House Democrats, Republicans condemn anti-Israel Columbia University protests: an ‘attack on democracy’
Several congressional lawmakers decried antisemitism on college campuses, particularly Columbia University, this weekend as anti-Israel protesters briefly took over a part of the Ivy League school campus, resulting in hundreds of arrests. Amid the demonstrations that began last week, Columbia University President Dr. Nemat “Minouche” Shafik said in a statement posted Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by certain actions of agitators, who have formed an “encampment” on the campus and have riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants. “I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus,” Shafik wrote. “Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.” LIVE UPDATES: ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS SURGES AS AGITATORS TAKE OVER U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., visited the university over the weekend to stand with Jewish students, some of whom have said they don’t feel safe on campus. “Collectively, not just the folks here, but on a bipartisan basis, we in Congress are going to do something about it,” he said in a video posted to X. Rep. Rep Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. condemned the Columbia protests in which demonstrators briefly set up an encampment on campus. “The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and assembly, not freedom to harass and intimidate students just for being Jewish,” he wrote. Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C., said Columbia must educate its students and faculty about antisemitism while ensuring professors are not spreading hatred. “It is critical that the Department of Education and the Department of Justice work with the White House to ensure that universities take steps necessary to keep Jewish students and faculty safe,” she said in a statement. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT ORDERS VIRTUAL CLASSES AS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS TAKE OVER: ‘WE NEED A RESET’ Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, R-N.Y. called out protests in which pro-Palestinian supporters were heard chanting “death to America” and “Death to Israel.” “This is truly an attack on democracy. It’s an attack on our values,” he said. “It’s not a Republican thing. It’s not a Democrat (sic) thing. It’s the right thing. To stand behind Israel. Stand behind its people and do the right thing.” Rep. Mike Lawler, also a New York Republican, said he was proud to co-sponsor a resolution introduced by D’Esposito that condemns the “River to the sea chant,” which many Jews have described as supporting the eradication of Israel. He noted that 44 members of the House opposed the measure in a vote. “It denies Israel’s right to exist,” Lawler said the popular pro-Palestinian saying. “There is nothing aspirational about that. And the fact that 44 of my colleagues can’t bring themselves to condemn it is appalling.”
White House mum on whether Biden would send National Guard to Columbia University
Despite multiple efforts on Monday to get an answer from the White House, officials remained silent on the issue of whether President Biden intends to deploy the National Guard to break up anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. Fox News Digital asked the White House whether it would comment on the situation at Columbia University and if it required federal intervention, but didn’t receive any response. The silence comes as hundreds of anti-Israel agitators have mounted disruptive protests at the university’s campus in New York City, with some calling for violence against Jews and Jewish students. “Eisenhower sent the 101st to Little Rock,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said in a social media post Monday. “It’s time for Biden to call out the National Guard at our universities to protect Jewish Americans.” “The nascent pogroms at Columbia have to stop TODAY, before our Jewish brethren sit for Passover Seder tonight,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., added. “If Eric Adams won’t send the NYPD and Kathy Hochul won’t send the National Guard, Joe Biden has a duty to take charge and break up these mobs.” COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOS Last week, anti-Israel agitators initiated protests, staging what they labeled a “Gaza solidarity encampment” on the Columbia University campus and shutting down a central lawn at the university. The protesters, who erected tents as part of the action, called for hostilities in the Middle East to end and for the university to divest of companies that have ties to Israel. On Friday, police broke up the demonstration and arrested more than 100 students, charging them with trespassing. ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS HEARD SHOUTING ‘WE ARE HAMAS,’ ‘LONG LIVE HAMAS’ AMID COLUMBIA U DEMONSTRATIONS However, more protesters have arrived on the scene since those arrests and have clashed repeatedly with police officers. Some protesters have loudly chanted antisemitic slogans, pledged allegiance to Hamas and even endorsed violence against Jewish people. In response to the conflict, Columbia University Rabbi Elie Buechler recommended Jewish students leave campus because of safety concerns, and Columbia University President Dr. Nemat Shafik said Monday that classes would be virtual to avoid further violence. “I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus,” Shafik wrote on Monday. “Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns.” “The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days,” she continued. “These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.” SUSAN SARANDON JOINS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MONTHS AFTER BEING DROPPED BY TALENT AGENCY Meanwhile, President Biden issued a statement Sunday ahead of Passover, commemorating the Jewish holiday while also condemning rising antisemitic attitudes across the country. Protests, such as those staged at Columbia University, have raged in the U.S. in the aftermath of Hamas’ attacks on innocent Israeli citizens on Oct. 7, which sparked Israel to bombard the terrorist group in Gaza. “The ancient story of persecution against Jews in the Haggadah also reminds us that we must speak out against the alarming surge of antisemitism – in our schools, communities, and online,” Biden said. “Silence is complicity. Even in recent days, we’ve seen harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
Biden admin notes ‘urgent’ concern over Israel in Gaza human rights report
