Trump Debuts New Legal Theory: Even If Guilty, ‘There Is No Crime’

Appearing at a New York state courthouse on Thursday, former President Donald Trump made a weird assertion concerning the legal hush-money case in opposition to him.

According to Trump, “virtually every legal scholar says they don’t understand” the costs.

“Even if he was guilty of something, there is no crime,” Trump informed reporters, referring to himself.

The remark smacks of the entitlement to being above the regulation, which prosecutors and political opponents have lengthy accused Trump of harboring.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg introduced a 34-count indictment in opposition to Trump final yr over allegedly falsified enterprise information, together with the hush-money funds made to grownup movie stars Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.

Bragg’s authorized technique in opposition to Trump has been seen with some skepticism partially as a result of, with a view to safe a felony conviction, as a substitute of only a misdemeanor, Bragg should show that Trump falsified his enterprise information in pursuance of another crime, and it’s not but clear what that different crime is. But falsifying enterprise information remains to be a criminal offense within the state of New York.

Judge Juan Manuel Merchan determined on the listening to on Thursday to permit the scheduled trial date of March 25 to face, denying requests from Trump’s legal professionals to delay the proceedings.

The prices stem from Trump’s efforts to squash damaging tales about affairs with Daniels and McDougal earlier than the 2016 election. Trump has lengthy denied the affairs.

Merchan’s choice will make the hush-money case the primary of 4 legal trials in opposition to Trump to go forward.

Two federal legal indictments focus on Trump’s alleged mishandling of categorized authorities info and his makes an attempt to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election, respectively. Another case, introduced by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, focuses particularly on his makes an attempt to meddle within the presidential election ends in Georgia.