Research, editing : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA
News on U.S., Taiwan, CCP
News (1)
DeSantis will not deliver Trump to the New York prosecutors
Original title: DeSantis makes bombshell extradition announcement immediately after Trump indictment
Reporter : Richard Moorhead / https://www.westernjournal.com/desantis-makes-bombshell-extradition-announcement-immediately-trump-indictment/
Image : Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, speaks while meeting with then President Donald Trump on April 28, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Doug Mills - The New York Times - Pool / Getty Images)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will not deliver former President Donald
Trump into the hands of New York prosecutors after his indictment.
DeSantis made it clear that he would treat the charges against
Trump as a political abuse of power in a Thursday tweet, minutes after news of
the indictment became
official.
The governor pledged that Florida’s government would decline to
fulfill an extradition request for Trump on the part of New York.
“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political
agenda turns the rule of law on its head,” DeSantis stated.
“It is un-American. The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney
has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal
misconduct,” he added.
“Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the
questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan
prosecutor and his political agenda.”
DeSantis’ reaction to Trump’s indictment was closely scrutinized
by national Republicans — some of whom accused him of insufficiently backing
his potential rival for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
DeSantis previously
criticized Bragg for his connections to Democratic oligarch George Soros,
accusing him of ignoring violent crime in favor of political bias.
“He’s trying to do a political spectacle. He’s trying to virtue signal to his base.”
“We’re not going to be involved in it in any way.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office indicated that it had
asked Trump to surrender to New York law enforcement after a grand jury
empaneled by Bragg returned an indictment.
If Trump declines to face Bragg’s charges in New York, DeSantis’
role as the governor of the former president’s home state could present a
roadblock for the prosecution.
Should Trump agree to appear in a New York courthouse for a
potential campaign finance violation trial, DeSantis’ role in extradition would
become moot.
News (2)
The latest developments in the Trump case, the grand jury decides to indict, lawyers talk about the impact
Original title : New York grand jury votes to indict former President Trump
Image : Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, standing on the middle, speaks during a news conference after the Trump Organization's sentencing hearing at the Supreme Court in New York, 13 January 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
A grand jury in Manhattan, New York, voted on Thursday (30 March 2023) to indict former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump's attorney, Joseph Tacopina, confirmed the news to The Epoch Times.
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had previously been investigating Trump. Before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Trump's then-lawyer Michael Cohen paid actress Stormy Daniels $130,000. Bragg accused Trump of alleged involvement in the incident. The money was said to prevent Daniels from going public with what she claimed was an affair with Trump, who has denied any intimacy.
The grand jury conducted weeks of proceedings and heard testimony from former Trump aides, including Cohen's attorney and Cohen's own former attorney, Robert Costello, before voting on the indictment. .
While the indictment has still not been made public, the case is believed to rely heavily on Cohen's testimony. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign finance laws by arranging payments to Daniels and another woman who claimed to have had an affair with Trump. In the plea agreement, the lawyer alleges that he did so at Trump's direction and that the payments he made were reimbursed by the Trump Organization through routine legal fees. Despite his earlier claims, he paid for the money himself.
Trump has publicly announced that he will participate in the 2024 presidential election and is considered the most popular candidate. He himself has denied any wrongdoing, saying he was the victim of extortion.
News (3)
Legal hurdles to suing Trump
Bragg's prosecution of Trump, which uses a "novel" legal argument, will face significant legal hurdles, according to some legal experts.
Alan Dershowitz, a legal scholar who has taught at Harvard Law School for 50 years, is concerned about Bragg's prosecution approach, which seeks to combine state law (false record allegations) and federal law (campaign finance violation charges). The approach is highly skeptical.
Dershowitz told The Epoch Times on 18 March 2023, "There is a federal campaign statute, there is a state records statute, and these two statutes have nothing to do with each other. A crime becomes a felony, and you're trying to borrow federal statutes, which can cause real, serious legal problems."
Another question is whether the statute of limitations in this case has expired.
Falsifying business records is itself a misdemeanor under New York state law, with a two-year statute of limitations. However, if records fraud is used to cover up or commit another crime, the charge will be elevated to a felony, which has a statute of limitations of five years.
Trial attorney John O'Connor explained to The Epoch Times in an interview that since the payment to Daniels occurred in October 2016, under normal circumstances, the pursuit of felony charges would still outnumber the lawsuits. The statute of limitations is two years but Bragg is expected to take advantage of a provision in state law that stops the statute of limitations when the "defendant continues to be absent from New York."
