Trump’s usual smoke screens didn’t work after indicted on 34 charges

Editor:

I have followed Trump since ’75 when he got $886 million in tax breaks to convert the Commodore Hotel into a Hyatt. After 12 years or so the Industrial Development suit for misuse of the money got dropped when all the records were mysteriously lost.

Then Hyatt sued claiming he did not put in the $100 million he promised. That second suit settled with Hyatt buying him out. But then Hyatt got stuck redoing bad materials and work by scab labor which Trump had sourced from the mob.

If the current indictment sticks, it will mean Trump got careless 1) with records,  and 2)  recharacterizing his payments in a way to isolate them from scrutiny – as in his huge bankruptcies. I assume using the National Enquirer to hide his sex life was just penny-ante stuff to him.

Getting jammed criminally where he can not outspend and threaten the other side into submission is a new experience.  Some people are attracted to strong men who act like capos.  It angers prosecutors. It will be interesting to see if they made any legal errors or missed any details Trump can jimmy up into reasonable doubt.

Of all the pending cases this seems the most likely for Trump to convince his tribe to stick by him, Rule of Law be damned. Top Security documents has national implications and are harder to turn a blind eye to.

Trump’s biggest problem is the National Enquirer and he was insane enough to try it not once but three times. The pattern could be a huge problem. Also having a judge who used to audit much-larger corporations is also a big problem as smoke screens will not work.

I finally have to guess NYC has a few more small surprises that  were not spelled out is this rather bare bones indictment. When lawyers get lied to defendants get trapped.

It will be interesting to see what comes.

Conrad F. Cropsey

Albion