Manhattan jury with Trump Derangement Syndrome may unfairly convict Donald

The most anticipated indictment in modern history has been released. And, believe it or not, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg found an alleged crime.

Only it's not the supposed offense that he's prosecuting.

The only potential criminal wrongdoing identified after months of investigation by experienced professional prosecutors appears to be extortion.

But I'm talking about extortion of Trump, not by Trump. That's what it's called when an individual threatens to release damaging information about someone else unless they're paid to keep quiet.

Now, of course, I'm not calling for Stormy Daniels to be prosecuted. I wish her only the best. But this indictment speaks to how laughable and blatantly political this prosecution really is. It's a tragedy. 

Bragg labored mightily - ultimately he produced a mouse.

Read the indictment documents for yourself. At first glance, the layman may assume that it holds some evidence of wrongdoing. 34 counts laid out over 13-pages of an accompanying statement and couched in intimidating legalese.

As expected, the central narrative focuses on the payment of hush money to a former porn in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement. But the document also broadens out the alleged Trump scheme to include payments to suppress the story of a former Trump Tower doorman, who was peddling an unconfirmed and likely false story of a child that Trump fathered out-of-wedlock, and another payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to hide the tale of her alleged extra-marital affair with Trump.

Now look closer. All 34 counts are relatively similar. Bragg has sliced the salami very thin. In essence, this is a case about book-keeping.

But I'm talking about extortion of Trump, not by Trump. That's what it's called when an individual threatens to release damaging information about someone else unless they're paid to keep quiet.

Now, of course, I'm not calling for Stormy Daniels to be prosecuted. I wish her only the best. But this indictment speaks to how laughable and blatantly political this prosecution really is. It's a tragedy. 

Bragg labored mightily - ultimately he produced a mouse.

Read the indictment documents for yourself. At first glance, the layman may assume that it holds some evidence of wrongdoing. 34 counts laid out over 13-pages of an accompanying statement and couched in intimidating legalese.

As expected, the central narrative focuses on the payment of hush money to a former porn in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement. But the document also broadens out the alleged Trump scheme to include payments to suppress the story of a former Trump Tower doorman, who was peddling an unconfirmed and likely false story of a child that Trump fathered out-of-wedlock, and another payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to hide the tale of her alleged extra-marital affair with Trump.

Now look closer. All 34 counts are relatively similar. Bragg has sliced the salami very thin. In essence, this is a case about book-keeping.

Stormy Daniels is not a victim. She willingly accepted Trump's money.

The American people are not victims. They elected Trump regardless of his behavior.

Ironically, Bragg - who has failed to go after criminal predators in the streets - has devoted time and resources, which could have been spent going after real killers and rapists and Ponzi schemers to instead go after a man for a victimless, alleged crime.

Clearly, none of the matters to Bragg. He finally has the case that he told the voters of Manhattan he would deliver to them.

During the 2021 race to elect the next Manhattan District Attorney, a New York Times headline blared, 'Two Leading Manhattan D.A. Candidates Face the Trump Question.' As the article noted, Bragg wore his animosity towards Trump on his sleeve.

'I have investigated Trump and his children and held them accountable for their misconduct with the Trump Foundation,' Mr. Bragg told a December 2020 candidate forum. 'I know how to follow the facts and hold people in power accountable.''

In November 2021, Bragg was elected.

Now, those same voters will make up the pool from which Trump's jury will be selected.

And by voting to convict Trump, these future jurors would help Bragg to fulfill the pledge he made to them.

This does not seem to assure a fair trial. 

The anti-Trump passions in New York City are incredible. I've experienced them myself.

My acquaintance of many years, Caroline Kennedy, told me at a dinner party: 'Alan, if I had known you, who have defended Trump on the floor of the Senate, was going to be at this dinner party, I would not have come. But I am too polite to get up and leave now.'

A friend, comedian Larry David, confronted me outside a store shouting, 'Alan, you're disgusting,' over my defense of Trump.

Despite our friendship, they were furious with me, because I simply disagreed with them. You cannot reason with people, who have Trump Derangement Syndrome.

That is why Trump's lawyers will undoubtedly appeal to the judge for a change of venue, which Bragg will strenuously oppose. The last thing he wants is a fair trial. He wants a trial that will allow him to realize his campaign promise.

This case should be moved to one of the New York City boroughs, such as Staten Island, or to another part of New York state. But the judge, also an elected Democrat, is unlikely to grant that request.

The American legal system took a body blow yesterday.

Trump's appearance in a courtroom to become the first former president and the first current presidential candidate ever to be indicted, arrested and charged marked a sad departure from precedent. And this deeply flawed indictment will now create a new precedent under which elected prosecutors of both parties will search for possible crimes against their political opponents.

Whatever the outcome of this Bragg prosecution, Trump should eventually prevail. An appeals court should never uphold such an obvious misapplication of the law.

But I don't know if the American legal system can come back from this as easily. This is a perversion of justice. And if Trump is convicted, it will be a travesty of justice.

Americans everywhere now have cause for concern, because today it is Trump - but tomorrow it could be you.