The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, has attacked this Friday the judge Juan Merchan, accusing him of carrying out an “illegitimate political attack” in relation to his appearance on January 10, when he must hear the sentence on the case of alleged bribery of the former adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, known as ‘Stormy Daniels’.
“This illegitimate political attack is nothing more than a rigged farce. The “acting” judge Merchan, who is a radical partisan, has just issued another order that is knowingly illegal, goes against our Constitution and, if allowed to stand, would be the end of the Presidency as we know it,” he asserted on his account on the social network Truth Social, which he himself promulgated.
The Republican tycoon has harshly criticised the judge, accusing him of “having so little respect for the Constitution” that he has maintained a gag order that he considers illegal.
“I am the only political opponent in the history of the United States who is not allowed to defend himself – A despicable violation of the First Amendment!” he denounced.
Thus, Trump has concluded that “this has to end”: “It is time to end Lawfare once and for all, so that we can unite as a nation.”
The judge has ordered Trump to appear on January 10 to hear the sentence on the case. This is clear from a document collected by the American press in which Judge Merchan stresses that Trump will be convicted, although he will not face legal sanctions. The president-elect can still appeal any possible conviction, while the Prosecutor’s Office has refused to comment on the facts.
Merchan’s ruling puts an end to two months of speculation and manoeuvring between Trump’s lawyers and the US justice system after the tycoon won the presidential elections last November. Trump will take office on 20 January, ten days before the verdict.
Trump was convicted in April on a total of 34 charges, when he was not even confirmed as an official candidate for the White House.
The judge, who postponed ‘sine die’ the hearing in which it will be known if he is finally sentenced to prison, accused him of falsifying documents to hide a payment of 130,000 dollars to ‘Stormy Daniels’, whom he paid so that she would not talk about an alleged extramarital relationship.
The Supreme Court indicated that former presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts, pointing out that evidence related to Trump’s work as president could not be used in the trial.
The tycoon’s defense argued that the ruling by the country’s highest court meant that the conviction should be overturned and the charge dismissed, but Merchan said that immunity does not affect this case.
Trump’s conviction carries the possibility of up to four years in prison, which could, however, be replaced by a wide range of alternatives to imprisonment ranging from probation to paying fines.
