15 million was earmarked for exploring a way for the public to electronically file federal returns for free directly to the government, rather than through a third party.
This year’s pilot program was only available to taxpayers with basic tax situations, including W-2 income or simple credits and deductions, like the child tax credit or student loan interest.
“Our goal is to gradually expand the scope of Direct File to support most common tax situations, focusing in particular on tax situations that impact working families,” Werfel said.
When asked on the call whether the success of the program depends on who is in the Oval Office next year, Werfel responded, “I truly believe that the vision that the IRS has for the future tax administration is a nonpartisan one.”
Opposition from GOP
The free public program was met with fierce opposition from congressional Republicans and GOP state officials who criticized it as redundant, “unconstitutional” and a threat to state tax revenue.
Many cited the already established IRS Free File program, a regularly evolving partnership between the federal agency and private tax prep software companies that provide a free federal return filing option.
That 22-year-old program has been riddled with issues, including low participation and “confusion and complexity” that led millions of eligible taxpayers to actually pay the commercial partners who were supposed to offer the free service, according to a 2019 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report.
A 2019 ProPublica investigation revealed deliberate tactics by Free File participant Intuit, maker of TurboTax, to cloud access to the free option.
Nearly two dozen state auditors, comptrollers and treasurers from 18 states urged the IRS to “shut down” the new Direct File pilot program because users could be confused about having to file a state return separately, therefore resulting in a loss in state revenue.
This argument is based on the fact that many commercial tax prep software companies and private tax preparers automatically prompt taxpayers to complete their state returns after filing the federal one.
The state officials who signed on to the March 25 letter to the IRS hailed from Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Two of the Direct File pilot program states — Arizona and New York — worked with the nonprofit Code for America to integrate a free state tax return filing option in concert with Direct File. The nonprofit reported that of the state returns filed through its tool, 98% were accepted.
Several state governments already offer free public electronic filing for state income tax returns that users must access separately through dedicated state websites, including Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, which offer the service regardless of income level. Some states, like California and Iowa, have income thresholds for free filing.
ASHLEY MURRAY
Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
WASHINGTON — Jurors in New York state court on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star ultimately to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
The first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president wrapped up in Manhattan, marking an extraordinary moment in American history not only for a former leader, but for one who is seeking to again hold the Oval Office. Trump, the Republican Party’s presumed 2024 presidential nominee, is now a convicted felon.
The jury deliberated for more than 11 hours, beginning Wednesday just before 11:30 a.m. Eastern and delivering the verdict to Justice Juan Merchan just after 5 p.m. Thursday, according to reporters at the courthouse.
New York does not allow recording in the courtroom but provides public transcripts of the proceedings. States Newsroom covered the trial in person on May 20.
Trump now faces penalties ranging from probation to up to four years in prison for each charge of falsifying business records in the first degree. It is unclear when Merchan will sentence Trump.
New York state prosecutors charged 34 felonies against the former president for each of the 11 invoices, 11 checks, and 12 ledger entries tied to reimbursing his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
Cohen, often referred to as Trump’s former “fixer,” said during trial testimony that he wired $130,000 to adult film star and director Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election to silence her about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Three criminal cases, two federal and one in Georgia, also still hang in the balance for Trump, but the likelihood of another trial happening before November’s election is slim.
This developing story will be updated.
ASHLEY MURRAY
Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
WASHINGTON — When a Purple Heart recipient named Pat reached out to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in November to inform her that he couldn’t transfer his GI bill benefits to his children, he wasn’t expecting congressional action to solve the problem.
He simply just wanted to let the Washington state Democrat know, he told States Newsroom in an exclusive interview.
With a child about to head to college, Pat, who didn’t want his last name used, had recently been told by the Army that he couldn’t transfer his education benefits to them because he received the Purple Heart after he was medically discharged. This rule does not apply to those who receive the medal while still in service.
Murray and Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday aimed at closing that loophole.
The legislation, titled the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, would permit retroactive award recipients who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001 to transfer their education benefits to one or more dependents. It was unveiled just ahead of Memorial Day, when the nation honors its deceased service members.
“As the daughter of a Purple Heart recipient, I’ve seen firsthand the enormous sacrifices Purple Heart veterans make to defend our freedoms, and I feel strongly that we should be doing absolutely everything we can to help all veterans and their families thrive,” Murray said in a statement Thursday.
