“New York, New York” – Black Friday for Trump

For Donald Trump, the title of Frank Sinatra’s hymn to the Big Apple triggers anything but positive feelings – rather the opposite. This is where not only his rise to billionaire status, reality TV star and US President began, but also the possible beginning of the end of a house of cards made up of lies and fraud. And in quick order.

On Thursday, the judge in the first criminal trial against a former US president overrode the defense’s objections. Juan M. Merchan saw no reason to further postpone the main hearing and ordered it to begin on March 25th. The case involves alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels at the height of the 2016 election campaign, which Trump is said to have disguised as legal fees.

$350 million fine

On Friday, the verdict in the civil case surrounding the falsification of the Trump Organization’s books, with which Trump is said to have obtained more favorable interest rates from his lenders, was eagerly awaited. Judge Arthur F. Engoron had already determined Trump’s guilt at the beginning of the trial. On Friday evening (CET) he announced the extent of the punishment: Trump was sentenced to a fine of more than 350 million US dollars (around 325 million euros). In addition, Trump is not allowed to run a company in New York state for three years.

“See you on March 25th”

The first piece of bad news came to Trump on Thursday in the Manhattan courtroom. His client would spend the next two months in court instead of campaigning, defense attorney Todd Blanche had asked for the main hearing to be postponed. However, after failing to present a legal argument, the judge ended the hearing by saying, “See you on March 25.”

On this day, the selection of the twelve jurors who must decide whether Trump is guilty begins. Chief prosecutor Alvin L. Bragg accuses the ex-president of having covered up an affair with the sex actress Stormy Daniels by paying hush money during the election campaign against Hillary Clinton. His former “fixer” Michael Cohen is said to have acted as a middleman. He paid Daniels $130,000 out of his own pocket, which he later got reimbursed in small installments as “legal fees” from Trump.

“It’s all manipulated”

Because, from the prosecutor’s point of view, these were actually concealed campaign contributions, this would be a criminal offense under New York law. If found guilty, Trump could face several years in prison. “It’s all rigged,” Trump complained after setting the court date, which had been brought forward because the criminal trial related to the events of January 6, 2021 in Washington is currently frozen due to the appeal to the Supreme Court. “This is a manipulated state, a manipulated city, a disgrace.”