O'Connor said the district attorney is expected to argue that because Trump lived in Washington and Florida during the period beginning in 2016, the statute of limitations was suspended.
However, Trump remained in New York for some time during this period. Therefore, the crux of the problem is how to interpret the word "remained". Legal experts are divided on the approach the court might take on this point.
What happens next
If normal procedures are followed, prosecutors are expected to next negotiate Trump's voluntary surrender at the district attorney's office in lower Manhattan. Trump's attorney, Joseph Tacopina, has previously said the former president would voluntarily surrender if indicted.
In that case, Trump would appear at the district attorney's office at the agreed upon time to register. These include taking fingerprints, taking facial photos, etc., and informing him of his Miranda rights (also known as Miranda warnings).
He will then be arraigned in a court in the same building. The arraignment usually takes place within a few hours. In this court proceeding, Trump's defense team will receive a paper copy of the indictment, and Trump will plead not guilty. Trump would then be released on his own bond because New York law prohibits prosecutors from seeking cash bail for nonviolent felony charges.
Dershowitz told The Epoch Times that while Trump may be convicted in a jury trial in Manhattan, he would later win on appeal.
"Because I don't think Trump will get a fair trial in New York," the legal expert said, referring to the city's predominantly Democratic electorate.
"Then the charge will be overturned on appeal, but by then we're well into the election cycle," Dershowitz said, referring to the 2024 presidential election.
A spokesman for Trump previously described the case as another example of how "our judicial system has been weaponized."
In a statement to The Epoch Times last week, the spokesperson wrote: "The George Soros-funded prosecutor of the radical left Democratic Party in Manhattan has decided to elevate his 'witch hunt' to a new level."
Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to return to the White House.
Video
Chinese were caught cutting American railroad tracks? ! American trains have frequently derailed in recent days; People's Daily suddenly notified the newspaper to stop publishing and "destroy it on the spot"; there are still "three major loopholes" in the case against Trump, who cannot stop running for president, but will cause big troubles. What will happen next?
News (4)
The first case of a former president of the United States! Trump sued over porn star hush money case
Image : Trump to be indicted by jury for hush money payment to porn star Daniels (AFP)
Former U.S. President Trump has been mired in lawsuits since leaving office. One of the cases involved his illegal payment of hush money to adult film star "Storm Daniels" during the 2016 election campaign. Now there is news that the grand jury in charge of the investigation decided to indict Trump, the first time in the history of a former U.S. president.
According to comprehensive foreign media reports, two sources said on Thursday local time that a Manhattan jury led by New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg decided to indict Trump after investigating the hush money affair between Trump and Daniels. Trump's attorney, Susan Necheles, also confirmed receiving news of the indictment. The official announcement is expected to be released within a few days, and the specific charges are not yet clear.
At that time, Trump will become the first former president to be prosecuted in the history of the United States, and he will have to go to Manhattan to go through procedures such as fingerprint pressing. Trump has previously stated that even if he is indicted, he will continue to compete for the Republican Party's presidential nomination.
"Storm Daniels," whose real name is Clyfford, received a hush money from the Trump camp in 2016 in exchange for not revealing a relationship between Trump and her in 2006. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who was in charge of handling the matter at the time, was sentenced in 2018. Prosecutor Bragg persuaded a jury to hear Trump's role in the case in January.
According to a poll released by Reuters last week, about 44% of Republican supporters interviewed believe that if Trump is indicted, he should withdraw from the 2024 presidential election.
See also: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/snap-insight-trump-indictment-arrest-charges-stormy-daniels-us-republican-party-presidential-election-2024-3362361, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/donald-trump-indicted-criminal-charges-what-next-presidency-run-3387381
News (5)
Trump responded angrily to appearing in court: Don't expect a fair trial in New York!
Editor : He Luman / https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gj/2023/03-31/9981852.shtml
According to comprehensive US media reports, on the 30th local time, a grand jury in Manhattan, New York, voted to sue former US President Trump for allegedly falsifying business records in the "hush money" case. In response, Trump posted an angry response on his own social media platform, saying that he did not expect a fair trial in New York.
"They know I can't get a fair trial in New York," Trump wrote. He also called the allegation "false, corrupt and disgraceful".
CNN quoted sources as saying that Trump faced more than 30 charges related to commercial fraud in the Manhattan grand jury indictment. Trump's lawyer, Susan Necheles, revealed that Trump will appear in court in New York next Tuesday (4 April 2023, local time) for arraignment.
