Todd Blanche is the lead attorney representing former President Donald Trump in his criminal trial in Manhattan where the presumptive GOP presidential nominee faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business documents to cover up payments his then-lawyer Michael Cohen delivered to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 presidential election.
I have never in 30 years at the bar seen more objections to an opening statement
Blanche is pushing the limits
This fight is about a wrong finding in a recent case involving Cohen that he was not candid that is INADMISSIBLE
Yet Blanche referenced it. That’s wrong.
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) April 22, 2024
After Blanche delivered his opening statement in the courtroom, legal analyst Norm Eisen, former co-counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the first impeachment and trial of President Donald Trump in 2020, reported:
“I have never in 30 years at the bar seen more objections to an opening statement. Blanche is pushing the limits. This fight is about a wrong finding in a recent case involving Cohen that he was not candid that is INADMISSIBLE. Yet Blanche referenced it. That’s wrong.”
Former Denver Chief Deputy District Attorney Craig Silverman, responded to Eisen’s comments: “Arguments are not allowed in Opening Statements. There are rules in Court. Trump never plays by the rules.”
[NOTE: Silverman’s response is backed up by the U.S. Courts documentation, which explains: “Opening statements include such phrases as, ‘Ms. Smith will testify under oath that she saw Mr. Johnson do X,’ and ‘The evidence will show that Defendant did not do Y.’ Although opening statements should be as persuasive as possible, they should not include arguments. They come at the end of the trial.”]
Trial is adjourned for today-but now it’s onto tomorrow morning & contempt
Our NEW piece @just_security has all the evidence & law you need re: if Trump violated gag order
We break down the 10 alleged violations & why Trump will surely be sanctioned https://t.co/afRrHhQqRH
— Norm Eisen (#TryingTrump out now!) (@NormEisen) April 22, 2024
Eisen also points to the prosecution’s argument that Trump “willfully violated the gag order” — 10 times, providing “all the evidence & Law you need” as to why he thinks “Trump will surely be sanctioned.”
Eisen expects “the court to impose fines against Trump for a substantial number of the violations and to warn him that future violations will result in additional fines and potentially jail time.”
On April 18, the Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy submitted a supplemental filing adding what the DA’s office identifies as seven more instances of Trump violating the gag order in the case. This followed DA Alvin Bragg’s April 16 filing that asked the court to find that Trump had willfully violated the gag order by “attacking two known witnesses” — Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels. A hearing on the gag order violations is scheduled for Tuesday.