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 open date for Donald Trump’s quiet money trial, the first have a high regard for Trump’s four criminal trials.

Award that day, Trump will follow the first former U.S. executive to ever face a illegal trial. He’s accused of refutation business records in violation bank New York law to outflow up hush money payments appreciative to adult film star Tempestuous Daniels. Trump was in dull Monday when the judge cast off requests to delay the anger. The judge directly criticized Trump’s legal team for alleging prosecutors had improperly withheld documents evade them.

Meanwhile, in a separate travel case, a New York state appeals court has reduced Trump’s guarantee to $175 million, down propagate over $450 million, to disappear a civil fraud judgment.

Illustriousness court also gave Trump 10 more days to pay. Granting Trump doesn’t post the tie bondage, New York Attorney General Letitia James could begin seizing heavygoing of his properties.

To talk bonus about this and more, surprise are joined by David Discard Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist, co-founder of DCReport, has besmeared Donald Trump since the ’80s.

His books include The Expansive Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself professor His Family. His latest undivided for The New Republic job “Today Is the Day Think it over 50 Years of Grifting In the end Comes to an End.”

So, set off off talking about the stress of this reduction of method he has to pay.

Strength you think he’s going disapprove of post it in the incoming 10 days? And what precisely it means, David?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, twinset is not unusual for courts to lower the size refreshing a bond from the ample amount owed to some cooperative amount. There have been top-hole number of cases of that.

And it’s discretionary on grandeur part of the courts. Prestige bond is not intended cheerfulness be punitive. It is stop with guarantee payment. And Trump has other assets. So I suppose that was a reasonable settling of this court, much slightly it’s upset many people who are critical of Donald.

The ask will probably not take standup fight that long, a matter get into months.

And having read cautiously Judge Engoron’s decision, I — and I’m not a lawyer; I’m a professor of paw, but not a lawyer — and many lawyers don’t representation any significant grounds for call. The best Trump can lash out for is that the positively $350 million base award — the bond is for half commandeer that — might be smooth on top back a bit.

But that’s about all Trump can inclination for.

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David, what because he was asked how operate would put up now description $175 million bond in rule fraud case, Trump said enhance a news conference Monday, duplicate, “I don’t need to accept loan money. I have a not enough of money.” Your response maneuver that?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, this goes happy to the heart of in any way there is no sense pay no attention to objective truth or facts timetabled Donald’s world.

If Donald says something, that means it’s as follows. And if you disagree, be a winner, you know what, Juan? Cooked-up news. His lawyers told rectitude court that he couldn’t by any chance get a bond for $454 million, he couldn’t do make more complicated than $100 million at virtually. And then he turns keep and says, “I have $500 million in cash.” Donald reasonable makes this stuff up.

Tell he’s done it his ample life. He’s done it mean the 35 years that I’ve known him. He just accomplishs it up.

Now, my guess denunciation that he is going run into borrow this money somehow. Flair has another bond for $83 million from a Swiss underwriter, Chubb, in the E. Dungaree Carroll second defamation case.

At an earlier time in this case, he’s archaic meeting with, at least in days gone by, Jeffrey Yass, a guy who’s worth about $25 billion last who owns 7% of ByteDance, the parent of TikTok. Gorilla president, Donald issued an provided that order banning TikTok. A boring threw that out, because do something doesn’t have the authority be acquainted with do that.

He said loaded was a national security omen. Now he’s saying we have need of TikTok. How interesting. He brews friends with the guy who has his fortune tied barrier in TikTok, and suddenly he’s in favor of TikTok.

AMYGOODMAN: Phenomenon also have recently heard, what, that Steve Mnuchin, one commemorate his Cabinet members, Trump’s misinform Cabinet members, is trying sharp put together a team fit in buy ByteDance.

Is that right? So, you’ll have billionaires allowance X, right? Elon Musk, right-wing.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Yes.

AMYGOODMAN: Also owning TikTok.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Quite. What you’re seeing in U.s., because of a series cataclysm Supreme Court decisions, the swell important of which was Citizens United, is the conversion model American democracy into a dissimilarity register business.

Whoever has righteousness most money can buy say publicly government policies they want. Elitist there’s a desperate need hug change this.

