Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, April 16, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, and today we are here to bring you pivotal stories from across the nation, keeping you informed and engaged with the latest developments.
Judge Warns Trump He Could Be Arrested for Missing Court Dates
Former President Donald Trump has been warned by Judge Juan Merchan that he could be arrested if he fails to show up for court dates in the “hush-money” case. President Trump’s attorney assured the judge that he would attend.According to the New York Court System, missing court without a valid reason could lead to a warrant for President Trump’s arrest, separate prosecution, and separate punishment for bail jumping.
The trial, in which President Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records, is scheduled to last eight weeks, four days per week, which is likely to severely limit his campaigning efforts during that time.
President Trump believes the trial is a form of election interference meant to disrupt his future presidential campaign. He has suggested holding campaign-related events in the evenings and potentially testifying in the case.
President Trump’s lawyers have argued for Judge Merchan to step down, alleging bias and a conflict of interest due to his daughter’s connections to Democrats. However, the judge denied the motion and said he would wait for an appeals court ruling.
The case involves accusations that President Trump disguised payments to adult film performer Stormy Daniels through his former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Both Ms. Daniels and Mr. Cohen are expected to testify. President Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges and claims the payments were legitimate legal expenses.
The New York trial is the first of President Trump’s four criminal indictments and the first criminal trial of a former president.
The former president’s lawyers also maintain that President Trump faces “real potential prejudice” in heavily Democrat-leaning Manhattan. Election data has shown that only about 12 percent of Manhattan residents voted in favor of President Trump in 2020’s election.
Trump Makes Accusation Against Judge 1 Day Ahead of Trial
President Trump criticized Judge Merchan, who is overseeing the “hush-money” case against him, for giving his lawyers only a short period of time to review massive amounts of documents before his New York trial begins.President Trump’s lawyers accused the judge of being conflicted and claimed that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has blocked their access to materials. His lawyer Todd Blanche also argued that potential jurors in Manhattan have been exposed to massive “biased and unfair media coverage relating to the case.”
President Trump argued that more time was needed and criticized the timing of the trial during his presidential campaign. Court papers reveal that prosecutors provided over 10 million pages of documents to President Trump’s lawyers from May to July of the previous year. His lawyers requested a 90-day extension to review the documents, but the request was denied.
The defense further attempted to delay the trial due to alleged prejudicial media coverage but was also denied by Judge Merchan.
President Trump’s lawyers have demanded that the judge step down due to bias and a conflict of interest, and President Trump has expressed his dissatisfaction with the trial.
More Than 50 Jurors Dismissed on First Day of Trump ‘Hush-Money’ Trial
On the first day of President Trump’s “hush-money” trial, 96 possible jurors were asked by Judge Juan Merchan if they could be fair or impartial, and over 50 jurors indicated they could not be fair. Some jurors openly expressed their reservations, with one stating, “I just couldn’t do it.”The judge also excused a juror originally from Texas who answered “yes” to a question about whether she had “firmly held beliefs” about President Trump.
The jurors were also questioned about their media habits, affiliations, participation in Trump rallies, and perceptions of President Trump’s treatment by the justice system.
The trial centers on $130,000 paid to President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen. Mr. Cohen had paid that sum on behalf of the former president to Ms. Clifford about a month before the 2016 election.
President Trump has denied any wrongdoing, pleading not guilty to 34 felony charges.
Before entering the court on Monday, President Trump said he is a victim of “political persecution” and is being unfairly targeted due to his position as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.
He also faces three other criminal cases in Georgia, Washington, and Florida, and has pleaded not guilty to those charges as well.
Star Jan. 6 Witness Changed Answers
A document has revealed that Cassidy Hutchinson, one of the star witnesses in the U.S. House of Representatives panel investigating the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol, changed 47 answers after testifying four times.Ms. Hutchinson was an aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows at the time of the breach. She made these changes after making new claims in her fourth interview with the House Select Committee.
One change involved her knowledge of whether President Trump was informed of weapons in the crowd during his speech at the Ellipse. Ms. Hutchinson initially claimed she didn’t know, but the document reveals she actually knew that President Trump was told there were weapons in the crowd.
Another change pertains to discussions about referencing Antifa during the investigation. Ms. Hutchinson originally stated she wasn’t privy to such conversations, but the document shows there was “an emphasis on blaming Antifa. ”
In addition, Ms. Hutchinson initially claimed she wrote a card that said anyone who entered the Capitol without proper authority should leave, but later stated that Mr. Meadows dictated the phrase to her.
The document, running 15 pages long, changed 47 earlier answers across the four interviews and was made public by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who is the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Investigations. Ms. Hutchinson’s claims, including one about President Trump lunging for the wheel of a vehicle, were disputed by multiple witnesses. The document also revealed that Ms. Hutchinson’s previous lawyer advised her to say she didn’t recall certain details.
The panel, criticized for rushing into hearings without verifying stories, also circulated a transcript with the driver of the vehicle, who stated that President Trump did not try to grab the steering wheel.
Government Employee Violated Law on Jan. 6 but Wasn’t Prosecuted: Document
An internal report obtained by The Epoch Times reveals that a U.S. government employee breached the law on Jan. 6, 2021, but was not prosecuted.The U.S. Treasury Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation found that an OIG employee was present on the U.S. Capitol grounds during the breach.
Although the employee admitted to being near the Capitol, he denied witnessing any violence or engaging in illegal activities. However, video footage confirmed that unauthorized individuals breached barricades at the same time that the Treasury employee admitted to passing through a U.S. Capitol Police barricade. The employee remained on the grounds for approximately two hours and observed clashes between Capitol Police and protesters.
The employee, whose identity was not disclosed, went onto restricted grounds without lawful authority and engaged in lack of candor during the investigation.
Although the case was presented for prosecution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia declined in May last year to prosecute the employee.
Several other government employees, including Federico Klein, a former Marine working for the State Department, and Paul Lovley, who worked for the National Security Agency, have been prosecuted for their involvement in the breach.
As of April 6, over 1,300 individuals have been charged in relation to the breach. Nearly 800 pleaded guilty and another 156 were found guilty. Prosecutions are still ongoing.
FBI Opens Investigation Into Baltimore Bridge Collapse
The FBI has launched an investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bridge fell into the river on March 26 after it was struck by the container ship Dali. According to a spokesperson for the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the agency is “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity” on the ship. This statement and other media reports indicate that the incident is being investigated as potentially criminal.The agency is looking into whether the crew was aware of major issues with the vessel before leaving port.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has announced legal action to address the impact of the collapse, holding accountable parties such as the ship’s owner, charterer, manager/operator, and manufacturer.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also investigating the incident. The NTSB reports that the Singaporean-flagged vessel lost power before the collision, causing damage to both the bridge and the vessel.
No pollution has been reported, but hazardous materials were on board. The NTSB chair mentioned a power failure on the ship and stated that the investigation is focused on the engine room. The preliminary report is expected in May.
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