Althouse: “Trump posts $175M bond to keep N.Y. authorities from seizing property.”

April 1, 2024

“Trump posts $175M bond to keep N.Y. authorities from seizing property.”

AND: “Gag Order Against Trump Is Expanded to Bar Attacks on Judge’s Family/Donald Trump had in recent days targeted the daughter of Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing his criminal trial in Manhattan, in blistering social media posts” (NYT).

40 comments:

rhhardin said...: A daughter, as I understand it, is attacking Trump first. It's her job at whatever she does, to attack Trump.; 4/1/24, 7:46 PM
best president ever said...: So will Trump next be prohibited from criticizing Authentic Campaigns the political activist company and their leadership??? Is there any limit to this suppression of freedom or political speech?; 4/1/24, 7:50 PM
Oh Yea said...: Does the gag order forbid judges family commenting Don Trump and trial?; 4/1/24, 7:56 PM
best president ever said...: Democrat clients of daughter of NY Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan in Trump hush-money trial raised $93M off the Trump case. This is an obvious major conflict of interest with the judge's daughter making a living working against a defendant in front of her fatherin court.

The judge’s daughter, Loren Merchan, is president of Authentic Campaigns, a Chicago-based progressive political consulting firm whose top clients include Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who was the lead prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment trial, and the Senate Majority PAC, a major party fundraiser. Is there any Trump lawfare case where the government has neutral prosecutors or judges????; 4/1/24, 7:59 PM
Robert Marshall said...: The judge's daughter is a rabid partisan in the ongoing lawfare between the Democrat party and Trump, not a participant in the trial, a witness, or member of the jury pool. Preventing Trump from exercising his freedom of expression in this context is wrong, but the Dems have already decided Trump has no rights. Things seem to be escalating, threatening to cross over from lawfare to outright warfare. If this all goes kinetic, it won't be Trump's fault.; 4/1/24, 8:01 PM
RideSpaceMountain said...: I would’ve pulled a Kramer and paid in pennies. Would've shown up with dump trucks full of them, tipped them in the parking lot, looked them in the eyes and said, "all debts, public and private, you fucking bitches." Since they would never deign to count themselves they'd probably get their bois at the NYC fed or Carnegie Mellon to do it, which is why I would've made sure my factors stayed to receive a receipt. Get stacking Letitia. Roll 'em tight, don't let the paper cuts bite.; 4/1/24, 8:17 PM
Mikey NTH said...: The gag order is a bit late now that the activites of the judge's daughter were made light by Trump's "contumacious" statements. Engage Streisand Effect.; 4/1/24, 8:28 PM
traditionalguy said...: Blistering is the NYT new word for telling the truth.

War of words in a vain hope they will out speak The Donald. Now that’s funny.; 4/1/24, 8:29 PM
PB said...: when the daughter is a political activist lobbying her father, as she has basically admitted, then she is fair game for criticism.; 4/1/24, 8:42 PM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: to listen to the hack-D press talk about the Stormy Daniels "hush money" payment is to listen to a pack of jackals reading in-union copy. Campaign finance violations!

It's not illegal to pay someone to keep quiet about an indiscretion. (democrats do it all the time); 4/1/24, 8:47 PM
Sebastian said...: “Gag Order Against Trump Is Expanded to Bar Attacks on Judge’s Family"

On what basis? The "family" consists of adults. They are political players. They create an obvious conflict of interest. The gag order is a form of lawfare.; 4/1/24, 8:53 PM
Achilles said...: Did the NYT mention that the Daughter of "Judge" Merchan is a Democrat fundraiser and works for many prominent democrats?

Of course not.

These people are not just blatantly corrupt. They are all fascists too.

And now everyone sees them plain as day.; 4/1/24, 9:29 PM
mccullough said...: The Streisand Effect will make the judge’s Dem Operative Daughter more blistered; 4/1/24, 9:41 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Judge's family can attack Trump; Trump can't respond.; 4/1/24, 11:04 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: I was wondering about this. I'd noticed that it had seem to have dropped out of the news cycle after the extension was granted. Fani's case has lost traction, too. Guess the optics went south on both of them.; 4/1/24, 11:33 PM
rehajm said...: There are no censures or disbarments or rogue judge removals. Lawyers and bar associations can’t muster sp much as a petition objecting to the abandonment of rule of law. I wish them all the horrible fate of every lawyer joke ever conceived…; 4/2/24, 1:22 AM
wendybar said...: Progressives can do and say whatever they want with absolutely NO consequences. I repeat this often, because it is so true it makes you SICK TO YOUR STOMACH.

