(03-31-2023, 11:33 AM)Lucky2Last Wrote:

(03-31-2023, 10:08 AM)mikesez Wrote: The misdemeanor charge is probably a slam dunk.  Trump's lawyers might argue that others who are not running for office make these types of payments to protect their reputations frequently.  They might even demonstrate that Trump made this type of payment to other people at other times before he became a candidate for office.  It makes sense that the law would raise the stakes when someone becomes a candidate for public office rather than a reality TV star.  But it might come down to a judgement call for 12 jurors.  How comfortable are the 12 jurors with raising the stakes that way?  Depends how the judge sets up the arguments and instructions to the jury.

Sure, except the statute of limitations on that is 2 years. He would have paid a fine and be done with it, but they can't even charge him for that now. Nothing in that article undermines what I've said we know. He is probably guilty of a misdemeanor, and they are trying to tie to campaign finance fraud that could literally be framed to make him look guilty no matter what. It's a scam to get a felony charge and circumvent the statute of limitations on the misdemeanor charge. The big deal is the blatant corruption, but you guys keep letting the establishment do whatever they want. It's working out great.

It's New York State.  Everyone is who does any business at all is guilty of something. In this case, a misdemeanor. 
But he was running for office and the misdemeanor was related to his chances of winning. Like I've said, my feelings are mixed. 
Because New York State law was apparently written by corrupt people trying to perpetuate their patronage, the bare fact that Trump violated it would actually make me root for him.  It would make me wish these legal procedures would result in entire sections of state law becoming unenforceable.  
But the fact that he hid everything, and lied to the public, speaks to a more universal kind of guilt, and I hope he is thoroughly punished.  And if that means scores of other politicians should be punished by the same letter, so be it.

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