The State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices highlighted Israel prominently, featuring concerns over the country’s precautions to minimize the civilian toll of Palestinians on the first page, which is normally reserved for the most egregious of human rights abusers. In the report’s preface, President Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the human rights concerns with the war between Israel and terrorist group Hamas prior to either Iran or the Taliban in Afghanistan. DEMOCRATS JOIN REPUBLICANS IN CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY “The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues to raise deeply troubling concerns for human rights,” Blinken wrote. He explained that the U.S. has “made clear” that Israel needs to follow international law “and take every feasible precaution to protect civilians.” Blinken emphasized that the department is still “urgently” raising concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza during the war. The U.S. also “repeatedly” brought up concerns about humanitarian aid access in Gaza, civilian displacement and “unprecedented” journalist deaths, the report noted. FETTERMAN HAMMERS ‘A–HOLE’ ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS, SLAMS OWN PARTY FOR RESPONSE TO IRANIAN ATTACK: ‘CRAZY’ Israel was mentioned before the Biden administration’s State Department addressed “ongoing and brutal human rights abuses in Iran” or “the Taliban’s systemic mistreatment of and discrimination against Afghanistan’s women and girls.” The Jewish state was featured after only Russia’s civilian violence in Ukraine and “mass killings” and “rape” perpetrated by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces. Hamas terrorists are mentioned in the same paragraph, with the U.S. condemning Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which, it noted, “included appalling abuses, including gender-based violence and sexual violence.” FETTERMAN HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR ‘SAFE, PURE, TAXED’ MARIJUANA IN 4/20 PUSH TO LEGALIZE WEED After noting the urgent concern over Israel’s civilian precautions, Blinken added, “We have repeatedly condemned Hamas’ abhorrent misuse of civilians and civilian infrastructure as human shields.” “Hamas’ horrific attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 last year, and the devastating loss of civilian life in Gaza as Israel exercises a right to ensure that those attacks never happen again, have also raised deeply troubling human rights concerns,” Blinken reiterated at a press conference following the report’s unveiling. A State Department official told Fox News Digital that the report’s discussion of issues globally is not a ranking of countries that compares them to one another. Representatives for the Israeli government did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment for purposes of this story.
Biden launches billion-dollar climate work program as part of Earth Day actions
President Biden officially launched the so-called American Climate Corps, a program that is slated to “mobilize” tens of thousands of Americans for conservation and eco-friendly projects nationwide. The president’s actions on the work program come on Earth Day and are part of broader actions the White House unveiled Monday to commemorate Earth Day. In addition to the American Climate Corps announcement, the White House touted recent regulations blocking off 13 million acres of federal land from future oil drilling and revealed $7 billion in grants for mainly state-level solar projects. “Here’s the bottom line: President Biden laid out the most ambitious land and water conservation agenda in American history,” White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory told reporters during a call about the administration’s Earth Day actions. “And he is delivering, already cementing a legacy as one of the nation’s strongest conservation presidents.” “The groundbreaking corps represents, yet again, a way to make accessible the economic opportunity and upside that comes with tackling the climate crisis,” added White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi. “So, for young people of all backgrounds, no matter their qualification, no matter their ZIP code, there will now be pathways and positions that they can fill that help them gain the skills to succeed in the clean energy economy.” LEFT-WING CLIMATE GROUP WITH SHADY BACKING TAKES PROMINENT ROLE AGAINST GAS STOVES Overall, the American Climate Corps will consist of 20,000 Americans who will work in a variety of roles combating climate change. The positions generally don’t require previous experience and will be geared toward conservation, green energy and environmental justice work. On Monday, the White House launched a new website for interested workers to apply for such roles. The site is expected to soon list 2,000 positions – such as field coordinator, forestry technician, hydrologic technician and land conservation crew member – located across 36 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The White House said the overarching goal of the corps is to make it easy for any American to “find work tackling the climate crisis while gaining the skills necessary for the clean energy and climate resilience workforce of the future.” It added the first class of the American Climate Corps will be deployed in June 2024. BIDEN ADMIN PROBED AFTER FOX NEWS DIGITAL SHOWS IT MAY HAVE FABRICATED PAPER TRAIL TO SHUTTER CHEMICAL PLANT “From day one, the president has seen the urgency of taking action on climate not just because of the situation it creates in our communities, represented in wildfires and floods and hurricanes, but also a profound sense of urgency to get American workers back in the game competing for the jobs of the future,” a senior administration official told reporters. Biden first took executive action to begin forming the government work program in September after facing pressure from progressives and environmental groups who had called for such an action. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the two architects of the Green New Deal, had led such calls among Democratic lawmakers. According to a senior administration official, ahead of the announcement Monday, the White House held listening sessions with Markey and Ocasio-Cortez to hear from Americans interested in the program. But the program has faced heavy criticism from Republicans who have argued congressional action is needed to move forward with it. In an October letter, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, expressed concern that it is unclear where funding for the program would be coming from. “Unlike the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was implemented by President Roosevelt in response to an authorization in a law passed by Congress, the announcement of the program does not reference any legal authority giving rise to the program,” they wrote. Together, Comer and Sessions are spearheading an oversight investigation of the program.
