Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Thursday released a written order detailing why he determined Donald Trump’s Wednesday sworn testimony denying that he attacked a court clerk “rings hollow and untrue” after he fined the former president $10,000 for his second violation of a partial gag order meant to protect courtroom staff.
The former president had claimed on the witness stand that he had been referring to his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen as the “partisan” sitting “alongside” Engoron when he spoke to reporters outside the courtroom on Wednesday. But the judge was unconvinced, deeming that excuse “not credible.”
“Witnesses do not sit ‘alongside’ the judge, they sit in the witness box, separated from the judge by a low wooden barrier,” Engoron wrote in the order, obtained by The Messenger. “Further, Donald Trump’s past public statements demonstrate him referring to Michael Cohen directly by his name, or by a derogatory name, but in all circumstances, he is unambiguous in making it known he is referring to Michael Cohen.”
He added: “Using imprecise language as an excuse to create plausible ambiguity about whether defendant violated this Court’s unequivocal gag order is not a defense; the subject of Donald Trump’s public statement to the press was unmistakably clear.”
When are we going to start having mental health/psychological examinations for our politicians? I feel that should be a minimum requirement.
A TS/SCI background investigation would cover it. One would think the commander in chief should be able to hold a security clearance. Then there’s Ivanka and Jared with China and the Saudis. But hunter biden did what?
That would be abused as quickly as a poll test would.
I would settle for candidates being able to pass a security clearance check. It is what our founders intended when they demanded that presidents not be foreign born.
I agree.
Biden wouldn’t pass that one either.
I don’t agree, but if it actually were the case, I would want him out, also.
The man can’t even form a sentence
It’s so weird that people exist out there that hold strong opinions about Biden’s ability to speak but never actually watch him make statements, answer questions from the press, or give interviews. I guess having to actually see reality would shatter the delusions you’ve been fed by propaganda outlets and we can’t have that.
It’s so weird to observe people’s tribal “team” nature surpass their own observations, such that they conjure up an alternate reality where these things don’t happen.
You’re not making the point you think you are making.
You put together a strong argument there