Both words apply. Literally as well as figuratively. Covering it up by paying for hush. Cheating it, taxwise. It was not "legal expenses." It was an after the fact payment for silence. Silence is golden is the saying. It's expensive too, and can turn out illusory.
Old grab-'em-by-a-body-part will persevere and the media want a horse race they can sell to their advertisers. And each party/campaign holds more money than either deserves and negative ads will continue to be the stuff of campaigning in America.
But we all knew all of that already. So the verdict is news in that there was not the one worried-over single intransigent MAGA juror hiding ready to hang the jury.
The prosecution did a good job in jury selection, in that sense. Beyond that, no real surprise. Trump is a swine. Not news.
Emptywheel (including extensive posted reader commentary):
Trump Convicted of Fraud to Cover-up Fucking a Sex Worker
Yet more direct in-your-face evidence that this November's choice is and always has been clear. Four more for Joe.
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No trainwreck back in the White House.
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Still, for those with a true and lasting memory while knowing crystal clear that everything Bernie said in the past and continues saying is best for all, (the rich taking something of a hit which each of them can well afford after the class warfare they've waged against the rest since WWII ended, and before that), there is a deep seated semii-recent bitter-memory reason to dislike both of the two inner party offierings (disliking Trump being a no-brainer):
https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_908w/2010-2019/Wires/Images/2014-09-19/Getty/455713418.jpg
Yes. DWS got fired at the convention for the done deal DNC manipulation she did that put the Clintons in position to lose the 2016 election because of how egregious they and DWS are, and Biden remained close to things back then, campaigning for DWS to be reelected to the House seat she was never qualified to hold. Birds of a feather, egregiously so, is hard to swallow, and make the ballot for Joe as gallingly hard to take in 2024 as it was hard in 2020 and Joe winning 2024 will two-term him into history - the history of lesser evil as all we get. LESSER EVIL SUCKS.
That said, move on. It rankles, but move on. Reelect Biden. However much it rankles, DO IT.
Last, local coverage without any surprise whatsoever: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-politicians-have-plenty-to-say-on-trump-conviction/
Coverage from across the Ocean without any surprise whatsoever: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/30/trump-guilty-hush-money-republicans-democrats-reaction
Cockroaches seem attracted to politics, as well as to food you may spill on the floor. Beware of cockroaches. A menace and they can spread disease.
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Dementia. The man was found guilty by twelve citizens. Randomly called for jury duty from voter rolls. Selected to be unbiased going into trial; lawyers for both sides having opportunity to object to any one of the twelve. Unanimity was required.
Unanimity governed. A criminal. Cause for "the revolution?" Who originates this stuff, for locals to spin? Why cannot they wrap their minds around clear truth? What's happened to them?
These jurors were not conspirators. They had no ax to grind. They were you and me folks doing a civic duty. Let up. Get real. Move on.
Trump's no victim.
He's a perp. Spin as much as you can before you slow down. However - A perp. Simple truth. Twelve regular people with no reason to not be diligent and honest. Verdict? A perp. He did the crime. He had available a range of the best lawyers money could buy, and having money to buy the best he choose among them for who he thought could save him from the truth.
They tried. They lost. They may get paid.
There will still be an election and people saying strange things defying logic show up with fantastic spinning on the hope one candidate recovers from a criminal conviction to win. We'll see. Michael Cohen owned up to it being criminal, and did time. And was believable. Believed. By ordinary people hearing all the evidence, seeing what documents said.
The election - It is still two affluent similar ambitious establishment types, two suits representing two establishment parties, which are little different when stripped of lame rhetoric.
One's a lesser evil.