“It doesn’t make any sense that service members who are awarded a Purple Heart after their service can’t transfer their GI benefits to their dependents, while those who receive it during their service can—and I am grateful to Pat, my constituent in Washington state who brought this gap in the law to my attention,” continued Murray, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.
“Our legislation will close this loophole and allow more children of Purple Heart veterans to further their education. I want to thank Senator Tillis for joining me on this legislation and I’ll be working hard to get it passed into law.”
Glitch in education benefits
Pat was medically discharged from the U.S. Army and retroactively received a Purple Heart for his actions during Iran’s retaliatory missile barrage in January 2020 on an Iraq airbase, after a U.S. drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
The Army later approved 39 Purple Hearts for service members who experienced the attack, according to a December 2021 report by the Army Times.
As his teenager looks to enroll at Central Washington University next year, Pat found out that by law his education benefits would only be available for transfer if he had received the award while still in service.
“My thought was, ‘I doubt that legislators would have done that intentionally.’ I just thought, you know, people probably just didn’t think about how that happens — that some people are going to get retroactive Purple Hearts, or for whatever reason in evaluating them, they’re delayed. So it’s not like an unusual thing,” Pat said in a phone interview.
“I wasn’t thinking much was going to happen, but I just wanted to write Senator Murray, who is my local senator, and let her know the issue. They responded by saying, ‘That’s an oversight on our part, and we want to make good on that.’”
Pat said he’s “grateful for Sen. Murray” and hopes his action is able to help other Purple Heart veterans. For now, his family is moving forward with the college enrollment process for his child, he said.
Benefits and dependents
Among the provisions in the legislation, Murray and Tillis’ bill would also allow veterans to split up 36 months worth of benefits to each of their dependents. For example, they could transfer 20 months to one and 16 months to another.
The bill, if enacted, would also prohibit the benefits from being treated as marital property or a marital estate asset.
And, the bill would permit dependents to access unused benefits if their veteran family member has died.
“Purple Heart recipients are heroes who honorably served our country at great costs, and this oversight that prevents servicemembers who received this distinguished award after their service from transferring their GI bill benefits to their dependents needs to be corrected immediately,” Tillis said in a statement Thursday.
“I am proud to co-introduce this commonsense legislation with Senator Murray to close this loophole and ensure every Purple Heart recipient and dependents are able to further their education,” continued Tillis, who also sits on the Senate’s Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The number of veterans who retroactively received the Purple Heart after their post-9/11 service is unclear. The bill is estimated to cost $500,000 in mandatory spending over 10 years, according to an informal analysis provided to Murray’s office by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
The bill has received praise from veterans groups, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
“Unfortunately, not every veteran’s service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States of America is fully recognized while they’re still in uniform,” IAVA CEO and Iraq War veteran Allison Jaslow said in a statement Thursday.
“The Purple Heart Veterans Education Act ensures that those veterans who’ve endured bodily harm on behalf of our nation, but weren’t recognized for it until their service concluded, are able to turn that recognition into an investment in the education of their loved ones.”
More Purple Heart recipients
The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have “greatly increased” the number of Purple Heart recipients as the Department of Defense has added some traumatic brain injuries as a recognized condition for the award, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
It wasn’t until a 2017 law that Purple Heart recipients were able to receive full post-9/11 GI Bill benefits regardless of their length of service. Previously, the recipients had to have 36 months of active service.
The Department of Defense does not maintain a record of the number of recipients, according to the CRS, but by law they do maintain a publicly accessible list with the permission of the veteran or next of kin.
Military historians and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor estimate about 1.8 million Purple Hearts have been awarded since 1932. The Army Historical Foundation estimated as of 2016 that 30,000 Purple Hearts had been awarded since 2001. The CRS cited this statistic.
ASHLEY MURRAY
Ashley Murray covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include domestic policy and appropriations.
Ohio Capital Journal is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 New York state felony offenses related to what prosecutors say were hush money payments to an adult film star.
In a brief but historic appearance in a Manhattan trial court, Trump, the first former president to face criminal prosecution, learned he was charged with falsifying business records 34 times from February to December 2017.
Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid Stormy Daniels, a porn actor who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump, $130,000 in exchange for her silence about the supposed relationship during the 2016 presidential race, according to a 16-page indictment and attached statement of facts that were unsealed Tuesday.
Trump then repaid Cohen in 34 payments over the course of 2017, but described them in Trump Organization records as payments for legal services, meant to cover up the payment to Daniels, prosecutors said.
Trump, a Republican candidate for president in 2024, denies having an affair with Daniels.
“These are crimes in New York no matter who you are,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said following the arraignment.
“Everyone stands equal before the law,” he added. “No amount of money and no amount of power changes that enduring American principle.”
Responding to a question asking why Bragg brought charges after his predecessor and federal prosecutors declined to do so, Bragg said his office had new evidence that wasn’t available to the prior district attorney and that New York state, as the “business capital of the world,” had a particular interest in prosecuting business fraud cases.
Trump has accused Bragg of being motivated by politics.
Just before arriving at the arraignment, Trump posted to his social media site, Truth Social.
“Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse” he wrote. “Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can’t believe this is happening in America. MAGA!”
Trump left the courthouse without commenting but is scheduled to speak later Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Payments covered up campaign crime, DA says
Cohen’s payments to Daniels in 2016 exceeded campaign contribution limits — and because they were meant to boost Trump’s White House bid, should be considered campaign funds, Bragg said. The records of Trump’s payments to Cohen therefore were meant to conceal a crime, making the false business records criminal.
“He could not simply say that the payments were a reimbursement for Mr. Cohen’s payments to Stormy Daniels,” Bragg said. “To do so, to make that true statement, would have been to admit a crime. So instead, Mr. Trump’s said he paid Mr. Cohen for fictitious legal services in 2017 to cover up actual crime committed the prior year.”
The indictment said the false business record was done “with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof.”
The payment to Daniels was part of a pattern Trump’s 2016 campaign employed to suppress stories about alleged Trump affairs, according to prosecutors’ statement of facts.
A longtime confidante of Trump, Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign finance and fraud charges. He also pleaded guilty to lying to Congress.
He has said his crimes were in service of Trump’s 2016 campaign and has cooperated with authorities.
House Republicans attack DA
Bragg and U.S. House Republicans have publicly quarreled over the case, with the Republican chairs of the House Judiciary, Oversight & Accountability and Administration committees accusing Bragg of conducting a politically motivated prosecution.
Ohio U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan stands with dozens of people calling for stopping the vote count in Pennsylvania on November 05, 2020 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan of Ohio and Oversight & Accountability Chair James Comer of Kentucky said in a Tuesday statement that Judge Juan Merchan should not impose an order on Trump not to speak about the case.
“To put any restrictions on the ability of President Trump to discuss his mistreatment at the hands of this politically motivated prosecutor would only further demonstrate the weaponization of the New York justice system,” they said.
“To even contemplate stifling the speech of the former commander in chief and current candidate for President is at odds with everything America stands for.”
Merchan did not issue a gag order Tuesday.
Jordan, Comer and House Administration Chair Bryan Steil of Wisconsin wrote to Bragg last month calling his prosecution politically motivated and demanding documents.
Greene headlines muted protest
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia traveled to New York City for a Tuesday morning rally in support of Trump across the street from the Manhattan Courthouse.
According to videos and photos posted to Twitter, the Georgia Republican spoke for roughly 10 minutes through a bullhorn as supporters and journalists surrounded her, but counter-protesters largely muffled her comments with drums and whistles.
New York Republican Rep. George Santos, who is under several legal and ethical investigations, made a brief appearance in the crowd prior to Greene’s comments, according to news media reports.
Greene wrote on Twitter hours before the rally that protesters were “coming to commit assault that can cause audible damage to everyone’s ears including NYPD.”
She wrote that protesters’ behavior should be considered “disorderly conduct” and that the “@NYCMayor better direct NYPD to lock these people up.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a Monday press conference that Greene should be on her “best behavior” during her visit.
In a “60 Minutes” interview that aired over the weekend, Greene defended her support for Trump and said other Republicans — including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and former House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin — “failed.”
Greene, a well-known 2020 election denier, sits on the House Committee on Oversight & Accountability and the Committee on Homeland Security.
