ATLANTA — As closing arguments were getting underway in a New York City courtroom in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to social media to blast Democrats, claiming they have weaponized the justice system.
Greene has long been a staunch supporter of Trump.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Greene said “The only argument that needs to be made is that Democrats have weaponized justice systems and are abusing power in order to attempt to steal the election again.”
The closing arguments, which were expected to last the entire day, gave attorneys one last chance to address the Manhattan jury and to score final points with the panel before it starts deliberating the fate of the first former American president charged with felony crimes.
After more than four weeks of testimony, the summations tee up a momentous and historically unprecedented task for the jury as it decides whether to convict the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in connection with the payments.
After closing arguments, the judge will instruct the jury on the law governing the case and the factors the panel can take into account during deliberations.
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Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, charges punishable by up to four years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. It’s unclear whether prosecutors would seek imprisonment in the event of a conviction, or if the judge would impose that punishment if asked.
The case centers on a $130,000 payment Michael Cohen made to Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 election to prevent her from going public with her story of a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump 10 years earlier in a Lake Tahoe hotel suite. Trump has denied Daniels’ account, and his attorney, during hours of questioning in the trial, accused her of making it up.
Trump’s lawyers contended throughout the trial that they were legitimate payments for actual legal services.
The New York prosecution is one of four criminal cases pending against Trump as he seeks to reclaim the White House from Democrat Joe Biden. It’s unclear if any of the others will reach trial before November’s election.
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