OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett once again ripped the ‘hush money’ case brought against former President Donald Trump during a network segment on Monday after the trial began earlier in the day with jury selection.
Several legal analysts on both the left and the right have criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for bringing 34 charges against Trump, alleging he feloniously tried to hide payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election over an alleged affair 18 years ago, which Trump has denied.
The charges normally would be misdemeanors, and the statute of limitations had already run out anyway, but Bragg filed charges anyway — even after federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York refused to bring charges in 2018, during Trump’s presidency.
In his Monday analysis, Jarrett shredded Bragg and other Democratic officials involved in the case for prosecuting Trump even though he says 2016 presidential nominee Hillary Clinton essentially did the same thing during her unsuccessful campaign, though she, of course, was never prosecuted.
“Hillary Clinton did pretty much the same thing,” Jarrett said. “She, too, used a lawyer to secretly pay for the phony Steele Dossier and booking it as legal expenses. She was fined by the [Federal Election Commission], but she wasn’t prosecuted, and neither was Barack Obama, even though he was fined a whopping $375,000 for hiding donors and keeping illegal contributions.”
The Daily Caller added:
Jarrett pointed out similarities between the case and the lack of prosecution towards Clinton, whose campaign financed a since-discredited dossier assembled by Christopher Steele alleging Trump colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.
“But, if your last name is Trump, the standard of justice is completely different and turned on its head,” Jarrett added.
Jarrett also criticized the extended gag order issued by Judge Juan Merchan on April 1 following Trump’s disparaging remarks about the judge and his daughter on Truth Social. Trump’s posts, which included one sharing a New York Post article about Loren Merchan’s firm assisting Democratic causes and candidates in raising $93 million after Trump’s indictment in the case, prompted the judge to impose the expanded gag order.
Earlier in the interview, Jarrett blasted Bragg for what he described as a “tangled, torturous prosecution” that had been investigated by the federal government and resolved without any charges or fines.
“[Bragg] had to attach it to a supposed election law violation, well it’s not. Federal Election Commission investigated, and they said this is perfectly legal. It is not a campaign donation,” Jarrett said. “The DOJ concluded there is no crime here.
“But, you know, enter Alvin Bragg who is charging under federal law even though he is a local prosecutor and has no jurisdiction and authority to do that. But the judge is letting him get away with it,” he added.
Separately, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin commented on Trump’s criminal trial this week, saying the former president received some “good news” from the judge.
During a segment on CNN, Toobin spoke about Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan’s ruling to keep the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape from the jury, saying it was an “appropriate decision for Trump’s benefit.”
“Jeff, I‘m wondering what you make about the different evidence that the judge has ruled inadmissible,” CNN’s Anderson Cooper said.
Toobin responded: “I thought those were very reasonable conclusions by the judge. The Karen McDougal [of Clinton fame] story is very similar to the Stormy Daniels story. It is money paid to silence women who were allegedly involved with Trump.”
“I also thought it was appropriate to keep the access Hollywood tape out. That is the case. That is a tape about nonconsensual sexual contact with Donald Trump saying what everyone knows he said about what he could do with women,” Toobin added.