These people are evil, and I can't wait until Karma knocks them ALL out. They will rue the day, that they poked people enough times that THEIR little worlds come tumbling down....; 4/2/24, 3:05 AM
wendybar said...: The TRUTH about the Judges "child" Tell me again how there is NOT collusion going on in this administration and courts....

Julie Kelly 🇺🇸
@julie_kelly2
In 2019/2020, Adam Schiff paid Loren Merchan's firm $4 million--almost 40% of Schiff's total disbursements that cycle. At the same time, Schiff was in cahoots with Michael Cohen to take down Donald Trump.

Now Loren's daddy-judge not only is allowing Cohen to testify in "hush money" trial next month (Trump opposes), Judge Juan Merchan issued a gag order last week banning Trump from making critical public statements about Cohen.

https://declassified.live/p/ties-between-judge-merchans-child

Julie Kelly 🇺🇸
@julie_kelly2
"Merchan’s work for Trump’s biggest antagonist on Capitol Hill helped her earn a coveted 'rising star' award from Campaign & Elections magazine in 2020. As president and partner of Authentic Campaigns, the editors swooned, Merchan 'is setting new benchmarks' in the digital media space by 'doing ground-breaking, historical work for clients like Jon Tester, Kamala Harris, Adam Schiff, and others.'"
7:26 PM · Apr 1, 2024

Julie Kelly 🇺🇸
@julie_kelly2
Loren Merchan is 34, she's not a child. She runs a very lucrative political firm that has made tens of millions off Trump's biggest political foes.

Since 2019, Adam Schiff has paid her company six-figures a month including during the time he led the impeachment against Trump and met several times with Michael Cohen.

Merchan should have recused. He refused to do so and, in the process, put himself and his daughter under much-deserved scrutiny.

Nothing close to an "attack."
7:32 PM · Apr 1, 2024; 4/2/24, 5:00 AM
wendybar said...: Now Joe Biden is admitting that his kids and his grandkids jumping in bed with him is his favorite memory of being in the White House???
Just imagine if Trump said this....

https://twitter.com/i/status/1774889543872684482; 4/2/24, 5:08 AM
Leland said...: If you are feminist in the political world speaking truth to power and the man then you need the protection of the courts to silence your opposition.
If you are a woman that wants to enjoy a locker room for women then you are a TERF.

Or are we still pretending this is only about Trump?; 4/2/24, 5:38 AM
Goldenpause said...: I wonder if the judge realizes that his gag order is an in-kind contribution to the Trump campaign.; 4/2/24, 5:54 AM
Tank said...: Trump has brought it all out into the open.; 4/2/24, 6:54 AM
Humperdink said...: Remember a few weeks the Commie Pinko media was gleefully reporting Letitia James was going to padlock a variety of Trump properties, from his private jet, to Mar-a-Lago, to Trump tower. These morons in the press and late night show hosts continue to confirm on thing - they are in fact morons. My oh my they sure have clamed up about it.; 4/2/24, 7:49 AM
Wince said...: The Loren M Twitter/X account is simply one piece of evidence of the bias baked into Loren Merchan's overt financial stake in the Trump prosecution.

Yet, the court seem to be admitting the Loren M account avatar alone would be a problem if only Loren M were still the one posting to the Loren M account.

And where's the NYT ubiquitous qualifier "claimed without evidence" on the following statement?

Although the handle once belonged to the judge’s daughter, Loren Merchan, she deleted it about a year ago, a court spokesman said. Someone else — it is unclear who — has since taken it over. Its profile picture is now a childhood portrait of Vice President Kamala Harris.

“The X, formerly Twitter, account being attributed to Judge Merchan’s daughter no longer belongs to her,” said Al Baker, the spokesman for the state’s Office of Court Administration. “It is not linked to her email address, nor has she posted under that screen name since she deleted the account. Rather, it represents the reconstitution, last April, and manipulation of an account she long ago abandoned.”

Abandoned? To whom?; 4/2/24, 7:56 AM
JAORE said...: Per a comment above. Nope it certainly is not illegal to pay hush money. IIRC Congress set up a fund for hat specific reason to protect members.

May be gone now since it hit the light of day.; 4/2/24, 8:43 AM
JAORE said...: By the way, I know the "fact checkers labeled reports on that hush money fund as false.

That was for two reasons. 1) it wasn't a "slush fund" it was (proudly?) a line item in the Congressional budget, and 2) it was used for other purposes too.

Color me unimpressed.; 4/2/24, 8:48 AM
Rusty said...: Wince
She has a PA to handle all her anti Trump vitriol now.; 4/2/24, 9:15 AM
Ampersand said...: The persecution of DJT is the one thing the Dems can do to demonstrate that their indifference to the constitutional rights of their political opponents is so nihilistic, pervasive and damaging that we will do the country a favor by dislodging them from power, even if it means installing a marginally competent narcissist as President.; 4/2/24, 9:37 AM
Joe Smith said...: The left won't even let their opponents speak.