Earlier in the day, Trump issued a statement describing the Manhattan grand jury vote as "the highest level of witch hunt and election interference in history" and "a series of efforts in the latest action by the Radical Left Democrats to destroy him and far-right politics." latest action".
Trump wrote, "The Democrats are obsessed with Trump, they lie, they cheat, they steal, but what they are doing now is the unthinkable, prosecuting a totally innocent person!"
According to a previous report by The New York Times, on the 30th local time, a Manhattan grand jury voted to sue former US President Trump in the "hush money" case. This would make Trump the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.
According to reports, the indictment may be released in the next few days, and prosecutors will ask Trump to appear in court. The charges against Trump have not yet been made public.
The investigation into Trump's payment of "hush money" has lasted for nearly five years. The investigation focuses on whether Trump falsified relevant records. The allegations allege that Trump and his then-personal attorney, Cohen, paid porn star Daniels $130,000 in "hush money" for allegedly having an affair with Trump shortly before the 2016 election.
Falsification of business records is usually a misdemeanor charge in New York, it was stated but it could be upgraded to a felony if prosecutors prove Trump attempted to defraud, including intending to commit, assisting in committing or concealing another crime.
News (6)
Ma Ying-jeou's visit to China: Member of the British Parliament: Do not become a symbol of Taiwan's submission to the CCP
Image : Ma Ying-jeou's visit to China has attracted attention from all walks of life. (file photo)
Former President Ma Ying-jeou's visit to CCP China sparked positive and negative confrontations in the political circles. Bob Stewart, member of the British Parliament and chairman of the Taiwan British Parliamentary Group, made suggestions when he led a delegation to visit Taiwan last week, he asked Ma Ying-jeou's visit to China not to become a symbol of Taiwan's surrender to CCP's ambitions.
When Stewart was interviewed by Taiwan Talks during his visit to Taiwan, he was asked what he thought of Ma Ying-jeou's visit to China. Stewart said that Ma Ying-jeou has the freedom to visit China and no one can stop him but he changed the subject, advising Ma not to make the trip a symbol of Taiwan's submission to China's ambitions.
Stewart emphasized that he hoped that Ma Ying-jeou would try to convince the Chinese people that it was in their best interest to maintain a friendly relationship with Taiwan.
News (7)
Ma Ying-jeou praises China's epidemic prevention, You Xikun questioned, Do you call on the CCP to stop persecuting good people?"
Reporter : Su Yongyao / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4257076 / Image : You Xikun, President of the Legislative Council. (file photo)
Former President Ma Ying-jeou is visiting China and praised China's epidemic prevention, which has attracted strong doubts from all walks of life in Taiwan. Legislative President You Xikun mocked in a Facebook post this morning, "Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, who is now remembering his homeland in China, while praising China's "Wuhan's epidemic prevention is a contribution to mankind", can you also appeal to the CCP authorities nearby to stop the persecution immediately? People who do not want to be ruled by totalitarianism!"
You Xikun first mentioned the "Mayflower" refugee incident. He said that on the 26th of last month, he just responded to the letter sent by the Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US House of Representatives, McCaul, calling on the US government to assist the Chinese "Mayflower" dissidents stranded in Thailand. He saw the news yesterday that 63 members of these 16 families consisting a total of 35 children and 28 adults of the Shenzhen Reformed Church (Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church), who have endured the CCP’s religious persecution, have been arrested and taken to Thailand’s immigration detention center, where they are about to be deported!
You Xikun believes that CCP's choice of cross-border pressure on Thailand to arrest refugees on the opening day of the Second Democracy Summit is undoubtedly a serious provocation to the action of democratic countries around the world to prevent democratic regression! He also saw that some American friends he knew were actively carrying out rescue operations. He hoped that the Thai government would treat these refugees well based on humanity and human rights. He also called on countries that love freedom and human rights around the world to severely condemn the CCP’s persecution of religious refugees, and called on the Democratic Alliance to take action to respect the wishes of these people before they are repatriated in Thailand, and to prevent these kind-hearted people from being repatriated to China and being treated harshly.
You Xikun pointed out that we should all show kindness and care for each other with humanity, tolerance, and common concern. "Since we think that others already have more, we have more with others." Our beliefs teach us to save pain and share it. We look forward to everyone taking action to contribute to the world. People who are persecuted by totalitarianism should do more! Especially Mr. Ma Ying-jeou, who is now remembering his homeland in China, besides praising China that "Wuhan's epidemic prevention is a contribution to mankind", can you also appeal to the Chinese Communist authorities to immediately stop persecuting these families and stop repatriating these people who do not want to be ruled by totalitarianism? !"
