As attorney Todd Blanche battles to maintain credibility, a show cause hearing was held on Wednesday concerning why his client, Donald Trump, should not be held in contempt for purportedly infringing a gag order in an ongoing criminal case. Justice Juan Merchan refrained from delivering a verdict by 4pm. Despite the stern warning he received from the judge, Blanche has persisted, somewhat controversially, in his claim of an implicit exception to the gag order for political exchanges.
In a defence that has garnered much attention, Trump argued that he should not be held responsible for violating an order after reading an article prepared for him by assistant Natalie Harp in the so-called “bottomless joybook”. In his perspective, he could not be reasonably expected to read an entire article before reposting it, thereby inadvertently implicating himself if the article contained references to parties involved in the trial.
Continuing to push boundaries, Trump responded to queries about Michael Cohen’s testimony by calling him a “convicted liar” devoid of any credibility. This statement apparently flouts a court order barring Trump from publicizing remarks “about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding.”
In an attempt to rally support, Trump posted on social media praising the legal scholars who have declared that there is no case. His endeavours to rebuff claims of misconduct do not cease to come with increasing challenges.
More on the detailed coverage of Trump’s complex legal proceedings can be found at Above the law.