Gingrich: Supreme Court needs to step inChad Groening (AFN) A former Republican leader argues it's time for the Supreme Court to intervene in the Trump "hush money" trial. Prior to the resumption of the Tuesday's proceedings, the presiding judge held a hearing on prosecutors' request to sanction and fine former President Donald Trump over social media posts they say violate a gag order prohibiting him from attacking key witnesses. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg claims Trump violated the gag order ten times; and he wants Trump to pay a $1,000 fine for each alleged infraction. In addition, some have suggested the former president should face jail time for violating the gag order. During an appearance on the Fox News Channel, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich expressed his deep concerns about the case. 
"I am deeply worried that a totally corrupt judge and a totally corrupt district attorney are going to try to put a former president of the United States – candidate of his party and frontrunner in the polls – in jail," Gingrich stated. "I think this is so horrendous that there has to be some way to reach out to the Supreme Court." The former House Speaker argued the New York system is now deeply corrupted, and bitterly, deeply anti Trump. "What worries me is it's a genuine threat to Donald Trump. I think any step that would put him close to a New York prison is an extraordinarily dangerous step," said Gingrich. "And I would hope that there's some legal way to block it and make sure that it never happens because the thugs he's dealing with are totally out of control, have total contempt for the rule of law, and frankly are unworthy of being in the offices they hold." |
Testimony in the case resumed just before midday following a morning hearing on the former president’s alleged gag order violations.
Pecker, the National Enquirer's former publisher and a longtime friend of Trump’s, was the only witness Monday. He was expected Tuesday to tell jurors about his relationship with Trump and his efforts to help him stifle unflattering stories during the 2016 campaign.
Prosecutors say Pecker worked with Trump and Trump’s then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, on a “catch-and-kill” strategy to buy up and then spike negative stories. At the heart of the case are allegations that Trump orchestrated a scheme to bury unflattering stories about his personal life that might torpedo his campaign.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys in opening statements Monday painted competing portraits of the former president — one depicting him as someone who sought to corrupt the 2016 presidential election for his own benefit and another describing him as an innocent, everyday man who was being subjected to a case the government “should never have brought.”
Following questions about his relationship with Donald Trump, the former publisher of the National Enquirer was asked Tuesday about claims brought forth by a former Trump Tower doorman.
The doorman, Dino Sajudin, received $30,000 from the National Enquirer in 2015 for the rights to a rumor that Trump had fathered a child with an employee at Trump World Tower. The tabloid concluded the story was not true, and the woman and Trump have both denied the allegations.
As David Pecker described receiving the tip in court, Trump shook his head.
Pecker testified that upon hearing the rumor, he immediately called Michael Cohen, who said it was “absolutely not true” but that he would look into whether the people involved worked for Trump’s company.
Editor's note: Sidebar added after story originally posted.
