There have been developments in the Malignant Loser's civil fraud trial and in his hush- money- for- porn- stars trial. First, the Malignant Loser has posted his bond in the civil fraud trial:
Donald Trump posted a $175 million bond on Monday in his New York civil fraud case, halting collection of the more than $454 million he owes and preventing the state from seizing his assets to satisfy the debt while he appeals, according to a court filing.
A New York appellate court had given the former president 10 days to put up the money after a panel of judges agreed last month to slash the amount needed to stop the clock on enforcement.
The bond Trump is posting with the court now is essentially a placeholder, meant to guarantee payment if the judgment is upheld. If that happens, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee will have to pay the state the whole sum, which grows with daily interest.
If Trump wins, he won’t have to pay the state anything and will get back the money he has put up now. [snip]
The company that underwrote the bond is Knight Specialty Insurance, which is part of the Knight Insurance Group. The chairman of that company, billionaire Don Hankey, told The Associated Press that both cash and bonds were used as collateral for Trump’s appellate bond.
“This is what we do at Knight Insurance, and we’re happy to do this for anyone who needs a bond,” said Hankey, who is best known in the business world for making high-risk, high-interest loans to car buyers with flawed credit histories. Hankey told the AP he has never met or spoken with Trump... (our emphasis)
(Good luck with that, Mr. Hankey. You're demonstrating the true spirit of Christmas!)
Second, in the hush money trial, the gag order imposed on the Malignant Loser has been expanded:
A Manhattan judge expanded the limited gag order imposed on former President Donald Trump over his upcoming hush money trial after a series of attacks on the judge and his family.
Judge Juan Merchan barred the former president from going after his family members or those of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, saying Trump’s efforts served “no legitimate purpose.”
“It merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings, that not only they, but their family members as well, are ‘fair game’ for Defendant’s vitriol,” Merchan wrote on Monday. “It is no longer just a mere possibility or a reasonable likelihood that there exists a threat to the integrity of the judicial proceedings. The threat is very real.”
His previous order blocked Trump from disparaging or making public comments about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff or jurors.
Bragg’s office on Monday asked Merchan to expand the order after Trump took aim at the judge’s daughter, spreading false claims about her on social media.
“Defendant’s dangerous, violent, and reprehensible rhetoric fundamentally threatens the integrity of these proceedings and is intended to intimidate witnesses and trial participants alike — including this Court,” the district attorney wrote in a court filing.
“[Trump] knows what he is doing, and everyone else does too.” (our emphasis)
CNN expands on the order and possible penalties should the Malignant Loser defy it:
... The revised order leaves room still for Trump to let off steam at Merchan – and it’s almost certain he will as he heads back out onto the campaign trial in the coming weeks, with stops in Michigan and Wisconsin on Tuesday. And if past experience with partial gag orders in other cases is any guide, the former president will claim his constitutional rights as a defendant and to free speech as an active presidential candidate are being compromised. But thanks to the expanded measure announced Monday, the family of Merchan and relatives of the Manhattan district attorney will be off limits. The gag order had previously prevented Trump making statements about witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff or the family members of prosecutors and court staff. [snip]
... What will the judge do if Trump defies the order? A first step might be fines to try to bring the most famous criminal defendant in the world into line. But at least in theory, there would be the possibility of detention – even if the idea of a former president being sent to jail until he is willing to respect the court strains credulity... (our emphasis)
It doesn't strain our credulity, if we're to be a nation of laws that no man is above.
This should be a lesson for jurists handling the Malignant Loser's criminal trials: giving him any leeway is a mistake that will eventually have to be corrected or, if not, could lead to dangerous collateral consequences and to undercutting the integrity of the trials themselves. It's his modus operandi and it needs to be quashed.
BONUS: Here's the expanded gag order from Judge Merchan (pdf).