Who are the fascists again?; 4/2/24, 10:17 AM
DKWalser said...: The judge should recuse himself. A member of his family has a professional, personal, and possibly financial interest in the outcome of the case against Trump. Recusal in such a situation is mandatory.

For example, suppose another judge had a child who ran a consumer credit advocacy organization, and the child had recently made public statements accusing a bank of illegally discriminating against consumers in its lending practices. Would the judge be permitted to oversee a case brought against the bank over its lending practices (even though the judge's child had no direct role in the case)? No! While it would be (in theory) possible for the judge to oversee the case fairly and properly, the general public would have no way of KNOWING the judge had been fair. Any ruling made by the judge against the bank might be seen as the judge working to vindicate the judge's child's interests rather than a neutral application of the law. That's why the recusal rules would mandate the judge to not handle the case.

Instead of seeing the judge's obvious conflict, the left is upset because Trump's comments about the Judge's daughter are 'beyond the pale'. Attacking a judge's family simply isn't done! Contrast that with their argument that Supreme Court Justice Thomas must recuse himself because of his wife's advocacy on behalf of Trump. It's okay to attack a justice's wife, but not a judge's adult child?; 4/2/24, 11:33 AM
Mark said...: Sorry (not sorry), I'm not going to defend Trump being an asshole, again, much less jump up and down cheering like a chattering monkey on the Jerry Springer show.; 4/2/24, 11:42 AM
Rabel said...: Whether Loren Merchan is a "senior executive" or actually President of Authentic Campaigns (their Our Team page is currently unavailable) she is a chronic uptalker (listen at 3:00) and should be dismissed as a serious person.; 4/2/24, 12:45 PM
effinayright said...: Rabel said...
Whether Loren Merchan is a "senior executive" or actually President of Authentic Campaigns (their Our Team page is currently unavailable) she is a chronic uptalker (listen at 3:00) and should be dismissed as a serious person.
************
Northeners used to make that same "argument" when hearing a person speak with a deep Southern Accent.

It's just bigotry, straight up.; 4/2/24, 1:07 PM
Balfegor said...: "Drat!" says the prosecutor, gnashing her teeth. "Foiled again! I'll get you next time, Trump!"; 4/2/24, 2:26 PM
Rabel said...: "It's just bigotry, straight up."

Guilty as charged.; 4/2/24, 2:39 PM
mikee said...: What is the timeline on appealing a gag order of this type? It seems to be a prior restraint ban on clearly political speech, during a campaign, by a candidate in that campaign.

Is it a hard argument to make that comments like Wendybar's above, if made by DJT, constitute political speech in a campaign by the candidate, and cannot be prevented or punished by government agents?; 4/2/24, 2:53 PM
Achilles said...: While we are talking about hush money payments, let us have some fun with Congress.

Apparently if you just use taxpayer money instead of personal money these things just go away.

Really this corrupt regime and the people that support it are just absolutely terrible people to their core.; 4/2/24, 5:01 PM
Achilles said...: Mark said...

Sorry (not sorry), I'm not going to defend Trump being an asshole, again, much less jump up and down cheering like a chattering monkey on the Jerry Springer show.

It is much easier to just say "I am a stupid worthless coward nobody cares about."; 4/2/24, 5:03 PM
Drago said...: VA Lawyer Mark: "Sorry (not sorry), I'm not going to defend Trump being an asshole, again, much less jump up and down cheering like a chattering monkey on the Jerry Springer show."

You have already made it quite clear you are a fanboy of the New Soviet Democratical corrupt lawfare campaign against Trump.

Once that line is crossed, why should any thinking person give the slightest credence to your butt hurt proclamations?; 4/2/24, 5:58 PM
boatbuilder said...: Judge Merchan knew that this was a "political" case--in fact the only reason it is being brought is political. His daughter is about as well situated to benefit financially from the case--not simply the outcome, but the manner in which it is presented and the rulings during the trial--as anyone could possibly be--by virtue of its highly political nature. I assume that Judge Merchan himself got to where he is by being politically connected to the Democrat Party.

He could easily have recused himself, and ethically should have. All he needed to do was say--"This is too politically hot, and I'm too close." He didn't, because he wants to accomplish something other than the proper and just administration of the law.

And now the world knows that he's a political hack wearing a robe, whose besmirched daughter is making millions doing the bidding of the defendant's sworn enemies. Trump has every right to bellow this as loudly as he can.; 4/2/24, 7:15 PM