Jonathan Turley reacts to Trump posting bond in civil trial: The integrity of the NY legal system is at stake
Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley joined 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the latest on Trump's civil trial in New York and a judge denying a request to toss Hunter Biden's tax charges.
Former President Trump blasted President Biden on Tuesday ahead of campaign stops in the battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin, claiming he has "orchestrated" every lawsuit and indictment against him with the help of the Justice Department.
"Please remember, ALL of these Lawsuits, Charges, and Indictments that have been brought against me have been orchestrated and coordinated by Crooked Joe Biden, the White House, and the DOJ, as an ATTACK ON CROOKED’S POLITICAL OPPONENT, ME," Trump posted on his Truth Social account Tuesday morning.
TRUMP POSTS $175M BOND IN NY CIVIL FRAUD CASE, AVERTS ASSET SEIZURE
"This has never happened before in our Country. MAGA2024!" he added.
Former President Trump arrives at The Trump Building in Manhattan on Monday, March 25, 2024. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital)
The presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee echoed his past comments, railing against the legal system in the United States, which he says "has been corrupted & politicized at a level never seen before."
Trump said that during his campaign visits in Michigan and Wisconsin on Tuesday he will have "plenty to talk about."
President Biden waves as he arrives to board Air Force One, Thursday, March 28, 2024, at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, as he heads for a fundraiser in New York. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
His comments came just hours after he posted $175 million bond out of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case against him. The judgment was initially set at $454 million, but an appeals court slashed that bond by more than half. The former president is appealing the ruling from New York Judge Arthur Engoron. James is barred from seeking to collect the full judgment through the appeals process.
"I had to pay New York State in order to appeal a corrupt decision by a biased, crooked and highly overturned judge," Trump posted. "It’s supposed to be the other way around – you appeal before you pay."
"Is a crooked New York Judge allowed to make you pay for the ‘privilege’ of appealing a wrongful & corrupt decision???" Trump posted. "NOT IN AMERICA."
NEW YORK JUDGE IMPOSES GAG ORDER ON TRUMP IN BRAGG HUSH MONEY CASE
Engoron, in February, ruled that Trump inflated his assets. Trump and his family have denied wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Trump reacted to a separate case in New York – this one, stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s years-long investigation into alleged hush-money payments ahead of the 2016 election.
Justice Arthur Engoron presides over the civil fraud trial of the Trump Organization at the New York State Supreme Court in New York City on Nov. 13, 2023. (Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree last year. The trial is set to begin on April 15 in New York. Upon setting the trial date, Judge Juan Merchan granted Bragg’s request for a gag order to be imposed on Trump.
"I just was informed that another corrupt New York Judge, Juan Merchan, GAGGED me so that I can not talk about the corruption and conflicts taking place in his courtroom with respect to a case that everyone, including the D.A., felt should never have been brought," Trump posted. "They can talk about me, but I can’t talk about them??? That sounds fair, doesn’t it?"
Trump said Merchan "should be recused, and the case should be thrown out."
"There has virtually never been a more conflicted judge than this one," Trump posted. "ELECTION INTERFERENCE at its worst!"
Merchan issued the order against Trump last week, pointing to his "prior extrajudicial statements," saying they establish "a sufficient risk to the administration of justice."
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg (Barry Williams for NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Merchan ordered that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about witnesses concerning their potential participation, or about counsel in the case – other than Bragg – or about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff.
Merchan also ordered that Trump cannot make or direct others to make public statements about any prospective juror or chosen juror.
The Trump campaign last week blasted the gag order as "unconstitutional," saying it violates the First Amendment rights of Americans who follow Trump and listen to his speech.
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks outside New York Supreme Court ahead of former President Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial on Oct. 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)
In the non-jury civil fraud trial stemming from James’ lawsuit, Engoron also imposed a gag order against Trump. Engoron said Trump violated that order twice, and forced him to pay a penalty.
The charges against Trump in the Bragg case are related to alleged hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign.
In 2019, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted not to charge Trump related to the payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.
Meanwhile, the Biden campaign is trolling Trump as he returns to the campaign trail.
"It’s been 14 days since Donald Trump had a campaign event at all," Biden campaign rapid response director Ammar Mousa wrote in an email, with the subject line: "Donald Trump – welcome back to the trail."
Mousa said Trump's trip to Michigan and Wisconsin "comes on the heels of a month where he’s losing ground, momentum, and money."
"One day away from the Mar A Lago sun deck isn’t going to fix it," he wrote.
The latest Fox News Poll shows Trump with an edge over Biden in a general election match-up. And another Fox News Poll asked voters if they are better off than they were four years ago.
Only about 1 in 5 voters today answers yes, according to the latest Fox News national survey.
More from Politics
Fox News Politics
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.