That was all of it?
Alvin Bragg had a much ballyhooed indictment of Donald Trump. 34 felonies. I was expecting at a minimum a couple charges of racketeering, at least one count of kidnapping, God knows what else. Big Al had reduced 52% of all felonies referred to his office for prosecution to misdemeanors. And misdemeanors never carried jail time, not even bail. If arrested, most criminals spent less time in prison than the arresting officers spent on paperwork to satisfy ADAs. And most criminals charged with misdemeanors never saw the inside of a jail cell.
Tomato, Tomahto
All of the Sturm und Drang to which we had been subjected for six straight years came down to a dispute about bookkeeping. The choices apparently were legal expense, which Trump chose, and legal reimbursement, which Big Al preferred. Give me a break.
Bragg was a major influence in NY State AG Letitia James’ decision to outlaw cash bail in New York. James, as did Bragg, ran on a single-issue platform of “Getting Trump.” For what was never specified.
The crimes charged are all misdemeanors, although they are charged as felonies. As misdemeanors, they are all past the statute of limitations. Even as felonies, they are past the statute of limitations. They are charged as felonies because, according to Big Al, they were committed to cover up another crime, a felony. Which is never specified.
In summary, there is no there, there.
I am not of the belief that former Presidents should be treated more leniently under the law simply because they are former Presidents. My gut says former Presidents should be treated more harshly than the average citizen, held to a high standard; my brain says they should be treated exactly the same as any other citizen.
That said, what seems to me to be a show trial akin to the Stalinist "Doctors' Plot" rubs the wrong way. It's not for me to judge Donald Trump; that should be up to an impartial judiciary and a jury of his peers. In my opinion there is no way for the man to get a fair trial in Manhattan given the comedic theater that has surrounded it.
Ace Cardly got a few minutes alone with Donald Trump after the former president traveled to NYC for his re-election publicity.
Cardly: How would you describe Alvin Bragg?
Trump: He’s a little man, very small, and fat. Very fat. He is tremendously fat, and ugly. He’s very small. A very small fat man.