Lawsuit Filed against Trump: This Is Far from Over

Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 22 September 2022
by Manuela Honsig-Erlenburg (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Kirsty Low. Edited by Laurence Bouvard.
Donald Trump and his supporters are convinced that Letitia James’ investigations into the former president also reflect political intrigue.

Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James announced “big news” on Wednesday and did not disappoint. She presented the results of a years-long investigation and charged former President Donald Trump and his real estate empire with felony fraud relating to previous business conduct. In a detailed report, James listed more than 200 cases where the value of Trump’s real estate appears to have been falsely reported in order to pay lower taxes or more easily secure loans. Trump responded as he always does when faced with accusations: He yelled about a Democratic witch hunt aimed at him and the Republicans in the run-up to the midterm elections in November.

This is a familiar response that demonstrates one thing: the particularly blurry distinction between the judiciary and politics in the U.S. State prosecutors and judges are elected and belong to a political party. That damages the credibility of the office, particularly in times of extreme political polarization. James is also running for reelection in November. Trump and his supporters are convinced that her investigations into the former president are being conducted for political purposes.

Anyone who is rubbing their hands together because of the lawsuit against Trump should bear in mind that even if his candidacy for reelection in 2024 is anything but certain, Trump will continue to disrupt the political discourse in the U.S. for some time to come.


Klage gegen Trump: Noch lange nicht das Ende

Für Donald Trump und seine Anhänger steht fest, dass auch ihre Ermittlungen gegen den Ex-Präsidenten politische Intrigen sind

Die demokratische Generalstaatsanwältin Letitia James kündigte am Mittwoch "große Neuigkeiten" an und enttäuschte nicht damit. Sie präsentierte das Ergebnis ihrer jahrelangen Ermittlungsarbeiten und erhob schwere Betrugsvorwürfe gegen Ex-US-Präsident Donald Trump und sein Immobilienimperium wegen früheren Geschäftsgebarens. In ihrem detaillierten Bericht listete James auf, dass mehr als 200-mal der Wert von Trump-Immobilien falsch angegeben worden sei, um Steuern zu sparen oder leichter an Kredite zu kommen. Trump reagierte wie immer auf Vorwürfe: Er wetterte gegen die demokratische "Hexenjagd" gegen ihn und die Republikaner vor den Halbzeitwahlen im November.

Altbekannte Argumente, die aber auch auf eines hinweisen: auf die besonders unsaubere Trennung von Justiz und Politik in den USA. Staatsanwälte und Richter werden in den Vereinigten Staaten gewählt, sind also konkret einer Partei zuzurechnen. Das schadet der Glaubwürdigkeit des Amtes, vor allem in Zeiten der massiven politischen Spaltung. Auch Letitia James stellt sich im November der Wiederwahl. Für Trump und seine Anhänger steht fest, dass auch ihre Ermittlungen gegen den Ex-Präsidenten politische Intrigen sind.

Wer sich also jetzt wegen der Trump-Klage die Hände reibt, dem oder der sei versichert: Auch wenn seine Wiederkandidatur 2024 alles andere als sicher ist, Trump wird den politischen Diskurs in den USA noch länger durcheinanderbringen.
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