White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently addressed the issue of former President Donald Trump’s criminal case filed by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, stating that the case was brought on the “timeline” of the Justice Department. However, she later clarified her statement to The Post, saying that she misspoke and meant to say that it was a question for the Department of Justice regarding their timeline and how this move occurred.
Bragg, an elected Democrat, filed charges against Trump nearly seven years after he purchased porn star Stormy Daniels’ silence about a purported affair. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the case against him was “rigged” and brought in coordination with the Justice Department to harm him ahead of his anticipated rematch against President Joe Biden on November 5th.
During her regular press briefing, Jean-Pierre responded to questions about the perception that the case was politically motivated due to Bragg’s political affiliation with the current president. When asked how this wasn’t a threat to democracy, she deferred to the Department of Justice for their timeline and decision-making process in bringing forth the charges against Trump. The White House has denied any involvement from the Justice Department in Bragg’s decision to bring the case.
Trump was convicted on May 30th on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal evidence that he paid $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her not publicly discussing an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11th, which coincides with the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The ex-president has also pointed out that former No. 3 Biden Justice Department official Michael Colangelo prosecuted the case after joining Bragg’s office and that the trial was presided over by Judge Juan Merchan, whose daughter Loren has worked in Democratic politics. Trump is facing three additional criminal cases, including federal charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents and challenging the 2020 election results, as well as state charges in Georgia on election-related counts. The timing of these trials remains uncertain.
