It is Thursday. We don't want to
confuse anybody cause normally
we have our legal segment with
Whitney Trailer on Wednesday,
but we had a whole lot going
on with the Broncos yesterday
and we know what takes precedence.
We had to like adjust right
and you're willing to adjust.
Yes, here I am. And
we we're glad that you're here
today because we really do wanna
talk pleading the 5th right as
former President Trump did this
week and there are a number of
civil and criminal investigations,
potential lawsuits.
So like I think that's a good place to start,
right? What are the cases being
brought against him, right?
So there is so many cases,
civil and criminal,
and we don't exactly know what's going on.
I mean, this is what happens in
these criminal investigations.
Is that folks will.
Do the investigation.
We don't know what they're ultimately after,
and they keep things close to the vest,
which is happened,
but in this case out of New York,
there's civil cases.
That's what this deposition was related to.
A civil case related to his business
dealings and whether he inflated
and misrepresented financial
statements on his documents.
There's also a criminal case which is
also coming out of Manhattan and the
District Attorney related to the same thing.
My my classmate from Emory Law
School in 1996. Fonnie Willis.
He was in Georgia.
She's the District Attorney she's
contemplating prosecuting for
actions that he took related to
the election when he tried to press
the Secretary of State in Georgia.
So that's in Fulton County.
So there's a number of different things.
But it all boils down to really
business dealings and really sort
of trying to make yourself look very
meek in the IRS and look inflated
when you're trying to get a loan.
So that's really what it is.
Is whether he was accurate on his documents.
And and we, you know,
a lot has been made about the fact
that President Trump spoke openly
about not taking the 5th effort,
that people that do,
you know how bad that was.
But he said yesterday, you know,
I had to to protect my family and
everything from a legal perspective.
Sometimes an attorney would say,
you know what?
You're best to just zip it right now.
That's exactly right.
This was in the deposition and
the deposition happens when
you're in the lawyers office.
You're on one side of the table,
they're on the other.
There's a court reporter.
Everything you're saying
is being taken and it's.
Underoath and so yes,
sometimes it makes sense.
This is a civil investigation,
but if he revealed information that
could lead to criminal prosecution,
he's entitled to take the 5th.
And so the 5th is a beautiful thing.
I mean our the Bill of Rights is where
it's a great thing to have that here,
though what you unique is that in New York,
in a civil action they can actually
use that against him and the court
can actually say to the jury.
You can make an adverse inference.
I mean,
you can assume the worst based on him
taking the taking the 5th criminal cases.
Absolutely, you can't use that,
but in this in New York in
this civil case they can.
So if they go forward,
this could actually be damaging.
And I mean it sounds like it
was a smart decision then for
him to do this at this juncture,
but I just want to ask a question
that I really want to know.
Does he face jail time?
Is that an actual possibility?
Probability coming out of all of this?
Well, it's it's a great question and
it's bizarre that we're having a.
The former president prosecuted
on this level. I mean,
I think the closest thing we have is Nixon,
who you know that all got
resolved and we didn't.
We got some precedent on in terms of
what you can do with the President,
the subpoena power.
But just like Donald Trump's presidency,
these everything is pushing the edges
like we're really testing our democracy,
the separation of powers.
What is a president entitled to you know?
How does executive privilege work?
These are issues that we
just haven't dealt with.
Before because we haven't had,
you know, these kind of issues.
I mean, he's the 1st President in 40
years to not release his tax returns.
So even though some people say,
well, it's a witch hunt,
you're going after him for everything,
there is reasons that he's being pursued.
He is sort of standing on
his own as presidents go,
if you will,
you not unique because of his business
dealings prior to becoming a politician.
So it's it's all unique all the way,
right? Yeah, you're right.
Legally we're writing it.
So maybe you have to come
and talk about next week.
Places like so many questions
we're getting wrapped,
but I know don't you?
Yeah, he run for president.
If he's they can
punish him both through the
January 6th committee and but yes,
that can be a a sanction that he can't run.
And that's going to be an issue.
It looks like he's planning to run.
It looks like he's going to push the issue.
These legal issues will be resolved,
and it's good because we need them
to be resolved in our democracy.
Alright, thank you.
Until next time, yes,
keep every e-mail in there alright.
Your brain keep it all OK.
Thank you next Wednesday.