News (8)
Received the Global Leadership Award, Tsai Ing-wen: Taiwan needs democratic countries to help participate in international organizations
Reporter : Chen Yun / https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/politics/breakingnews/4257154 / Image : President Tsai Ing-wen attended the Global Leadership Awards Gala held by the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington DC, and was awarded the Global Leadership Award from Chairman Stern (right) and Director Watters (left) of the institute. (Provided by the Presidential Palace)
President Tsai Ing-wen stopped in New York, USA, and attended the "Global Leadership Awards Gala" held by the Hudson Institute, a think tank in Washington, in the evening of 30 March 2023 Eastern Time. Stern and Director John Walters conferred Tsai Ing-wen the Global Leadership Award. In her speech, Tsai said that in recent years, Taiwan's relationship with democracies in the world has continued to grow, but it is still excluded from the operation of the United Nations and related international organizations. Such an injustice cannot continue. Taiwan needs the support of other democracies to assist the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Taiwan's participation in international organisations.
The "Global Leadership Award" was established by the Hudson Institute to recognize international leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the world, with extraordinary vision, moral courage and strategic vision. The Hudson Institute awarded this award to President Tsai in recognition of her courage and determination to lead democratic Taiwan to respond to coercion and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region during her term of office with excellent leadership.
The Hudson Institute issued a press release after the meeting. Watters pointed out that it is an honour to invite President Tsai Ing-wen to attend the meeting. Under her leadership, the United States and Taiwan have expanded and deepened security and economic relations. With great courage and determination, she has maintained democracy vigorously and Taiwan rejects authoritarianism and emphasizes on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, "We are proud that the United States and Taiwan stand together", the Hudson Institute will firmly promote the security, freedom and prosperity of the United States and its allies.
Since the gala was by invitation only and was not made public, Zhang Dunhan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidential Palace, relayed the key points of President Tsai's speech after the meeting, and Tsai also communicated with the attendees. Tsai Ing-wen first said that the award from the Hudson Institute is actually a tribute to the people of Taiwan, who have shown perseverance even in the face of difficult challenges. It is with the courage and persistence of the people and the support of our American friends that Taiwan began its democratic transition and finally ended the martial law that lasted for more than 30 years. Today's Taiwan stands shoulder to shoulder with like-minded countries in pursuit of peace, prosperity and defense of democracy.
Tsai Ing-wen pointed out that CCP China deliberately escalates tensions but Taiwan always responds cautiously and calmly, letting the world see that Taiwan is the responsible side in cross-strait relations. The people of Taiwan hope for peace but history tells us the best way to avoid war is to make yourself more powerful. An unstable Taiwan Strait will bring serious economic and security risks to the world. Therefore, it is extremely important for all countries to maintain peace and stability in this region. This not only means that we must strengthen security cooperation, but also need to promote a stronger and thriving economic partnership.
Tsai Ing-wen also specifically mentioned that Taiwan’s relationship with democracies in the world has continued to grow in recent years. However, Taiwan continues to be excluded from the operations of the United Nations and related international organizations. Such an injustice cannot continue. Taiwan needs other democracies support to assist us in participating in international organisations.
Tsai Ing-wen emphasized that Taiwan is full of resilience and firmly believes in the power of democracy but no country can solve the challenges of the 21st century or fight authoritarianism alone. We will continue to cooperate with the United States and like-minded countries to prove that democracy can achieve results and demonstrate Taiwan's determination to protect our way of life.
Image : In her speech, Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan's relationship with democracies around the world has continued to grow in recent years, but it is still excluded from the operation of the United Nations and related international organizations. Injustice cannot continue. (Provided by the Presidential Palace)
News (9) to (11) / Reporter : Luo Tingting / Editor : Wen Hui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/03/31/a103680127.html
News (9)
Experts warn: Xi Jinping "preparing for war"
Image : The U.S. media recently warned that the world should take seriously the CCP leader Xi Jinping’s statement that he is “preparing for war.” It would be foolish not to believe his words. The picture shows on 21 March 2023, Xi Jinping in Moscow. (Alexey Maishev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)
Experts recently warned that the leader of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, is “preparing for war.” The signs of Beijing’s preparations for war are becoming increasingly apparent, and the world should take this seriously.
News (10)
The CCP is preparing for war, US media: It would be too stupid not to believe
On 29 March, the American journal Foreign Affairs published a review article titled "Xi Jinping Says He's Preparing for War." The authors are former U.S. deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger and former Washington Post Beijing correspondent John Pomfret.