Trump rails against Manhattan DA Bragg, says ‘numerous other agencies’ didn’t push case
Former President Donald Trump railed against the historic trial in Manhattan criminal court Monday, asking why the District Attorney’s office picked up the case after other law enforcement bodies did not pursue charges. “If this were such a great case, why didn’t the Southern District bring it? Who looked at it and turned it down. Why didn’t numerous other agencies and law enforcement groups look at it? Because it was shown to everybody. And very importantly, why didn’t the Federal Elections do anything about it? Because this is federal, it’s not state,” he said. “It’s not state … It’s never happened before, I believe. Never happened before … where the state tries to insert itself into federal elections. Never. Nobody’s ever seen it. But, you know, Federal Elections took a total pass on it.” The Justice Department in 2019 “effectively concluded” its investigation into Trump’s payments. And in 2021, the Federal Elections Commission, the agency dedicated to enforcing campaign finance laws, announced that it had dropped a case looking into whether Trump had violated election laws for the payment to Daniels. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg picked up the case last year, announcing Trump’s indictment in April of 2023. NY VS. TRUMP: JUDGE DELIVERS JURY INSTRUCTIONS AS OPENING STATEMENTS KICK OFF Trump’s trial in a Manhattan courtroom began in earnest Monday, after jury selection last week, and heard its first witness, former American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker. Pecker was allegedly a key figure to a “catch and kill” scheme ahead of the 2016 election. “Catch-and-kill” schemes are understood as tactics used by media and publishing companies to buy the rights of a person’s story, but do not publish the materials. NY VS. TRUMP: FIRST WITNESS TAKES THE STAND IN MANHATTAN COURT The trial focuses on a $130,000 payment made by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen to former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump in the early 2000s. Daniels reportedly spoke to the National Enquirer, which is owned by American Media Inc., on her claims of an affair with Trump, with Pecker allegedly contacting Cohen to “purchase” Daniels’ silence on the alleged affair. Trump has repeatedly denied an affair with Daniels and pleaded not guilty to all counts. “During the election, TRUMP and others employed a ‘catch and kill’ scheme to identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects,” Bragg alleged last year. “TRUMP then went to great lengths to hide this conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws.” TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL: MEET THE JURORS WHO WILL HEAR BRAGG’S CASE AGAINST THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Trump said Monday that payments to Cohen were above board. NY VS TRUMP: THE EVIDENCE PROSECUTORS CAN PRESENT IF FORMER PRESIDENT TESTIFIES “It’s a case as to bookkeeping which is a very minor thing in terms of the law, in terms of all the violent crime,” Trump said Monday afternoon. “This is a case in which you pay a lawyer, and they call it a legal expense in the books.” “I got indicted for that,” he added. Trump briefly delivered public comments earlier Monday, where he slammed the case as a “Biden” trial motivated “for the purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country.” “I just want to say before we begin — these are all Biden trials,” Trump said before opening statements were delivered Monday. “This is done as election interference. Everybody knows it.” “I’m here instead of being able to be in Pennsylvania and Georgia and lots of other places campaigning, and it’s very unfair. Fortunately, the poll numbers are very good,” Trump continued. “They’ve been going up because people understand what’s going on.”
