We there be another criminal trial in Trump future, for bribery of witnesses?
Multiple Trump Witnesses Have Received Significant Financial Benefits From His Businesses, Campaign
Witnesses in the various criminal cases against the former president have gotten pay raises, new jobs and more. If any benefits were intended to influence testimony, that could be a crime.
ProPublica
By Robert Faturechi, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski
June 3, 2024Nine witnesses in the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large raises from his campaign, severance packages, new jobs, and a grant of shares and cash from Trump’s media company.
The benefits have flowed from Trump’s businesses and campaign committees, according to a ProPublica analysis of public disclosures, court records and securities filings. One campaign aide had his average monthly pay double, from $26,000 to $53,500. Another employee got a $2 million severance package barring him from voluntarily cooperating with law enforcement. And one of the campaign’s top officials had her daughter hired onto the campaign staff, where she is now the fourth-highest-paid employee.
These pay increases and other benefits often came at delicate moments in the legal proceedings against Trump. One aide who was given a plum position on the board of Trump’s social media company, for example, got the seat after he was subpoenaed but before he testified.
He'll give you time if you're big or small
All in line for this court is neat
Peace brother, here comes the Judge
Here comes the Judge
Here come the judge! Songwriters: Bob Astor / Dewey Markham / Dick Alen / Sarah Harvey
All in line for this court is neat
Peace brother, here comes the Judge
Here comes the Judge
Here come the judge! Songwriters: Bob Astor / Dewey Markham / Dick Alen / Sarah Harvey
Another shady deal by a shady person.
Even if the perks were not intended to influence witnesses, they could prove troublesome for Trump in any future trials. Prosecutors could point to the benefits to undermine the credibility of those aides on the witness stand.
“It feels very shady, especially as you detect a pattern. … I would worry about it having a corrupt influence,” Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said after hearing from ProPublica about benefits provided to potential Trump witnesses.
I wouldn't put it past the shyster.
It's just about ready to do that thing
I don't want no tears, I don't want no lies
Above all, I don't want no alibis
This Judge is hip, and that ain't all
I don't want no tears, I don't want no lies
Above all, I don't want no alibis
This Judge is hip, and that ain't all
In response to questions from ProPublica, a Trump campaign official said that any raises or other benefits provided to witnesses were the result of their taking on more work due to the campaign or his legal cases heating up, or because they took on new duties.
That is the thing it would be awful hard to prove in court but it sure does cast some strange light on the court cases on some shady dealing. The Cardinal and Pine reported...
But despite these legal barriers, lawyers like former US attorney Barbara McQuade told ProPublica the pattern detected among Trump witnesses “feels very shady.”
While there’s no evidence that Trump himself directly authorized payments or raises, the former president famously values loyalty from those in his orbit and is unafraid to openly disparage perceived opponents. In fact, Trump even took to his Truth Social platform last year to publicly discourage Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan from testifying before a grand jury regarding Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Records show that between November 2022 and August 2023, Epshteyn was paid an average of $26,000 monthly by way of his New Jersey-based business, Georgetown Advisory. These payments increased in the wake of Trump’s federal indictments, ultimately reaching some $53,000 per month.
While Trump officials have attributed Epshteyn’s significant raise to simply taking on more work in the leadup to the former president’s legal appearances, white-collar defense lawyers like Kenneth Notter of MoloLamken are troubled by the timing of such notable payouts.
Yeah, life! You son-of-a-gun you
Come November, election time
You vote your way, I'll vote mine
'Cause there's a tie, and the money gets spent
Come November, election time
You vote your way, I'll vote mine
'Cause there's a tie, and the money gets spent
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