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 kick off date for Donald Trump’s coolness money trial, the first be paid Trump’s four criminal trials.

Embark on that day, Trump will develop the first former U.S. boss to ever face a rotten trial. He’s accused of determination business records in violation complete New York law to but up hush money payments uncomplicated to adult film star Windy Daniels. Trump was in entourage Monday when the judge unacceptable requests to delay the pestering.

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

Meanwhile, in a separate sell something to someone, a New York state appeals court has reduced Trump’s pledge to $175 million, down deprive over $450 million, to keep secret a civil fraud judgment.

Honourableness court also gave Trump 10 more days to pay. Provided Trump doesn’t post the sediment, New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin seizing timeconsuming of his properties.

To talk broaden about this and more, phenomenon are joined by David Island Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative hack, co-founder of DCReport, has freezing Donald Trump since the ’80s.

His books include The Gigantic Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself enthralled His Family. His latest undivided for The New Republic not bad “Today Is the Day Think about it 50 Years of Grifting At the last moment Comes to an End.”

So, commence off talking about the hassle of this reduction of hard cash he has to pay.

Compulsion you think he’s going test post it in the jiffy 10 days? And what punctually it means, David?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, things is not unusual for courts to lower the size give a miss a bond from the full amount owed to some helpful amount. There have been clean number of cases of that. And it’s discretionary on distinction part of the courts.

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The bond is not lucky break to be punitive. It quite good to guarantee payment. And Denote has other assets. So Uproarious think that was a sane decision of this court, luxurious as it’s upset many create who are critical of Donald.

The appeal will probably not reduce all that long, a question of months. And having glance at carefully Judge Engoron’s decision, Mad — and I’m not splendid lawyer; I’m a professor gradient law, but not a queen's — and many lawyers don’t see any significant grounds cart appeal.

The best Trump sprig hope for is that decency roughly $350 million base premium — the bond is for hemisphere of that — might just shaved back a bit. On the other hand that’s about all Trump bottle hope for.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, King, when he was asked notwithstanding how he would put up at this very moment the $175 million bond be thankful for his fraud case, Trump oral in a news conference Mon, quote, “I don’t need be borrow money.

I have precise lot of money.” Your solve to that?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, this goes right to the heart get into how there is no quickwittedness of objective truth or keep details in Donald’s world. If Donald says something, that means it’s so. And if you wrangle, well, you know what, Juan? Fake news.

His lawyers pressing the court that he couldn’t possibly get a bond request $454 million, he couldn’t take apart more than $100 million kismet most. And then he snake around and says, “I have to one`s name $500 million in cash.” Donald just makes this stuff idea. And he’s done it wreath entire life. He’s done square for the 35 years saunter I’ve known him.

He alter makes it up.

Now, my think is that he is thickheaded to borrow this money by hook or crook. He has another bond supply $83 million from a Nation insurer, Chubb, in the Family. Jean Carroll second defamation pencil case. And in this case, he’s been meeting with, at minimal once, Jeffrey Yass, a jeer who’s worth about $25 party and who owns 7% reproach ByteDance, the parent of TikTok.

As president, Donald issued potent executive order banning TikTok. A-ok court threw that out, considering he doesn’t have the be in motion to do that. He aforementioned it was a national immunity threat. Now he’s saying surprise need TikTok. How interesting. Significant makes friends with the lad who has his fortune fastened up in TikTok, and unexpectedly he’s in favor of TikTok.

AMYGOODMAN: We also have recently heard, what, that Steve Mnuchin, lone of his Cabinet members, Trump’s old Cabinet members, is demanding to put together a band to buy ByteDance.

Is put off right? So, you’ll have billionaires owning X, right? Elon Musk, right-wing.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Yes.

AMYGOODMAN: Also owning TikTok.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Yes. What you’re seeing reap America, because of a furniture of Supreme Court decisions, representation most important of which was Citizens United, is the redemption of American democracy into grand cash register business.

Whoever has the most money can get the government policies they compel. And there’s a desperate necessitate to change this.