Greene’s rally was presented in conjunction with the New York Young Republicans Club, which released a statement on March 30 that read in part: “President Trump embodies the American people — our psyche from id to super-ego — as does no other figure; his soul is totally bonded with our core values and emotions, and he is our total and indisputable champion. This tremendous connection threatens the established order.”
Apart from Greene’s appearance in New York, major pro-Trump protests appeared limited across the country Tuesday. The U.S. Capitol remained calm.
Democrats call for fair trial
Reaction from other political figures split along party lines, with several Republicans alleging political bias in the criminal process and Democrats saying the case should play out.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment on Trump’s indictment.
“I’m just not going to speak to this case. I’m not going to go beyond what the president shared with all of you,” she said during the daily press briefing.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York released a statement following Trump’s surrender.
“I believe that Mr. Trump will have a fair trial that follows the facts and the law,” Schumer said in the statement. “There’s no place in our justice system for any outside influence or intimidation in the legal process. As the trial proceeds, protest is an American right but all protests must be peaceful.”
House Judiciary ranking member Jerrold Nadler of New York said the indictment appeared well-reasoned and urged Republicans not to interfere with the judicial process.
“This matter will play out in the New York criminal justice system, no matter how MAGA Republicans try to obstruct the process,” he said. “In a desperate attempt to protect Mr. Trump, the most extreme House Republicans are already trying to bully the law enforcement officers involved. I do not know how this case will be decided, but I do know that DA Bragg will not be deterred or intimidated by the political stunts Jim Jordan and (U.S. House Speaker) Kevin McCarthy throw at him.”
House GOP leaders defend Trump
Republicans in Congress posted messages on Twitter criticizing the indictment.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, tweeted Tuesday was “a historic low for our nation.”
“The Democrat Party has proven there is nothing they won’t do to hold onto power — even if it means weaponizing our justice system to target a political opponent,” Emmer wrote.
Fourth-ranking House Republican Elise Stefanik of New York posted to Twitter: “I stand with President Trump.”
“Another dark day in our nation’s history. The Far Left will stop at nothing to punish Joe Biden’s number one political opponent Donald Trump,” Stefanik tweeted about a half hour later.
House Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania blamed the indictment on the “extreme left.”
“The Left’s weaponization of our criminal justice system for their own benefit is truly un-American,” he wrote on Twitter.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn said the “indictment is a gross abuse of power by a Democrat DA to get an outcome that the left has wanted for years.”
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney began his statement by saying that he believes Trump’s “character and conduct make him unfit for office.”
“Even so, I believe the New York prosecutor has stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda,” he continued.
Other Republican members of Congress, however, were not focused solely on Trump.
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin tweeted photos of a visit to Guymon, saying it was the first stop on his statewide tour.
“We discussed the ongoing drought, inflation, and the existential threat of communist China. Thanks to Mayor Kim Peterson for hosting us!” Mullin wrote.
Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick tweeted a photo of himself shaking hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of a congressional delegation to the country.
“I was able to ask questions AND witness firsthand the accountability of equipment and impact that our assistance is having,” McCormick wrote. “I will continue to fight to hold the Biden Administration accountable for doing the right things and for doing things right.”
Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts shared photos of a meeting with the Columbus Rotary in the afternoon after congratulating Finland for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization earlier in the day.
“We heard firsthand about Finland’s highly capable military during my recent official visit. They’ll be a critical asset to the trans-Atlantic Alliance in the face of Russian aggression,” Ricketts wrote.
Other charges possibly looming
As he readies for another White House run, Trump faces other criminal investigations.
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol after the congressional committee tasked with probing the causes of the insurrection made a criminal referral to the department.
Federal authorities are also investigating Trump’s handling of classified documents after his presidency. FBI agents retrieved boxes of classified material Trump took from the White House to his South Florida residence when he left office.
And a Georgia grand jury is looking into potential election interference from Trump during his reelection campaign in 2020. Trump was taped shortly after Election Day 2020 asking the Georgia secretary of state to “find” enough votes to overturn the state’s election results in his favor.
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JACOB FISCHLER
Jacob covers federal policy as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Based in Oregon, he focuses on Western issues. His coverage areas include climate, energy development, public lands and infrastructure.
Jennifer covers the nation’s capital as a senior reporter for States Newsroom. Her coverage areas include congressional policy, politics and legal challenges with a focus on health care, unemployment, housing and aid to families.
