Judge Juan Merchan today held former President Donald Trump in contempt for making mischaracterizing remarks about the jurors during a telephone interview. The presumptive GOP presidential nominee said the jury was “mostly all Democrat,” and called the situation “very unfair.” His remarks, made on April 22 to the far-right media outlet Real America’s Voice, are a violation of a standing gag order. It was Trump’s tenth violation of the gag order.
BREAKING: TODAY’S WITNESS is Trump Org Controller Jeffrey McConney
That means the DA is opening the second phase of the case: pivoting from the charged campaign conspiracy to….
the cover up–the 34 docs
Want to read all about him & phase two? https://t.co/4M6OQvujCP
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) May 6, 2024
Harvard Law-trained attorney and legal analyst Norm Eisen reported on the jury today from the Manhattan courtroom where Trump faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business documents to cover up payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
He wrote: “Most important thing to watch this morning (after Trump’s face when was told for violation #11 he’s going to jail): The jury as we get into Part II of the case. They are attentive & focused even though this is the mundane stuff. I’m mainly watching them.”
Eisen added: “BREAKING: TODAY’S WITNESS is Trump Org Controller Jeffrey McConney. That means the DA is opening the second phase of the case: pivoting from the charged campaign conspiracy to…. the cover up–the 34 docs.”
Yeah, Cohen had a checkered past before he broke with Trump & made amends
DA is lowering expectations for his eventual testimony—& Cohen will IMHO far exceed them
I explained why I think the jury will believe him @CNN w @jessicadean pic.twitter.com/2zi6AyVsNx
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) May 6, 2024
Note: Eisen was hired as counsel by the U.S. House of Representatives for Trump’s first impeachment which involved him speaking with Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, who is scheduled to testify in Trump’s current criminal trial.
Eisen said of Cohen: “Yes, he had a very checkered history when he was associated with Donald Trump, [but] I found him to be very persuasive.” Eisen believes the prosecution is lowering the expectations for Cohen’s testimony. “I think he’s going to exceed them,” Eisen said, “but it’s going to be a tough cross-examination for the ages.”