Supreme Court sharply divided over enforcing municipal homeless camping ban
The Supreme Court appeared deeply at odds on Monday over a small city’s ban on homeless people sleeping in public places, with emotional statements from the bench over society’s competing civic responsibilities. It comes as jurisdictions across the nation – but especially in the West – struggle with a record double-digit surge in the homeless population. The current appeal comes from officials in Grants Pass, Oregon, with almost 40,000 residents. Municipal ordinances there ban sleeping or camping on streets, under bridges and in parks or other publicly owned property. The ban includes the use of bedding, pillows, cardboard boxes, sleeping bags, stoves or fires – with fines starting at $295. At issue is whether the enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property – but targeting the unhoused – constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. SCOTUS TO TAKE UP CHALLENGE TO BIDEN ADMIN’S GHOST GUN RULE THAT GROUP DEEMS ‘ABUSIVE’ The city argues its policies are fairly enforced, banning camping for everyone on public land. But homeless advocates say it criminalizes those who live outdoors without a stable place to call home. In the contentious two-and-a-half hours of arguments, the justices repeatedly questioned whether the city’s law banned conduct or status – just camping on public property vs. the larger situation of being homeless. “Your ordinance goes way beyond that,” said Justice Elena Kagan. “Your statute says that person cannot take himself and himself only, and can’t take a blanket and sleep someplace without it being a crime… It seems like you’re criminalizing a status.” But others on the bench said these difficult on-the-ground discretionary decisions should best be left out of the hands of judges. “Municipalities have competing priorities,” said Chief Justice John Roberts. “What if there are lead pipes in the water? Do you build the homeless shelter or do you take care of the lead pipes? Why would you think these nine people [on the court] are the best to weigh those policy judgments?” Cities across the country will watch how the nine justices rule on this balancing act between helping the misfortunate with a range of public benefits vs. the financial and social costs associated, including crime, mental health and sanitation concerns. San Francisco in an amicus brief said it spent over $672 million last year to provide shelter and housing for the homeless, but public encampments continue to grow. The city says its inability to enforce its own laws “has made it more difficult to provide services” to that population. About 600 people are estimated to be involuntarily unsheltered in Grants Pass, a scenic area surrounded by the Klamath Mountains in the southwest part of the state along the Rogue River. City leaders have expressed frustration about not being able to open an appropriate government-run indoor shelter space, citing a variety of competing community views over funding, size and location. To fill the gap, nonprofit and religious volunteers provide hot food and health care in the unhoused community, in areas like Tussing Park, which is dotted with picnic benches and landscaping. The privately operated Grants Pass Gospel Rescue Mission offers immediate and long-term assistance. And the Mobile Integrative Navigation Team (MINT) provides free transportation for medical care and other vital services. In its appeal to the high court, the city says its enforcement scheme “does not prohibit modest fines and short jail terms, which are neither cruel nor unusual by any established measure, for camping on public property.” It said a federal appeals court ruling striking down its laws, “prevents governments from proactively addressing the serious social policy problems associated with the homelessness crisis, and calls into doubt many other criminal prohibitions.” But lawyers for homeless individuals and support organizations say singling out and criminalizing this vulnerable population is not the answer, and only creates more civic problems for everyone. “There is simply no place in Grants Pass for them to find affordable housing or shelter,” said the United Community Action Network, a nonprofit group that serves homeless people in Josephine County. “They are not choosing to live on the street or in the woods.” Local residents say the encampments create unsafe and unhealthy conditions. “Families are afraid to go to the parks,” said Brock Spurgeon. “And it’s not just the campers or the homeless. It’s the drug use and the vandalism and the excessive littering. Needles on the ground, broken meth pipes on the ground. So no one wants to take their kids anymore.” In court arguments, every justice agreed the homeless problem was serious and needed to be addressed immediately, but there were disagreements over how and who should tackle it. “Before extending a constitutional precedent, we usually think about whether state or local law already achieves those purposes, so that the federal courts aren’t micromanaging the homeless policy,” said Justice Brett Kavanaugh. “And it’s on a daily basis, when you work with the homeless… how many people are going to show up to the food bank.” But Justice Sonia Sotomayor suggested the city here failed in that basic civic responsibility. “The intent is to remove every homeless person and give them no public space to sit down with