Trump rants about ‘bookkeeping error’ in latest attack on hush money judge

Tara Suter

24 May 2024 at 8:59 pm·2-min read

Former President Trump took to social media Friday evening lashing out at the judge overseeing his hush money trial, suggesting the charges in the case were based on a simple “bookkeeping error.”

“The bookkeeping error that I am being incorrectly and unconstitutionally prosecuted for is the fact that a bookkeeper, innocently and correctly, called a “Legal Expense” paid to a lawyer, a “Legal Expense,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to the payment he made to ex-fixer Michael Cohen. “IN EVEN SIMPLER WORDS, I CALLED A LEGAL EXPENSE, A LEGAL EXPENSE.”

“WHAT THE HELL ELSE WOULD YOU CALL IT?” he asked. “A [President Biden] INSPIRED ELECTION INTERFERENCE HOAX!!!”

The former president, who is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in the case, was accused of paying Cohen as reimbursement for a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016 for her silence about an alleged affair. Trump has denied the affair happened.

“When the Disgraceful District Attorney and his Thugs, WITH FULL APPROVAL, I assume, by the Highly Conflicted Judge, Juan Merchan, and the Crooked Joe Biden Administration, who are leading the Trial for ELECTION INTERFERENCE purpose, keep talking about the ‘bookkeeping error’ or ‘crime,’ they are referring to the fact that a bookkeeper, with zero influence from or discussion with me, correctly called the payment of a Legal Expense to a lawyer — a Legal Expense,” Trump continued in his Friday rant.

“In other words, I am being prosecuted because a bookkeeper, who I had no contact with, marked down, from a dropdown menu in the ledger, a Legal Expense to a lawyer as ‘Legal Expense,’” he added.

His latest attack on Merchan comes as the trial, the first criminal trial of a former or sitting president, begins to wrap up, with both sides resting their case earlier this week. Closing statements are set for next Tuesday, and jury deliberations will begin afterward.

Overall, across 16 days of witness testimony, 22 witnesses took the stand — including Cohen and Daniels.

The former president, the presumptive GOP nominee for the White House, also reupped his belief that the case was brought on by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as a political hit.

“….For this ridiculous charge, Millions of Dollars have been spent on the PERSECUTION of a Popular President (Got more Votes than any sitting President in History!), and the current Leader in the Polls against his Democrat Opponent, Crooked Joe Biden, without whom NO CASE WOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED,” Trump wrote Friday in a separate post.

“Any other Judge would not have allowed this SCAM to proceed, and neither did D.A. Bragg, nor any other Agency in Government, want to bring it,” he claimed. “We are fighting against a Rigged New York System of ‘Justice.’ WITCH HUNT!”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

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