Americans Disgusted After Shocking Report Proves Trump Bribed Witnesses and Made Many of His ‘Witnesses’ Very Rich
I don’t know why I allow the things that Donald Trump does to shock me anymore. The man will do anything, ANYTHING, to win or get out of trouble. So it would make perfect sense that Trump would tamper with witnesses in his trials, including paying off and giving raises to many of them. Just days after Trump became a convicted felon — the first former president to do so — the Trump Organization is now being accused of paying off nine witnesses who testified in his various criminal trials.
According to a bombshell report by ProPublica, around the time that these nine witnesses were subpoenaed, they received significant financial perks from the Trump campaign, such as huge pay raises, sudden promotions, generous severance packages, and lots of good old fashioned cash money.
For instance, one Trump campaign aide who was subpoenaed “had his average monthly pay double, from $26,000 to $53,500,” reports ProPublica. “Another employee got a $2 million severance package barring him from voluntarily cooperating with law enforcement.”
“And one of the campaign’s top officials had her daughter hired onto the campaign staff, where she is now the fourth-highest-paid employee,” the report continues.
But, although these sudden job opportunities and financial windfalls that witnesses received seem highly suspicious, busting the Trump Organization for witness tampering could be difficult to do. Especially when its head honcho, Donald Trump, will undoubtedly play his tried-and-true innocent dummy card, as he always does.
From ProPublica:
To prove witness tampering, prosecutors would need to show that perks or punishments were intended to influence testimony. …
“It feels very shady, especially as you detect a pattern. … I would worry about it having a corrupt influence,” Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said after hearing from ProPublica about benefits provided to potential Trump witnesses.
But McQuade said these cases are difficult to prove, even if the intent were actually to influence testimony, because savvy defendants don’t explicitly attach strings to the benefits and would more likely be “all wink and a nod, ‘You’re a great, loyal employee, here’s a raise.’”
In response to questions from ProPublica, a Trump campaign official said that any raises or other benefits provided to witnesses were the result of their taking on more work due to the campaign or his legal cases heating up, or because they took on new duties. …
Attempts to exert undue influence on witnesses have been a repeated theme of Trump-related investigations and criminal cases over the years.
Yahoo News had more details, especially on who was paid, and how much.
“According to records reviewed by ProPublica, monthly payments from Trump’s campaign to Trump lawyer Boris Epshteyn’s company—which appears to be just a one-man show—more than doubled after Trump was indicted—jumping from $26,000 a month to $53,500 a month.
Susie Wiles, senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 campaign who allegedly witnessed Trump showing off classified documents, also saw a big bump in pay after being called to a grand jury and before Trump’s indictment in that case. Her pay jumped from $25,000 a month to $30,000 a month and her consulting firm received a hefty $75,000, according to ProPublica.
Her daughter Caroline was hired by the Trump campaign a few months later, receiving a salary of $222,000 and becoming the fourth-highest-paid campaign staffer.
Dan Scavino, a political adviser and Trump’s former chief of staff, was given a seat on Truth Social’s board, Trump’s social media company. His appointment landed between him being subpoenaed and giving testimony to Congress about Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol riot. Scavino also received a $600,000 retention bonus and “a $4 million ‘executive promissory note’ paid in shares” at some point, according to ProPublica.
Allen Weisselberg, a retired Trump Organization chief financial officer who was recently convicted of lying for Trump, received a $2 million severance agreement four months after New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump for real estate fraud.
Steven Cheung, the top spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, said in a statement to ProPublica that “the 2024 Trump campaign is the most well-run and professional operation in political history.”
Cheung continued, “Any false assertion that we’re engaging in any type of behavior that may be regarded as tampering is absurd and completely fake.”
ProPublica also reports they received a cease-and-desist from David Warrington, Trump’s attorney, against publishing its findings, promising that “President Trump will evaluate all legal remedies.” According to ProPublica’s findings, those legal remedies seem to conveniently trend toward doling out big payments to people called to testify on Trump’s behalf.
People on social media were sickened:
Trump has been paying off witnesses with raises, jobs, and severance packages, per a new report from ProPublica.
And also remember — he tried to do it with Cassidy Hutchinson too. They tried to get to her right before her Congressional testimony, but she wouldn’t take the bait.
— Tristan Snell (@TristanSnell) June 3, 2024
Pro Publica reported, “Nine witnesses in the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large raises from his campaign, severance packages, new jobs, and a grant of shares and cash from Trump’s media company.” This…
— Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) June 3, 2024
Trump paid off all these witnesses and he was still convicted on all counts.
— zeddy (@Zeddary) June 3, 2024
His entire life has been an unpunished crime spree. Six months is not enough. His lack of remorse is unequivocal and he is repeating as I write this. A story just broke about 9 witnesses on his fraud trial being paid off. trump deserves the four years starting immediately
— Roger Henley Existentially Me on post (@idotennis4fun) June 3, 2024
Trump openly buying witnesses!
Nine witnesses in the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large raises from his campaign, severance packages, new jobs, & a grant of shares & cash from Trump’s media company. https://t.co/yv7jGkVJz4— Nataly Minkina (@MinkinaNataly) June 3, 2024
Trump paid off nine potential witnesses against him. Corrupt to the core. https://t.co/SZpiu04YjE
— Carlos Machina (@SrCarlosMachina) June 3, 2024
If you’d like to understand “lawfare”—the attack on the rule of law — read in detail how Donald Trump has paid off numerous potential witnesses against him.
Just like pardoning Roger Stone when he threatened to cooperate, Trump has no respect for the law. https://t.co/MgYsBvcSDN
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) June 3, 2024