The article pointed out that recently Xi Jinping has continuously expounded on the theme of "preparing for war" and has made a series of preparations for war. In four separate speeches at the Communist Party's two sessions in March, Mr Xi referred to "preparation for war", one of which told his generals to "dare to fight".
The article also listed a series of signs that the CCP is preparing for war. For example, the CCP authorities announced at the two sessions that they would increase the defense budget by 7.2% and plan to reduce China's dependence on foreign food imports.
In December 2022, Beijing announced a new "Reserve Personnel Law" to vigorously expand reserve personnel. The bill says reservists are "an important source of recruits for active duty troops in time of war" and "ready to be called up to serve at any time."
In February of this year, the National People's Congress of the Communist Party of China passed the "Decision on Adjusting Some Provisions of the Criminal Procedure Law to the Military During Wartime", which contains specific provisions on jurisdiction, defense and agency, compulsory measures, case filing, investigation, prosecution, trial, and execution determined by the Central Military Commission. This means that once it enters a wartime state, the Chinese Communist army can bypass the judiciary and directly arrest the people and eliminate all opposition voices.
In addition, in Fujian Province, which is across the sea from Taiwan, several cities have begun to upgrade air-raid shelters or build at least one "wartime emergency hospital." In March, several cities in Fujian Province began blocking access to government websites from overseas IP addresses, supposedly to prevent outsiders from tracking the CCP’s war preparations.
At the same time, the CCP also established new “national defense mobilization” offices across the country.
The article pointed out that there have been some changes in Beijing that policymakers and business leaders around the world cannot ignore. "If Xi Jinping says he is preparing for war, it would be foolish not to believe him."
News (11)
Expert: Xi Jinping prepares for war and forms a wartime cabinet
On 19 October 2022, the "Wall Street Journal" quoted sources familiar with Xi Jinping's thinking as saying that Xi believes that the possibility of a showdown with the West is increasing. During his ten years in power, he launched a series of actions to strengthen the military, restructure the economy, reshape society, and prepare for a possible conflict between China and the United States.
Wan Runnan, a Chinese private entrepreneur living in France and the founder of Stone Group, told French radio in November last year that Xi Jinping was "ready to fight." by forming a wartime cabinet.
He said that in the history of the CCP, even during the Mao Zedong period, there was a need to strike a balance. "It is rare for Xi to rule the world, and in a sense it is the most dangerous. But why did he do this? Four words: prepare for war."
"Why did Xi set up a wartime cabinet? He really felt that there would be a head-on conflict with the United States." Wan Runnan analyzed that Xi Jinping's current efforts to clear zero blockades, set up supply and marketing cooperatives, etc. are all engaged in wartime economics , thinking about how to engage in social control during wartime.
Just after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the authorities restarted the supply and marketing cooperatives and canteens of the Mao Zedong era. The national supply and marketing cooperatives recruited civil servants with great fanfare, and the authorities issued a document to pilot community canteens, and they wanted to implement them nationwide. People are worried that China will close the country and return to the era of planned economy. "The big pot is coming back!"
Wan Runnan said that Xi Jinping wants to bring China to this darkest moment because he really wants to prepare for war. "In their view, the economy is not a big problem. Let's talk about the wartime economy after the war, as long as you can eat a bowl of food and avoid the tragedy of tens of millions of people starving to death."
Current affairs commentator Yokogawa said in the "Yokogawa Viewpoint" program that the authorities have two reasons for this move: one is that the derailment between the CCP and the world is a foregone conclusion, and the isolation of the country is inevitable; the other is to prepare for war.
"Because once the CCP invades Taiwan, it will definitely be subject to international sanctions. Therefore, it is necessary to implement a wartime economy, state monopoly of production materials, unified purchase and marketing, and distribution of various items according to quotas. This requires a system, and the most complete is the supply and marketing cooperative. So now Start to strengthen the supply and marketing cooperatives." Yokogawa said.
He said, "Mao Zedong, the former leader of the Communist Party of China, once said to prepare for war and drought, and now it is like this, preparing for both war and drought."
Gordon G. Chang, the author of the book China is About to Collapse and a famous American political commentator, wrote in The Epoch Times on 13 March 2023 that the CCP is talking about preparing for war and preparing for it. This may be the CCP's " "Empty city plan" strategy but even with its bluster, its provocative actions could start a war. So, in any case, the United States needs to be prepared to fight.
"It is more important than ever to stop the CCP," Gordon Chang said.
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