It's time for the Tax Returns to be released. (1 Viewer)

[TobiasFunke]

I don't see how the Edwards ruling applies.  In Edwards' case it was argued that he was protecting his dying wife from the beginning.  Trump has no dying wife and he didn't seem to give a #### until he started running for office.  If that's not enough of a difference the fact that he argued he was a crap human being, acknowledge that he in fact did cheat, but claims he didn't know he was using campaign money would be another significant difference.  If that's not enough you have to other parties saying they were part of the conspiracy. 

The only real place where they two stories are comparable are around the fact they were both cheating on their wives and got caught.

This is basically how I see it too. The stories are similar, but in Trump's case you have two parties who were intimately involved in the transactions who have/will testify that the motivation to bury the stories was the election. There wasn't anything like that with Edwards- if there had been the jury might have reached a different conclusion, but all the prosecutors had there was one iffy witness, not two cooperators plus whatever other evidence of intent the prosecutors can gather from Trump-Cohen communications. You also have Trump repeatedly lying and changing his story, which will impact the credibility of his side of the story. Also Edwards wasn't exonerated- the jury was deadlocked on most of the charges, so there's no precedential value there anyway.

Also, worth remembering that in the Edwards case the prosecutors indicted him and brought the case to trial, allowing a jury to evaluate his state of mind based on the specific facts presented.  Hard to see how Trump shouldn't face the same thing at a minimum.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Also I'm not sure if the "tax returns" thread is the right place for it, but I'm glad the case is being discussed in its own thread. It's not really related to the Russia investigation and is important enough to warrant its own thread instead of getting mixed in with that stuff IMO.

 

[TobiasFunke]

One more thing going against Trump if he tries the Edwards "I was just trying to protect my wife and family" defense: he once placed a story with a prominent NY paper about an affair he was having with his then-mistress while still married to his first wife.  The paper ran it on their cover.  And there's plenty of other stories about him deliberately airing his dirty laundry in public through "John Miller" and "John Barron," too.

Doesn't sound like a guy who would spend $150,000 to bury a story about an affair with a porn star in order to protect his family to me. If anything it sounds like a guy who would pay $150,000 to get them to run the story ... but for the election of course.  But I guess that would be up to the jury.

 

[munga30]

This is what his lawyer is going to say, and it's plausible (IMO, it's probably a bit of both).  Not sure how this prosecution flies - we have direct precedent with John Edwards, and he was found not guilty. 

I think we all know that the two add on charges Cohen pled (i.e. coerced) to are designed to add the veneer of plausibility to the charges.  

It's only precedent as far as the facts align. The prosecution can make a case that will survive the criminal equivalent of summary judgement.  The only thing that would save Trump at a trial is the jury.  Good luck with that.  

 

[munga30]

If you think the Edwards case helps Trump, you should read up on the details of each case.

As the judge in the Edwards case pointed out, if helping the campaign was just part of the reason for the payments then that's enough to be a felony.  Both Cohen *and* Pecker testified that the hush money was for the campaign.

Edwards' payments were far different than Trump's in both intent and timing.  Edwards last payment came on the day he withdrew from the campaign, while Trump's was the week of the election.

It's not just the ways we can distinguish the Edwards facts with info available in public today.  Imagine what email trail exists in Trump's case and what could be in there probative of intent.  

 

[Amused to Death]

It's not just the ways we can distinguish the Edwards facts with info available in public today.  Imagine what email trail exists in Trump's case and what could be in there probative of intent.  

Or recordings.

 

[BigSteelThrill]

he once placed a story with a prominent NY paper about an affair he was having with his then-mistress while still married to his first wife.  The paper ran it on their cover.  And there's plenty of other stories about him deliberately airing his dirty laundry in public through "John Miller" and "John Barron," too.




 

He is a true beta-cuck.

 

[Sand]

The only thing that would save Trump at a trial is the jury.  Good luck with that.   

That's a good point.  I have no idea how they will find 12 jurors in case this goes to trial, particularly in NY or DC.

 

[Stealthycat]

Do you do twitter? 

I do not - anyone can tweet anything and for some reason the world believes it .... which is unbelievable to me.

I don't care about tax returns of anyone, I still don't today and why other people are obsessed I don't get it other than to try and find anything on Trump that can be used to smear him a bit. That's really all I see this as.

 

[The Commish]

I do not - anyone can tweet anything and for some reason the world believes it .... which is unbelievable to me.

I don't care about tax returns of anyone, I still don't today and why other people are obsessed I don't get it other than to try and find anything on Trump that can be used to smear him a bit. That's really all I see this as.

The post you replied to was an answer to your request to provide "real" examples of racism, sexism, etc.  That's what I did.....had nothing to do with tax returns.  You can choose to go look or not.  Up to you.

 

[Banger]

The Hill‏Verified account @thehill

Former US attorney: Mueller "absolutely" has Trump’s tax returns http://hill.cm/4eW6yeL

 

[Summer Wheat]

The Hill‏Verified account @thehill

Former US attorney: Mueller "absolutely" has Trump’s tax returns http://hill.cm/4eW6yeL

Lets get these babies released!!