Judge Juan Merchan began the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump earlier than scheduled on Monday, forcing the former president to cancel a campaign speech, Trump told reporters outside the courthouse.
The numerous indictments against Trump have politically sabotaged his reelection campaign, Trump believes, which reports of multiple meetings between the Biden administration and Trump prosecutors seem to confirm.
“We’re here about an hour early today,” Trump said. “I was supposed to be making the speech for political purposes, and I’m not allowed to have anything to do with politics because I’m sitting in the very freezing cold courtroom for last four weeks.”
“They have no case. I have no crime — it’s been determined by everybody, every legal scholar,” Trump added.
Convicted liar Michael Cohen will continue to testify on the stand Monday after a controversy grew last week over alleged links between Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), Merchan’s family, and Cohen.
Goldman paid more than $157,000 to a political consulting firm that employs Merchan’s daughter, Federal Election Commission disbursement filings viewed by Truth Voices show.
Goldman said on MSNBC last week that he prepared Cohen for testimony.
While many interpreted that as Goldman saying he prepared Cohen to testify this week in the ongoing business records trial against Trump in New York, Goldman’s office later clarified that he was referring to testimony in other prior matters on which Goldman worked in an official capacity.
“I don’t think there’s one person that says that this trial is legitimate, and everybody’s talking about the judge,” Trump said. “The judge shouldn’t be doing this trial.”
“He’s totally conflicted and is the most conflicted judge probably in the history of the court system,” Trump added.
