The New York judge overseeing Donald Trump’s hush money case reportedly signaled to the former president’s lawyers an internet post claiming previous knowledge of the jury’s verdict.
“My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted” reads a Facebook post by a user named Michael Anderson. On his profile, Mr. Anderson defined himself as a “expert s— poster”. According to The Washington Post, in the recent past he regularly posted anti-Biden content material.
Al Baker, a spokesperson for New York’s courtroom management, said that Manhattan Justice Juan Merchan notified the prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys as soon as it became aware about the online material on Friday. In his letter, Merchan omitted to say if officials were looking into Mr. Anderson’s claim or whether they suspected any impropriety.
According to CNN legal commentator Elie Honig, Justice Merchan was only exercising “extra caution,” and “there’s a long way though, between this and any impact on the case.” Nevertheless, it could serve as an aid to the Republican candidate’s lawyers in postponing the sentencing of Trump—which was originally set for July 11 in order to look into the accusation.
The revelation was quickly seized upon by the former president’s supporters, who said it validated Trump’s long-standing accusations that the White House had “rigged” his trial.
“It was a sham trial from the beginning and the ‘guilty’ verdict came down from the Deep State and ‘the Big Guy’”, stated Republican congresswoman from Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
If convicted, Trump may face a maximum of 4 years in prison.
