A lawyer representing former President Donald Trump has accused the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, of “misconduct” in his handling of the cases of Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen and ex-Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg.
What Happened: In a letter addressed to Bragg, Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche accused the district attorney of “ongoing prosecutorial misconduct” in the hush money case against Trump, reported The Hill.
Blanche argued that Bragg’s office turned “a blind eye to the admitted and repeated perjury” of Cohen, who had paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair with the former president.
Trump is accused of falsifying business records of reimbursements he made in 2016 to Cohen, his fixer at the time. Blanche said the “vindictive and oppressive pressure and plea negotiations” on Monday led to Weisselberg pleading guilty to perjury charges of lying during a 2020 deposition.
Blanche accused Bragg of ignoring Cohen’s criminal conduct and instead using “unethical, strong-armed tactics” against an innocent man in his late 70s. He also alleged that Weisselberg was given an “impossible choice” of either pleading guilty in exchange for a “relatively short stint in prison” or facing arrest and incarceration.
"These issues demand careful consideration because of the legal, ethical, and constitutional issues they implicate. We again urge you to reconsider your positions regarding Cohen and Mr. Weisselberg and put an end to the selective and oppressive misconduct of your office," Blanche wrote.
Trump’s lawyers have also used Cohen’s testimony in their effort to block him from testifying in the upcoming hush money trial.
Why It Matters: This development comes in the wake of the upcoming trial that Trump faces on Mar. 25 in connection with allegations of hush money being paid to Stormy Daniels as part of a cover-up ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The prosecutor in the case has requested a gag order for Trump.
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the hush money case, even presenting a novel legal theory in his defense. This latest accusation of misconduct by his lawyer adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing legal battle.
Trump has previously slammed the case as a “witch hunt” by “radical left Democrat” prosecutor Alvin Bragg, asserting his innocence in the matter.
In a separate development, Trump recently celebrated a Supreme Court ruling that put him back on the Colorado state ballot for the 2024 presidential election. This ruling could have significant implications for Trump’s political future.
Read Next: My Pillow Guy Mike Lindell Tells MAGA Crowd In Florida: ‘God Is Working Through President Trump!’
Image Via Shutterstock
Engineered by Benzinga Neuro, Edited by Kaustubh Bagalkote
The GPT-4-based Benzinga Neuro content generation system exploits the extensive Benzinga Ecosystem, including native data, APIs, and more to create comprehensive and timely stories for you. Learn more.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
