Trump Claims Docs Hidden Ahead of Trial

Former President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Judge Juan Merchan and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, accusing them of concealing vital documents just a day before his criminal trial’s commencement. Trump’s claims of “prosecutorial misconduct” have failed to sway the court, which has proceeded with the trial as scheduled.

Trump took to Truth Social to express his frustration, alleging that Judge Merchan allowed only a brief window for his defense team to review hundreds of thousands of pages of documents. He further claimed that Bragg’s office engaged in illegal practices by hiding documents from his lawyers. Prosecutors have vehemently denied these accusations, calling them baseless.

Documents filed with the court reveal that prosecutors diligently provided Trump’s defense team with over 10 million pages of documents between May and July. These documents included crucial evidence such as grand jury minutes, bank records, and witness statements, providing Trump’s legal team with ample time, approximately seven months, to review them. In March, an additional 33,000 documents (73,000 pages) were produced, but Bragg’s office noted that most were irrelevant to the case at hand.

While Bragg’s office did agree to a one-month delay in the trial to accommodate Trump’s team in reviewing the documents, they firmly rejected further delays, citing Trump’s attempts to divert attention from his alleged criminal activities. Judge Merchan denied Trump’s request for a 90-day extension and proceeded with scheduling jury selection for April 15.

During a recent courtroom exchange, Judge Merchan rebuked Trump’s legal team for their unfounded accusations of prosecutorial misconduct. Trump’s trial is expected to span approximately six weeks, with the former president himself planning to testify. Notably, Stormy Daniels, the adult film star with whom Trump allegedly had an affair, and Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer involved in the hush-money payment, are expected to testify for the prosecution.

Trump was indicted by Bragg’s office in March 2023 on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment made to Daniels in 2016. Prosecutors allege that Trump orchestrated this payment through Cohen, disguising it as a reimbursement for legal services. Despite Trump’s repeated attempts to delay or dismiss the trial, both Judge Merchan and a panel of judges on the New York Court of Appeals have upheld the trial schedule. Following his ongoing criticisms of Judge Merchan and his daughter, who operates a digital company linked to Trump’s critics, Trump was placed under a gag order. Nonetheless, Trump has persisted in attacking Judge Merchan, DA Bragg, and other witnesses involved in the case leading up to the trial.