a blanket or fall asleep with a blanket,” she said. “Where do we put them when every city, every village, every town lacks compassion? If they pass a law identical to this, where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves [by] not sleeping?” KANSAS BROTHERS ON DEATH ROW FOR ‘WICHITA MASSACRE’ QUADRUPLE KILLING SEEK RESENTENCING HEARING The homeless population in the U.S. rose 12% last year to its highest level, according to a federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD). That is about 653,000 people in the January 2023 snapshot study. California, Washington, Florida and New York represent more than half the homeless population, with California alone comprising 28%, according to the HUD study. Officials cite a dramatic rise in rents, as well as a drop in coronavirus pandemic-related public assistance. The Justice Department is supporting neither party in the Grants
NY vs. Trump: First witness takes the stand in Manhattan court
Former President Donald Trump’s historic trial in Manhattan heard its first witness called by the district attorney’s office on Monday, former publisher David Pecker. Pecker previously served as chairman of the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc., and allegedly was a key figure in a “catch and kill” scheme ahead of the 2016 election. Pecker, 72, took the stand early Monday afternoon ahead of the trial concluding for the day at 12:30. He spoke to the court about American Media Inc. and its various publications, as well as his personal background, and how he owned 10% of American Media when he served as CEO. The court broke out into chuckles when the prosecution team asked Pecker to provide the last four digits of his phone numbers, with Pecker rattling off four different sets of contact numbers. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass responded “sorry this isn’t a quiz,” sparking laughter from Pecker and others in the courthouse. Pecker told the court he worked for the company from March of 1999 to August of 2020, serving as chairman, president, & CEO from 2015-2017. TRUMP TRIAL: OPENING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS TRUMP FLOUTS GAG ORDER AND ATTORNEY PREVIEWS DEFENSE The trial wrapped up earlier than initially anticipated Monday, after a juror said they have a toothache requiring a dental appointment this afternoon. The trial marks the first time a former president has stood trial on criminal charges. Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to each charge. NY VS. TRUMP: JUDGE DELIVERS JURY INSTRUCTIONS AS OPENING STATEMENTS KICK OFF The case focuses on Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen paying former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels. Daniels reportedly agreed to grant exclusive rights to the National Enquirer on her claims of an affair with Trump, with Pecker allegedly contacting Cohen to “purchase” Daniels’ silence on the alleged affair. “During the election, TRUMP and others employed a ‘catch and kill’ scheme to identify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleged last year. “TRUMP then went to great lengths to hide this conduct, causing dozens of false entries in business records to conceal criminal activity, including attempts to violate state and federal election laws.” “Catch-and-kill” schemes are understood as tactics used by media and publishing companies to buy the rights of a person’s story with no intention of publishing it. Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen, and fraudulently logged the payments as legal expenses. Prosecutors are working to prove that Trump falsified records with an intent to commit or conceal a second crime, which is a felony. TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL: MEET THE JURORS WHO WILL HEAR BRAGG’S CASE AGAINST THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE The case will also feature two other payments, including a $30,000 payment to a Trump Tower doorman who claimed that Trump fathered a child out of wedlock, and arranged a $150,000 payment through a tabloid publisher to a former Playboy model named Karen McDougal, who also claimed she had an affair with Trump and sold her story to the tabloid. Trump has also vehemently denied these allegations. Trump arrived at the Manhattan courthouse Monday morning, after 12 jurors and six alternates were seated and sworn in on the panel last week. NY VS TRUMP: THE EVIDENCE PROSECUTORS CAN PRESENT IF FORMER PRESIDENT TESTIFIES Judge Juan Merchan read the jury their rules and instructions Monday, explaining to the panel that jurors must operate fairly, that the defense team is not required to prove Trump’s innocence and that the 45th president is also not required to testify. Merchan reiterated to the jurors that they cannot discuss the case with anyone, adding that they also cannot visit any places where a crime allegedly unfolded, and that they cannot research the case. Trump briefly addressed the media earlier Monday morning, where he slammed the case as a “Biden” trial motivated “for the purposes of hurting the opponent of the worst president in the history of our country.” “Nothing like this has ever happened before,” he said in Lower Manhattan. “This is political persecution. … It’s a case that should have never been brought.” “This is an assault on America and that’s why I’m very proud to be here,” Trump added. “This is really an attack on a political opponent.”
