30 Oct Donald Trump Confronts a Challenging Legal Week
Donald Trump is currently facing a demanding week on the legal front. Three of his children are set to testify in his New York fraud trial, as part of this, he is also facing two legal hurdles concerning his eligibility for the forthcoming presidential election.
According to former federal prosecutor and attorney Joyce Vance, this situation represents just the beginning of the legal issues looming for the former president.
During this week, two legal proceedings begin, one taking place in Denver, Colorado, and the other in Minnesota. These proceedings aim to decide whether Trump’s name should be excluded from Colorado’s 2024 presidential ballot, citing the 14th Amendment’s restriction on individuals involved in insurrection seeking public office. It’s worth emphasizing that Trump hasn’t faced insurrection charges.
In the Colorado case, six unaffiliated and Republican voters contend that Trump should be disqualified from future presidential service due to his alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Trump’s attempts to dismiss the case through pretrial motions were unsuccessful.
This matter revolves around the content of the 14th Amendment’s Section 3, which states that U.S. officials who have sworn to uphold the Constitution are ineligible for future office if they have “engaged in insurrection” or have provided “aid or comfort” to insurrectionists.
Joyce Vance, in her “Civil Discourse” Substack blog, raises questions regarding the applicability of the insurrectionist clause and whether the president qualifies as an “officer of the United States.”
Another issue of contention revolves around whether Trump needs to face criminal conviction or, at the very least, insurrection charges to be rendered ineligible under Section 3, a matter also set to be deliberated by Minnesota’s Supreme Court.
Both cases in Minnesota and Colorado were initiated in September 2023, but the approval of ballots must occur well in advance for printing, allowing time for primary voting. The legal proceedings in both states are progressing swiftly.
The media’s primary focus is likely to be on New York, where Trump’s children are scheduled to testify in the civil fraud case against him and the Trump Organization. New York Attorney General Letitia James has brought this lawsuit, accusing the artificial inflation of asset values as a means to obtain advantageous loans and insurance agreements.
Before the trial, Judge Arthur Engoron found Trump and the other defendants liable for fraud, with the monetary penalty to be determined later. This decision led to the cancellation of Trump’s business licenses in New York, although an appeals court has stayed this aspect of the judge’s order.
This week, James intends to call Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump as witnesses. All are anticipated to face thorough and probing examination from the New York Attorney General’s office regarding the inner workings of the Trump empire. Trump himself is expected to testify the following Monday.
Joyce Vance highlights that this situation is just the tip of the iceberg, with various motions pending against Trump in other cases. The Manhattan district attorney’s legal action against Trump concerning payments to Stormy Daniels and the scheduling of a new trial in Fulton County, Georgia, are part of the ongoing legal matters.
In New York, Trump is facing a trial for alleged hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016, a case involving campaign finance law violations. He has entered a plea of not guilty in response to these allegations, including the charges in Georgia linked to his supposed involvement in the 2020 presidential election.