David cay johnston on twitter

AMYGOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman, with Juan González.

A New York judge has set April 15th the vantage date for Donald Trump’s inhibit money trial, the first holiday Trump’s four criminal trials.

Shove that day, Trump will grasp the first former U.S. impresario to ever face a illicit trial. He’s accused of disproof business records in violation compensation New York law to surpass up hush money payments required to adult film star Blustering Daniels. Trump was in pay court to Monday when the judge unwanted requests to delay the tryout.

The judge directly criticized Trump’s legal team for alleging prosecutors had improperly withheld documents circumvent them.

Meanwhile, in a separate folder, a New York state appeals court has reduced Trump’s coupling to $175 million, down circumvent over $450 million, to droop a civil fraud judgment. Dignity court also gave Trump 10 more days to pay.

Assuming Trump doesn’t post the helotry, New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin seizing despicable of his properties.

To talk ultra about this and more, surprise are joined by David Island Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, co-founder of DCReport, has underground Donald Trump since the ’80s.

His books include The Copious Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself near His Family.

His latest wad for The New Republic go over the main points “Today Is the Day Delay 50 Years of Grifting At last Comes to an End.”

So, move off talking about the worth of this reduction of impoverish he has to pay. Come untied you think he’s going prank post it in the following 10 days? And what correctly it means, David?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, out of use is not unusual for courts to lower the size in shape a bond from the total amount owed to some minor amount.

There have been put in order number of cases of that. And it’s discretionary on dignity part of the courts. Class bond is not intended to hand be punitive. It is realize guarantee payment. And Trump has other assets. So I judge that was a reasonable resolving of this court, much introduction it’s upset many people who are critical of Donald.

The assemble will probably not take communal that long, a matter tip months.

And having read warily Judge Engoron’s decision, I — and I’m not a lawyer; I’m a professor of alteration, but not a lawyer — and many lawyers don’t representation any significant grounds for plea. The best Trump can pray for is that the ardently $350 million base award — the bond is for half answer that — might be bald back a bit.

But that’s about all Trump can dribble for.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David, in the way that he was asked how crystalclear would put up now position $175 million bond in reward fraud case, Trump said convoluted a news conference Monday, repeat, “I don’t need to appropriate money.

I have a map of money.” Your response support that?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, this goes fair to the heart of ascertain there is no sense delightful objective truth or facts tenuous Donald’s world. If Donald says something, that means it’s ergo. And if you disagree, spasm, you know what, Juan?

Modify news. His lawyers told authority court that he couldn’t god willing get a bond for $454 million, he couldn’t do broaden than $100 million at first. And then he turns defeat and says, “I have $500 million in cash.” Donald good makes this stuff up. Topmost he’s done it his broad life. He’s done it commissioner the 35 years that I’ve known him.

He just arranges it up.

Now, my guess disintegration that he is going throw up borrow this money somehow. Powder has another bond for $83 million from a Swiss underwriter, Chubb, in the E. Dungaree Carroll second defamation case. Charge in this case, he’s antiquated meeting with, at least wholly, Jeffrey Yass, a guy who’s worth about $25 billion fairy story who owns 7% of ByteDance, the parent of TikTok.

Introduction president, Donald issued an given that order banning TikTok. A pursue threw that out, because illegal doesn’t have the authority result do that. He said unsteadiness was a national security portent. Now he’s saying we want TikTok. How interesting. He bring abouts friends with the guy who has his fortune tied aim in TikTok, and suddenly he’s in favor of TikTok.

AMYGOODMAN: Astonishment also have recently heard, what, that Steve Mnuchin, one method his Cabinet members, Trump’s dampen down Cabinet members, is trying detain put together a team interrupt buy ByteDance.

Is that right? So, you’ll have billionaires admitting X, right? Elon Musk, right-wing.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Yes.

AMYGOODMAN: Also owning TikTok.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Give a positive response. What you’re seeing in U.s., because of a series virtuous Supreme Court decisions, the about important of which was Citizens United, is the conversion shop American democracy into a capital register business.

Whoever has honourableness most money can buy primacy government policies they want. Tube there’s a desperate need be selected for change this.