Trump trial: Former president ‘innocent,’ says defense as DA alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’
Defense attorneys on Monday argued that former President Trump “is innocent,” maintaining that he “had nothing to do” with the alleged hush money payments that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argues he orchestrated. Opening statements were delivered in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of the former president on Monday. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been charged by Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. LIVE UPDATES: FIRST WITNESS CALLED IN NY VS. TRUMP TRIAL AS PROSECUTION GETS UNDERWAY Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has blasted the trial as pure politics, a “political persecution” and maintains his innocence. The former president, the first ever to be a defendant in a criminal trial, vowed to “tell the truth” if he takes the stand. Defense attorney Todd Blanche on Monday said there was nothing illegal done, and he argued that Trump was protecting himself against false allegations. “Trump fought back to protect his family, reputation, brand,” Blanche said. “And that is not a crime.” TRUMP TRIAL: OPENING ARGUMENTS TO BEGIN AS TRUMP FLOUTS GAG ORDER AND ATTORNEY PREVIEWS DEFENSE Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo delivered opening statements on Bragg’s behalf Monday, saying the case against Trump “is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.” Colangelo argued that months after Trump announced his candidacy for president in June 2015, he invited former CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI) David Pecker to Trump Tower for a meeting. His then-attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen was also at the meeting. AMI owned the National Inquirer. “Those three men formed a conspiracy to influence the election,” Colangelo argued. Colangelo claimed Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to “silence” her and make sure the public did not learn of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Colangelo claimed that after the election, Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly checks from his businesses but claimed that he disguised those payments as payments for legal services. Colangelo alleged that Pecker, Cohen and Trump “conspired to influence the 2016 presidential election,” and said Pecker would gather harmful information and prevent it from going public. Colangelo alleged he only published flattering stories about Trump and negative stories about opponents. Colangelo claimed that the men used a practice called “catch & kill,” saying they bought damaging information, had the seller of that information sign a non-disclosure agreement and then blocked the information from being published. Colangelo said the practice was used three times — once to block a story a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell about an alleged out-of-wedlock child. Colangelo said the payment was $30,000. The doorman’s story was eventually proven to be untrue. BRAGG SAYS HE WILL TRY TO ‘DISCREDIT’ TRUMP IF HE TESTIFIES IN HIS DEFENSE DURING CRIMINAL TRIAL The next payment was to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed a romantic and sexual relationship with Trump. Colangelo alleged that Cohen asked AMI to buy the story. Colangelo said AMI paid McDougal $150,000 in exchange for “unlimited life rights” to her story. Colangelo also alleged there was a payment made of $130,000 to Daniels. Colangelo said that when it came time to pay Cohen back, Trump “didn’t negotiate the price down — he doubled it.” Colangelo alleged that his “willingness to do this shows the importance of hiding the payments” and alleged “overall election conspiracy.” Colangelo said the payments were made in a series of $35,000 per month in 2017. Colangelo alleged Cohen sent a “bogus” invoice for his legal work. TRUMP TRIALS; HERE’S WHERE EACH CASE AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT AND PRESUMPTIVE GOP NOMINEE STANDS Colangelo also pointed to the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, which was revealed weeks before the 2016 election. “This case is about an illegal conspiracy to undermine a presidential election and the steps Trump took to conceal election fraud,” Colangelo told jurors. “As you consider the evidence, use common sense, focus on facts, focus on evidence, listen to testimony.” He added, “After all evidence is in, we’ll speak to you again and explain that evidence leads to only one conclusion — Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.” Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Blanche then took the floor to deliver the former president’s opening statement. “President Trump is innocent,” Blanche said, arguing that the former president built a large, successful company prior to his presidency. After being elected in 2016, he “put up a wall between him and his company.” Blanche argued that some of Trump’s employees continued to help record personal expenses and pointed to Cohen, who sent an invoice for $35,000 for legal work. Blanche said that the invoice was processed, and the checks were signed, and said Trump was the only signatory on his personal account. Blanche argued that the 34 counts “are really just 34 pieces of paper,” pointing to the invoices Cohen sent to Trump Tower, the checks and the ledger entries. “None of this was a crime,” Blanche said. “People say that Trump is trying to cover up payments — think…President Trump did not pay Cohen back $130,000. He paid Cohen $420,000.” He added, “Would a frugal businessman repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?” Blanche said that the $35,000 “was not a payback.” “Cohen was Trump’s personal attorney,” Blanche said, noting that Cohen’s signature block was labeled at the time “personal attorney to President Trump.” “There’s nothing fancy about a ledger account,” Blanche said, adding that Trump “had nothing to do with the invoice, with the check being generated, or with the entry on the ledger.” “Trump had nothing to do with the 34 pieces of paper — except that he signed the checks,” Blanche argued. “The reality is Trump is not on the hook.” He added, “I have a spoiler alert — there is nothing wrong with trying to influence
Trump trial: Former president ‘innocent,’ says defense as DA charges him with ‘criminal conspiracy’
