Former President Donald Trump said outside a Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday that he would be able to “save his reputation” if Judge Juan Marchand dismisses the New York v. Trump lawsuit.
“The confusion is nobody knows what the crime is because there isn't a crime. Nobody knows what the crime is. The prosecutors haven't released the name of the crime at this point. They don't know what the crime is. That's the problem. This is a disgrace. This case should be ended immediately. The judge should end this and save his reputation,” Trump said Wednesday evening.
Trump's comments came after the jury began deliberations on Wednesday.
Since deliberations began, the jury has sent two letters to Marchan, including one requesting that they hear the jury instructions again. In New York criminal cases, jurors are not allowed to receive copies of jury instructions or witness transcripts.
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Former President Donald Trump attended his criminal trial in New York State Supreme Court on Wednesday. (Doug Mills/Pool via Reuters)
Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors sought to prove that Trump falsified business records to cover up a $130,000 payment he made to former porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to silence her allegations that she had an affair with Trump in 2006.
“You know, the judge is extremely conflicted and corrupt. Extremely corrupt because he's conflicted. Not even Mother Teresa could overturn these charges. These charges are fraudulent. They're all fraudulent,” Trump said late Wednesday morning, as the jury began its verdict.
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Judge Juan Marchan poses in a New York courtroom on March 14. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
“The whole country is in turmoil over the border and the fake elections, and we have a trial going on where the judges are so conflicted they can't breathe. They have to do their job. … This is a disgrace. I mean, not even Mother Teresa could overturn these charges. But we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens.”
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Trump has repeatedly called on Marchant to drop the lawsuit and step down, saying last week that dropping the suit would allow him to “regain respect.”
In this courtroom sketch, former President Donald Trump attends a trial in Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 26. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
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“This case should be thrown out by the judge. If the judge throws it out, I think we can get some respect back. The appeals court has to step in and something has to happen. Think about it: The Republican Party, one of the two major parties, nominates someone. And that candidate has to sit in freezing air conditioning for almost five weeks listening to this,” Trump said on May 20.
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The trial will resume at 9:30 a.m. Thursday when Marchand will again give jury instructions and the jury will then resume deliberations.