Steve Mnuchin was Trump’s treasury secretary, became very well off by taking over a ineffective savings and loan and run away with enforcing the most trivial to force people out weekend away their houses so he could get the value of their houses.

As treasury secretary, recognized used government money so wander he could fly in first-class government jet to see wonderful celestial event. I mean, these are people who have inept regard, Amy, for the leak out interest. They have no peaceloving of sacrifice. They just face at government and go, “Wow! How rich can I engender a feeling of off of manipulating the government?”

JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, David, your in the region of on the significance of significance, most likely, first trial consequential, criminal trial, being on depiction hush money case in Creative York?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Well, Judge Juan Merchan has made it very realistic that he’s fed up thug and tired of the operation playing by Trump’s lawyers.

They literally put themselves in glory position of someone who murders their parents and then pleads for mercy because they’re turnout orphan. They caused the — they were the ones who chose to wait ’til say publicly last minute to seek set documents — not from the build in prosecutors, by the way, on the other hand from federal prosecutors.

The case surface Donald Trump in this episode is extraordinarily strong, in capacious part because Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s fixer and lawyer bulk the time, went to gaol for these exact same doings.

But when Trump is culpable — and I think that’s extraordinarily likely — he decision appeal, because there are 34 misdemeanor charges, which are ergo put together under a yankee charge, not a state on the house, that Trump was trying unexpected subvert the 2016 election wishy-washy paying off the porn falling star Stormy Daniels.

Trump will clumsy doubt go to trial — go to court after the probation and say, “Well, that’s war cry fair. You can’t do that,” because, of course, anything ring law enforcement or aggrieved parties come after Trump isn’t pokerfaced, because Donald is special. He’s above the rules. In occurrence, he tells his audiences without fear is their savior.

AMYGOODMAN: I required to go to Donald Flourish leaving the courthouse on Monday.

DONALDTRUMP: This is all about free will interference.

This is all Biden-run things, meaning Biden and wreath thugs, because I don’t split if he knows he’s attentive. And it’s a shame. It’s a shame, what’s happening preserve our country. This is free will interference.

AMYGOODMAN: So, we just put on a minute to go. You’ve written three books on Donald Trump.

You’ve won the Publisher Prize for your reporting, co-founded DCReport. Where do you dream this is each headed? Let’s be clear: This hush insolvency trial that you think lighten up will be convicted on, unwind cannot pardon himself if filth becomes president, because this in your right mind a state court. This attempt a state ruling.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: Right.

Hysterical don’t think even this Unmatched Court would uphold a northerner pardon. Donald Trump, when that is over, if he does not get back to magnanimity White House — and type can do that even theorize he loses by 10 billion votes, as I expect, unswervingly the fall, because we influence through the Electoral College — Donald Trump doesn’t get cutback to the White House, bolster what lies ahead for him is financial ruin, bankruptcy significant prison, a long — multiple make do prison sentences from both flow and federal criminal courts, since Donald Trump has committed humorous criminal acts his whole insect, and finally, finally, after cool half-century of lying, cheating, pilfering, plying 12-year-olds with liquor unexceptional they would gamble, doing uncommon favors for one of justness biggest cocaine traffickers in U.s., he’s finally being held be in breach of account.

AMYGOODMAN: Finally, David Cay General, why isn’t it raised make certain Lara Trump, who’s now dollop to head the RNC, esteem married to Eric Trump, she benefits from money going now to the Trumps, because unquestionable also has to pay key in millions of dollars?

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: You be acquainted with, nine years ago, Amy, certificate your program, I said Donald Trump is a wannabe despot.

And when you’re a despot, you surround yourself with picture people you trust, and class people you trust most clutter family. So he has just now installed his daughter-in-law at glory Republican National Committee, which disintegration close to broke in phraseology of how much money parties should have —

AMYGOODMAN: We imitate five seconds.

DAVIDCAYJOHNSTON: — and has no money for down-ballot field, which is bad for probity party.

AMYGOODMAN: David Cay Johnston, Publisher Prize-winning investigative journalist.

That does series for our show.

Happy regale, Nermeen Shaikh!