In response to his “hush money” trial, Donald Trump has been hyperbolically indignant, to say the least. He claims the alleged violations represent unprovable charges; nothing more than a wasted and ludicrous Democratic political ploy intended to derail his 2024 presidential run.
Both Utah Republican Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee have piled on to the criticism. Romney stated, “The prosecutor’s overreach sets a dangerous precedent for criminalizing political opponents and damages the public’s faith in our justice system.” Lee said, “This isn’t justice, solemnly and blindly carried out. This is using the law to selectively punish for political gain.”
The New York indictment includes 34 felony counts charging Trump with falsifying business records in order to hide a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to conceal an adulterous affair; thus, averting negatively impacting his previous run for president, which he won in 2016.
Just prior to Election Day — and added on top of Trump’s previous claim of being able to grab women’s private parts because he was a “star” — additional voter exposure of committing adultery with Daniels, soon after his wife gave birth to their first-born son, could reasonably have resulted in a win for Clinton; especially, involving the vote of those valuing marital fidelity.
The trial is significant for a couple of additional reasons.
First, Trump’s recent lawsuit conviction for sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll in a department store will once again be publicly spotlighted. Second, unlike other federal indictments he faces, Trump wouldn’t be able to pardon himself if convicted and subsequently elected president.
A hush money payment intended to alter the outcome of a presidential election is sufficiently significant in its own right; disregarding misdirected accusations of being nothing more than a political witch hunt.
Raymond A. Hult, Bountiful