Thursday, July 3, 2025
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Thursday, July 3, 2025

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The Phony Show Trial Against Trump [Up Against the Wall]

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I have to admit, this NY trial of Trump over how a legal bill was ‘booked’ by the Trump Organization just doesn’t add up. I’m not going to repeat what has been said, rather I’d like to explore a few questions that business owners like me are asking.

First, how is it that Trump’s lyin’ lawyer Cohen is able to testify against Trump, his client, upending every principal of attorney-client privilege? I consulted with a couple of lawyers on that one and was told that because Cohen was an active participant in the alleged offense, the attorney-client privilege rule is broken or waived. So don’t go into a criminal act with your lawyer!

Second, Cohen claims that Trump ‘signed off on everything’. Really? If that was so, how come the prosecution didn’t enter an exhibit into the record some document that Trump signed off on the settlement payment to Cohen’s law firm? Because one doesn’t exist. The invoice said legal services – apparently it didn’t say “hush money payment to porn star.” Cohen or his law firm is the one that sent the invoice as legal services. How was anyone in Trump’s organization to know what the $130,000 was for?

Third, apparently Cohen borrowed the settlement money against his own house rather than using his law firm’s money, which would explain a few things. I couldn’t understand how any law firm would allow the firm’s money to be used to make a settlement payment, so Cohen using his own money explains and demonstrates that Cohen himself bypassed the law firm because he may have known they wouldn’t allow the payment or allowing Cohen to sign the settlement.

Personally, I’ve never heard of a law firm or a lawyer signing a settlement agreement on behalf of a client. That would mean taking on a lot of risk; not that it can’t be done if the client signs a power of attorney, but oops, that’s right, the prosecution hasn’t entered that into the record either, so there must not be one.

And without a power of attorney, without any evidence of Trump ordering or ‘signing off’ on the settlement, it sure looks like Cohen may have allegedly orchestrated this whole thing himself. Sure, he may have done it for his client expecting a big thank you down the road, but that was his decision; that’s on him. Frankly, that’s a pretty bold decision to act on his own. Emphasis on act on his own.

Cohen has testified that he despises Trump, that he wants his client convicted of this phony charge, and that Trump was intimately involved in the whole settlement and accounting dispute. But Trump was on the campaign trail, busy every minute, never one minute being left alone.

Plus, the accounting issue is over how Trump’s accountant booked the expense, as legal services, as was appropriate. The prosecution is trying to claim that the legal expense should have been booked as a campaign expense and booked through the campaign apparently, which makes no sense.

You know why, because if the settlement cost was expensed through the campaign, that would be wrong, because it would mean using campaign donation money to pay the settlement, which was a personal matter, not a campaign expense. Makes no sense. Now, can someone mansplain to me how the prosecutor got 34 counts out of this one accounting booking dispute?

Lastly, settlements and payments in settlement agreements are done thousands of times a year in America. This one is nothing new. What is new is that a prosecutor is trying to criminalize normal, everyday business behavior. Sooo, Americans everywhere should be worried that they may be next. If the jury agrees that some law was broken, it will set a very bad precedent.

Worse, since I believe naively in the ability of juries to “get it right,” but I am worried that the judge will override the jury’s decision to acquit and issue a directed verdict, since the judge has demonstrated repeatedly that he is out to get Trump.

Arrrg, so frustrating. While most of us don’t understand all the legal maneuverings, we do know that what we see is just plain wrong.

Wisconsin Right Now is a news organization focused on covering the news from a conservative point of view, in particular on politics and policy issues through analysis and opinions, and is protected by the first amendment of the United States constitution. WRN and the columnist does not make endorsements of candidates or urge a vote for or against any candidate or issue. On October 18 and November 23, 2023 Donald Trump tweeted out on Trump’s Truth Social account T. Wall’s October 6th column on Trump’s property valuations. T. Wall holds a degree from the UW in economics and an M.S. in real estate analysis and valuation and is a real estate developer. Disclaimer: The opinions of the writer are not necessarily those of this publication or the left!

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“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

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DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast and told Kirk that he thinks it’s “deeply unfair” that boys are participating in girls’ sports.

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DOJ’s letter of interest says it is investigating whether California’s Assembly Bill 1266, which requires transgender-identifying students to be allowed to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, violates Title IX.

“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

Should the DOJ find California is in violation of Title IX, it says it will “take appropriate action to eliminate that discrimination, including seeking injunctive relief.”