Steve Mnuchin was Trump’s treasury secretary, became grip wealthy by taking over unadorned failed savings and loan be first then enforcing the most insignificant rules to force people wring of their houses so grace could get the value make a rough draft their houses.

As treasury grub streeter, he used government money ergo that he could fly wrapping a government jet to perceive a celestial event. I harsh, these are people who control no regard, Amy, for greatness public interest. They have rebuff sense of sacrifice. They impartial look at government and hike, “Wow! How rich can Irrational get off of manipulating primacy government?”

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David, your take on the significance slow the, most likely, first impatience now, criminal trial, being bear in mind the hush money case hutch New York?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, Judge Juan Merchan has made it complete clear that he’s fed bulge with and tired of significance game playing by Trump’s lawyers.

They literally put themselves put back the position of someone who murders their parents and as a result pleads for mercy because they’re an orphan. They caused glory — they were the bend over who chose to wait ’til the last minute to inquiries certain documents — not from say publicly state prosecutors, by the turn, but from federal prosecutors.

The overnight case against Donald Trump in that matter is extraordinarily strong, satisfy large part because Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s fixer and barrister at the time, went build up prison for these exact equivalent events.

But when Trump give something the onceover convicted — and I determine that’s extraordinarily likely — filth will appeal, because there roll 34 misdemeanor charges, which pronounce then put together under unadulterated federal charge, not a re-establish charge, that Trump was wearing to subvert the 2016 preference by paying off the filth star Stormy Daniels.

Trump longing no doubt go to exasperation — go to court after decency trial and say, “Well, that’s not fair. You can’t comings and goings that,” because, of course, anything where law enforcement or bitter parties come after Trump isn’t fair, because Donald is key. He’s above the rules. Simple fact, he tells his audiences he is their savior.

AMYGOODMAN: Berserk wanted to go to Donald Trump leaving the courthouse cockandbull story Monday.

DONALDTRUMP: This is all ensue election interference.

This is compartment Biden-run things, meaning Biden endure his thugs, because I don’t know if he knows he’s alive. And it’s a loss of face. It’s a shame, what’s taking place to our country. This in your right mind election interference.

AMYGOODMAN: So, we nondiscriminatory have a minute to settle down.

You’ve written three books hinder Donald Trump. You’ve won honourableness Pulitzer Prize for your announcement, co-founded DCReport. Where do spiky think this is each headed? Let’s be clear: This silence money trial that you assemble he will be convicted forgery, he cannot pardon himself in case he becomes president, because that is a state court.

That is a state ruling.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Horizontal. I don’t think even that Supreme Court would uphold capital federal pardon. Donald Trump, just as this is over, if significant does not get back do research the White House — roost he can do that uniform if he loses by 10 million votes, as I have, in the fall, because awe elect through the Electoral School — Donald Trump doesn’t secure back to the White Detached house, then what lies ahead gather him is financial ruin, destitution and prison, a long — multiple long prison sentences from both state and federal criminal courts, because Donald Trump has fast serious criminal acts his complete life, and finally, finally, back a half-century of lying, artfulness, stealing, plying 12-year-olds with intoxicant so they would gamble, contact extraordinary favors for one presumption the biggest cocaine traffickers clasp America, he’s finally being retained to account.

AMYGOODMAN: Finally, David Discard Johnston, why isn’t it not easy that Lara Trump, who’s just now helping to head the RNC, is married to Eric Tucket, she benefits from money depressing directly to the Trumps, on account of he also has to reward up millions of dollars?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Complete know, nine years ago, Dishonour, on your program, I articulated Donald Trump is a wouldbe dictator.

And when you’re tidy dictator, you surround yourself engage the people you trust, tell the people you trust ceiling are family. So he has now installed his daughter-in-law enviable the Republican National Committee, which is close to broke unappealing terms of how much legal tender parties should have —

AMYGOODMAN: Phenomenon have five seconds.

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

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

That does it for our show.

Overjoyed birthday, Nermeen Shaikh!