SE Illinois News

Critics are coming out in droves against a precedent-setting indictment of Donald Trump. 

Trump is the first former head of state to be charged with a crime. 

“Today the Democrats sunk to a new low by indicting Donald Trump,” Ron Doweidt said on the Edwards County Republicans Facebook page. “Democrats have ignored the law so many times since Trump chose to run for President that it’s unconscionable. Let me explain. The constitution says you can only impeach if a crime has been committed. Trump was neither charged with nor convicted of a crime. Alexander Hamilton was accused of paying hush money to a woman but was never charged because he used his own money and therefore, is not a criminal act. Sound like anyone we know. Don’t take my word for it. Those are facts presented by a liberal who says, ‘I did not vote for Trump in 16 and 20. I will not vote for him in 24.’ Those are the words of Professor Allen Dershowitz a die-hard liberal who knows something about the Constitution. Republicans get off the couch and throw these people out at all levels of government in 24.” 

The U.S. ex-president was indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in a case surrounding hush money payments to a porn star who alleges she was paid to stay silent and not to disclose an affair with Trump. The New York Post opined the case “just convinces America that our legal system is biased and politicized.” Bragg inherited the case. His predecessor refused it for six years before he took it up.

"This is Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history. From the time I came down the golden escalator at Trump Tower, and even before I was sworn in as your President of the United States, the Radical Left Democrats - the enemy of the hard-working men and women of this Country - have been engaged in a Witch-Hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement. You remember it just like I do: Russia, Russia, Russia; the Mueller Hoax; Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine; Impeachment Hoax 1; Impeachment Hoax 2; the illegal and unconstitutional Mar-a-Lago raid; and now this,” Trump said. 

Trump called the Democrats liars who have "cheated and stolen in their obsession with trying to 'Get Trump, but now they've done the unthinkable - indicting a completely innocent person in an act of blatant Election Interference." 

"Never before in our Nation's history has this been done," he stated. "The Democrats have cheated countless times over the decades, including spying on my campaign, but weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent, who just so happens to be a President of the United States and by far the leading Republican candidate for President, has never happened before. Ever.”

Trump called 'Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who was hand-picked and funded by George Soros,' a disgrace. He alleged Bragg to have been "doing Joe Biden's dirty work" instead of "stopping the unprecedented crime wave taking over New York City." Bragg, according to Trump is "ignoring the murders and burglaries and assaults he should be focused on."

"I believe this Witch-Hunt will backfire massively on Joe Biden," the former president said of his successor. "The American people realize exactly what the Radical Left Democrats are doing here. Everyone can see it. So our Movement and our Party - united and strong - will first defeat Alvin Bragg, and then we will defeat Joe Biden, and we are going to throw every last one of these Crooked Democrats out of office so we can MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Meanwhile, before Trump’s indictment, DailyMail.com released a letter in which Trump’s former attorney Micheal Cohen noted he was solely responsible for the payment to Daniels. Cohen later gave testimony to Congress contradicting this letter. 

“I am writing on behalf of my client, Michael D. Cohen, in response to your letter dated, January 30, 2018. Specifically, this letter responds to the complaint numbered MUR 7313, which was filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by Common Cause and Paul S. Ryan,” the letter reads. “In a private transaction in 2016, before the U.S. presidential election, Mr. Cohen used his own personal funds to facilitate a payment of $130,000 to Ms. Stephanie Clifford. Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed Mr. Cohen for the payment directly or indirectly.” 

Stephan Ryan, counsel for Cohen at the time, further wrote, “Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, which are entirely speculative, neither Mr. Cohen nor Essential Consultants LLC made any in-kind contributions to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., or any other presidential campaign committee. Mr. Cohen has not been a government employee during any of the relevant time period. The payment in question does not constitute a campaign contribution or expenditure and, therefore, the FEC lacks jurisdiction over this matter.” 

“The complainants have not and cannot present any evidence to the contrary. Accordingly, the complaint should be dismissed," Ryan said.