Defense attorneys on Monday argued that former President Trump “is innocent,” maintaining that he “had nothing to do” with the alleged hush money payments that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argues he orchestrated. Opening statements were delivered in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of the former president on Monday. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been charged by Bragg with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The charges are related to alleged hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. He has blasted the trial as pure politics, a “political persecution” and maintains his innocence. The former president, the first ever to be a defendant in a criminal trial, vowed to “tell the truth” if he takes the stand. Defense attorney Todd Blanche on Monday said there was nothing illegal done, and he argued that Trump was protecting himself against false allegations. “Trump fought back to protect his family, reputation, brand,” Blanche said. “And that is not a crime.” Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo delivered opening statements on Bragg’s behalf Monday, saying the case against Trump “is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.” Colangelo argued that months after Trump announced his candidacy for president in June 2015, he invited former CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI) David Pecker to Trump Tower for a meeting. His then-attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen was also at the meeting. AMI owned the National Inquirer. “Those three men formed a conspiracy to influence the election,” Colangelo argued. Colangelo claimed Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 to “silence” her and make sure the public did not learn of an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Colangelo claimed that after the election, Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly checks from his businesses but claimed that he disguised those payments as payments for legal services. Colangelo alleged that Pecker, Cohen and Trump “conspired to influence the 2016 presidential election,” and said Pecker would gather harmful information and prevent it from going public. Colangelo alleged he only published flattering stories about Trump and negative stories about opponents. Colangelo claimed that the men used a practice called “catch & kill,” saying they bought damaging information, had the seller of that information sign a non-disclosure agreement and then blocked the information from being published. Colangelo said the practice was used three times — once to block a story a former Trump Tower doorman was trying to sell about an alleged out-of-wedlock child. Colangelo said the payment was $30,000. The doorman’s story was eventually proven to be untrue. The next payment was to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed a romantic and sexual relationship with Trump. Colangelo alleged that Cohen asked AMI to buy the story. Colangelo said AMI paid McDougal $150,000 in exchange for “unlimited life rights” to her story. Colangelo also alleged there was a payment made of $130,000 to Daniels. Colangelo said that when it came time to pay Cohen back, Trump “didn’t negotiate the price down — he doubled it.” Colangelo alleged that his “willingness to do this shows the importance of hiding the payments” and alleged “overall election conspiracy.” Colangelo said the payments were made in a series of $35,000 per month in 2017. Colangelo alleged Cohen sent a “bogus” invoice for his legal work. Colangelo also pointed to the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, which was revealed weeks before the 2016 election. “This case is about an illegal conspiracy to undermine a presidential election and the steps Trump took to conceal election fraud,” Colangelo told jurors. “As you consider the evidence, use common sense, focus on facts, focus on evidence, listen to testimony.” He added, “After all evidence is in, we’ll speak to you again and explain that evidence leads to only one conclusion — Donald Trump is guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree.” Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Blanche then took the floor to deliver the former president’s opening statement. “President Trump is innocent,” Blanche said, arguing that the former president built a large, successful company prior to his presidency. After being elected in 2016, he “put up a wall between him and his company.” Blanche argued that some of Trump’s employees continued to help record personal expenses and pointed to Cohen, who sent an invoice for $35,000 for legal work. Blanche said that the invoice was processed, and the checks were signed, and said Trump was the only signatory on his personal account. Blanche argued that the 34 counts “are really just 34 pieces of paper,” pointing to the invoices Cohen sent to Trump Tower, the checks and the ledger entries. “None of this was a crime,” Blanche said. “People say that Trump is trying to cover up payments — think…President Trump did not pay Cohen back $130,000. He paid Cohen $420,000.” He added, “Would a frugal businessman repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?” Blanche said that the $35,000 “was not a payback.” “Cohen was Trump’s personal attorney,” Blanche said, noting that Cohen’s signature block was labeled at the time “personal attorney to President Trump.” “There’s nothing fancy about a ledger account,” Blanche said, adding that Trump “had nothing to do with the invoice, with the check being generated, or with the entry on the ledger.” “Trump had nothing to do with the 34 pieces of paper — except that he signed the checks,” Blanche argued. “The reality is Trump is not on the hook.” He added, “I have a spoiler alert — there is nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy. They put something sinister on it.” Blanche argued that Cohen paying Daniels “was not illegal” and said that entering into a non-disclosure agreement was also not illegal, saying companies “do that all the time.” “There is nothing illegal about it,” Blanche said, arguing that Daniels was attempting to try to embarrass Trump with “all sorts
Vulnerable Dem who demanded ‘fair’ Trump Senate trial changes tune on Mayorkas impeachment
