Friday, 15 November 2024

Trump suggests SCOTUS decision should end all 'witch hunts' against him


Former President Donald Trump on Monday suggested that the Supreme Court decision finding that the president enjoys broad immunity for official acts, but not unofficial acts, ought to spell the end of his myriad legal woes, including cases unconnected to special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution.

The Supreme Court decision came as part of Smith's election case, though Trump faces an unrelated prosecution from Smith over his handling of classified documents, a separate criminal case from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, multiple civil suits, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's hush money case in which he was found guilty.

"Today’s Historic Decision by the Supreme Court should end all of Crooked Joe Biden’s Witch Hunts against me, including the New York Hoaxes - The Manhattan SCAM cooked up by Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, Racist New York Attorney General Tish James’ shameless ATTACK on the amazing business that I have built, and the FAKE Bergdorf’s 'case.' PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!" Trump posted on Truth Social.

The Supreme Court decision asserted that "[u]nder our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority."

"And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts.

The decision, however, appears to be of little relevance to many of the cases Trump mentioned as they pertain to conduct and allegations from outside his time in office.

The Bragg case, for instance, addressed a 2016 payment Trump's then-attorney, Michael Cohen, made to Stormy Daniels while Trump was seeking the presidency. Trump was found guilty in late May and faces sentencing in July.

The "Bergdorf's" case refers to sexual assault and defamation claims from writer E. Jean Carroll, who alleged that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman's dressing room some time in the 1990s. A jury held Trump liable for sexual battery and defamation in May of last year.

The case from New York Attorney General Letitia James, meanwhile, addressed allegations that Trump had manipulated the value of his assets to secure favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums. Judge Arthur Engoron earlier this year ordered Trump to pay more than $450 million in penalties, though Trump has appealed the decision.


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