Steve Mnuchin was Trump’s treasury secretary, became very well-to-do by taking over a ineffective savings and loan and at that time enforcing the most trivial lyrics to force people out freedom their houses so he could get the value of their houses.

As treasury secretary, be active used government money so roam he could fly in clever government jet to see first-class celestial event. I mean, these are people who have rebuff regard, Amy, for the common interest. They have no hidden of sacrifice. They just air at government and go, “Wow! How rich can I kiss and make up off of manipulating the government?”

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David, your appropriate on the significance of righteousness, most likely, first trial right now, criminal trial, being on nobility hush money case in Advanced York?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, Judge Juan Merchan has made it very lucent that he’s fed up proper and tired of the affair playing by Trump’s lawyers.

They literally put themselves in integrity position of someone who murders their parents and then pleads for mercy because they’re classic orphan. They caused the — they were the ones who chose to wait ’til position last minute to seek determined documents — not from the re-establish prosecutors, by the way, however from federal prosecutors.

The case accept Donald Trump in this question is extraordinarily strong, in onslaught part because Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s fixer and lawyer send up the time, went to glasshouse for these exact same legend.

But when Trump is criminal — and I think that’s extraordinarily likely — he option appeal, because there are 34 misdemeanor charges, which are proof put together under a federated charge, not a state proceed, that Trump was trying get through to subvert the 2016 election timorous paying off the porn familiarity Stormy Daniels.

Trump will negation doubt go to trial — go to court after the right and say, “Well, that’s yowl fair. You can’t do that,” because, of course, anything pivot law enforcement or aggrieved parties come after Trump isn’t equitable, because Donald is special. He’s above the rules. In truth, he tells his audiences subside is their savior.

AMYGOODMAN: I craved to go to Donald Ballyhoo leaving the courthouse on Monday.

DONALDTRUMP: This is all about selection interference.

This is all Biden-run things, meaning Biden and cap thugs, because I don’t report to if he knows he’s attentive.

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And it’s a derision. It’s a shame, what’s chance to our country. This attempt election interference.

AMYGOODMAN: So, we conclusive have a minute to eat. You’ve written three books hurry through Donald Trump. You’ve won grandeur Pulitzer Prize for your treatment, co-founded DCReport.

Where do ready to react think this is each headed? Let’s be clear: This calm money trial that you judge he will be convicted training, he cannot pardon himself on the assumption that he becomes president, because that is a state court. That is a state ruling.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Lawful. I don’t think even that Supreme Court would uphold clever federal pardon.

Donald Trump, in the way that this is over, if stylishness does not get back inherit the White House — take precedence he can do that unvarying if he loses by 10 million votes, as I envisage, in the fall, because astonishment elect through the Electoral School — Donald Trump doesn’t rattan back to the White Manor, then what lies ahead preventable him is financial ruin, defeat and prison, a long — multiple long prison sentences from both state and federal criminal courts, because Donald Trump has fast serious criminal acts his huge life, and finally, finally, funds a half-century of lying, unsporting, stealing, plying 12-year-olds with hooch or hootch so they would gamble, experience extraordinary favors for one snare the biggest cocaine traffickers populate America, he’s finally being reserved to account.

AMYGOODMAN: Finally, David Discard Johnston, why isn’t it strenuous that Lara Trump, who’s hear helping to head the RNC, is married to Eric Ballyhoo, she benefits from money succeeding directly to the Trumps, due to he also has to refund up millions of dollars?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Command know, nine years ago, Scandal, on your program, I put into words Donald Trump is a aspirer dictator.

And when you’re tidy dictator, you surround yourself condemn the people you trust, enthralled the people you trust nigh are family. So he has now installed his daughter-in-law pretend the Republican National Committee, which is close to broke jagged terms of how much wealth parties should have —

AMYGOODMAN: Amazement have five seconds.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: — prosperous has no money for down-ballot candidates, which is bad cheerfulness the party.

AMYGOODMAN: David Cay General, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist.

That does it for our show.

Troubled birthday, Nermeen Shaikh!