Longtime Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey voted to kill the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last week, but has a long track record of supporting impeachment proceedings when former President Trump was in the hot seat with Democrats. The Senate voted against two articles of impeachment Mayorkas faced last week, including one that charged Mayorkas with “willful and systemic refusal to comply” regarding immigration law, and a second article that charged him with a “breach of trust” after saying the border was secure. The Senate voted 51-48 and 51-49 against the articles. The votes were largely along party lines, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska serving as the only Republican who voted “present” when asked about dismissing the first article, and voted against dismissing the second article. Republicans were pushing for a trial of Mayorkas for “willfully” refusing to enforce immigration laws, while millions of illegal immigrants have poured across the border into the U.S. since he was sworn in as the Biden administration’s secretary of Homeland Security in 2021. GOP PREPS ATTACKS ON VULNERABLE DEM SENATORS OVER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL DISMISSAL Casey was among the Democrats who voted to kill the impeachment trial of Mayorkas, but had largely been tight-lipped ahead of the vote. Fox News Digital reported last week ahead of the Senate vote that Casey had not yet revealed his plans, while Politico reported on April 10 that Casey “did not directly answer a question on whether or not he’d support a motion to dismiss the trial.” He did tell the outlet at the time that “the Senate should be spending time passing the bipartisan border deal” and that he has “no doubt at all” that Republicans would use the impeachment trial against him and other vulnerable Senate Democrats ahead of the election. Senate Democrats quashing impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas was historically significant, as he is still serving in his role in public office. It marks a first for an impeachment trial to be dismissed, tabled or effectively tossed without the accused official first exiting their role, Fox Digital previously reported. “The Senate has no constitutional authority to rule that the articles approved by the House do not state impeachable offenses,” Andrew McCarthy, a former chief assistant United States attorney in the Southern District of New York and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute, said last week. McCarthy added that the House has the sole power to determine impeachable offenses, and the Senate deeming the articles of impeachment unconstitutional and killing the potential trial, “essentially nullifies the House’s important role in the impeachment process.” REPUBLICANS PREDICT DEMS TO PAY ‘HEAVY PRICE’ IN ELECTION AFTER MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT BID FAILS The Senate voting against carrying through with the trial of Mayorkas comes after Casey repeatedly publicly supported impeachment proceedings against Trump when he was president. “There can be no justice without accountability for those involved in the insurrection against the federal government. As a Nation, we cannot advance our shared democratic values without consequences for those who have betrayed those values. Those who stormed the Capitol should face charges. President Trump should be impeached and removed from office because he betrayed his oath to the Constitution and incited a mob to violence,” Casey said in 2021, following protesters breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 of that year. ‘CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY’ OF SENATE DEMS QUASHING MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL QUESTIONED BY EXPERTS In 2020, when Democrats accused Trump of soliciting foreign interference in the 2020 election, Casey said, “Americans deserve a fair trial” when touting articles of impeachment against the 45th president. “Soon the Senate will take a critical vote on whether we should hear from relevant witnesses like John Bolton. Americans deserve a fair trial. Anything less is a cover-up,” he said on X at the time. That same month, he also called for “answers, under oath, in full view of the American people,” as part of Trump’s first impeachment. He added in 2019 of the Trump impeachment that failing to pursue proceedings against Trump would be “an insult to our Constitution and to our values.” PENNSYLVANIA POLICE SLAM LONGTIME DEM SEN. CASEY ‘ALIGNING’ HIMSELF WITH DEFUND THE POLICE GROUP: ‘DANGEROUS’ “Our Constitution indicates that impeachment is for ‘treason, bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.’ A failure by Congress to pursue impeachment in the face of grave offenses by the President is an insult to our Constitution and to our values.” Trump was ultimately impeached twice, an historical first for a president, and acquitted on all counts by the Senate. Casey has served in the Senate since 2007, and is anticipated to have one of the most closely watched elections this year as he gears up for a campaign against anticipated Republican challenger Dave McCormick. Pennsylvania holds its primaries Tuesday, which will solidify the expected race between Casey and McCormick. REPUBLICAN DAVE MCCORMICK LAUNCHES BID FOR VULNERABLE SENATE SEAT IN BATTLEGROUND STATE The Pennsylvania Democrat and fellow vulnerable Senate members have now come under greater focus from the Republican Party following the Mayorkas vote, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) previously telling Fox Digital that their votes against proceeding with the trial will become a focal point of election season. “Joe Biden’s wide open border is going to be a top issue for voters headed into November,” NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud told Fox News Digital in a statement last week. BATTLEGROUND STATE DEM DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM DEFUND MOVEMENT, BUT POLITICAL RECORD SHOWS DIFFERENT STORY “You can bet we are going to highlight Senate Democrats’ refusal to hold Joe Biden’s DHS Secretary accountable on the campaign trail, in advertising, and in every other way possible,” she continued. Fox News Digital reached out to the Casey campaign for comment on the Mayorkas vote and his previous remarks on Trump’s impeachment proceedings, and were directed to the Senate office. The Senate office did not immediately respond to the inquiry. “Together, Casey, Biden and Mayorkas have enabled drug cartels to flood Pennsylvania communities with deadly