Analysis

Trump's Case Pales in Comparison With Biden Destroying US Standing Around the World

The Manhattan DA is treating Donald Trump as the biggest criminal in the history of all time, while it's Team Biden and their Democratic allies who have created a mess in Ukraine, and have been destroying America's standing in the world and the US dollar, Wall Street analyst and charity fraud expert Charles Ortel told Sputnik.
Sputnik
Donald Trump made his first appearance in court on April 4, being charged with 34 felony criminal counts of falsifying business records in connection with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation concerning Trump's alleged 2016 payment of $130,000 in hush money to adult movie star Stormy Daniels. Trump's indictment is the first time ever that a former president of the United States has appeared in court as a criminal defendant.
"I think it's a gross embarrassment," Ortel told Sputnik. "The next hearing is December 4, which ensures this will be in the public eye if it isn't dismissed, you know, for many months through the process by which Republicans are going to try to select their nominee. And what I think they believe they would do is with their friends and I would argue co-conspirators in the media, in academia and elsewhere, that they would whip the American public and the international public into a frenzy and cause Trump to stand down. The reality is they will do nothing of the kind (…) I was listening to lawyers talk about this: there's not a single conspiracy count here. So anything that may be in the mind of Michael Cohen or other people who were involved allegedly in this process is irrelevant. The bar for Bragg and others is going to have to prove that Donald Trump intentionally defrauded people by falsifying these records. And that's going to be, I think, virtually impossible to prove."
Americas
Trump Indictment to Set Precedent for Law Manipulation for Political Purposes: US Senator
Earlier, a number of prominent US legal experts threw Manhattan DA Bragg's effort to turn Trump's alleged misdemeanor into a federal criminal case into doubt, referring to the fact that the federal authorities have repeatedly rejected the "hush money" case: first, when Trump was still in the Oval Office; and second, after he left the White House. In addition, Bragg is about to set a precedent which could backfire on the Democratic Party and its leadership, according to Ortel.

"You set a precedent here that a blue state DA can go after a former president from a blue state courtroom," Ortel noted. "Well, what's to stop the newly elected district attorney in Little Rock, in Pulaski County I think it is, in Arkansas, is a Republican who beat out a Soros nominee, from going after the Clinton Foundation, which certain people allege is the largest unprosecuted fraud in history? And there, the difference between the Clinton Foundation in New York and the Trump Organization in New York: the Trump Organization actually exists. It does have, I think, 500 different companies that are registered or whatever. And if there are records that are falsified, well, let's see if they're truly falsified in a for-profit case. And I'm not a lawyer, but in a for-profit case, if you're going to go down this track, you have to prove intent to defraud. With regard to charity fraud in New York, I'm crystal clear. I've been told by lawyers that you do not have to prove intent to defraud, what you have to prove is that money was solicited on a false basis. That's all you have to do. And there's no question that occurred in my mind with the Clinton Foundation, because it doesn't lawfully exist. There is no Clinton Foundation with articles of incorporation, bylaws, audits, etc."

World
Clinton Foundation: 'Vehicle to Transform Once Broke Family Into Mega-Multi-Millionaires' – Analyst
In addition, Republicans have put the Biden family under the microscope, suggesting influence peddling and various pay-to-play schemes. Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has been under federal and congressional investigations for quite a while, as well as his brother, James Biden. GOP lawmakers have alleged that not only Hunter and James used Joe's vice presidency to strike sweet deals with foreign businessmen, but that the incumbent president was well aware of their business dealings and had his own share. According to Ortel, Trump's alleged misdeeds pale in comparison with what the GOP is suspecting the Bidens of.

"There's no freaking company that Joe or Jim Hunter or any Biden ever came up with [that] is legitimate," Ortel noted. "Donald Trump had money from his father – take that against the mad money. He made more money. He lost money as president. Joe Biden and the Clintons and the Obamas and the Bushes had precious little when it came to wealth. And when they left [the White House – Sputnik], they became enormously wealthy. Come on, who's monetizing the presidency? It's the swamp. And look where we are now. I mean, (…) I don't want to go off track here and talk about the disaster with Ukraine and how much money has been spent on that mess. And who's suffering there? It's the Ukrainians. What's going on with NATO? And Joe Biden is destroying NATO [and] destroying America's standing around the world. He's destroying the US dollar. And for what? A pittance. You know, the money that the Biden family, let's say they've made a billion dollars. That's nothing."

For more sharp analysis, check out the latest episode of Sputnik’s podcast The Backstory.
Discuss