Stephen Colbert recently took a dig at Donald Trump’s lawyers for sending a subpoena to the wrong man. Trump’s hush-money trial is coming up soon, and the lawyers subpoenaed a man they thought was Jeremy Rosenberg from the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Unfortunately, they got the wrong guy. Let’s see the fallout.
Sending A Subpoena to the Wrong Rosenberg
There can’t be a lot of guys named Jeremy Rosenberg, but there are at least two. One of them worked for the Manhattan district attorney’s office, and the other one never did.
Unfortunately, Trump’s lawyers didn’t do their due diligence and instead sent their subpoena and $15 for sending over the documents to the wrong Jeremy Rosenberg.
Colbert Jumps On The Attorneys
Naturally, the joker, Stephen Colbert, noticed that the lawyers had sent their subpoena to the wrong guy, which pointed out how woefully underprepared Trump’s lawyers are for this case.
He joked that the Jeremy Rosenberg they sent the subpoena to should be careful and that Trump might send a squad of goons to rough up someone else with the same name.
Trump Not Faring Well in Court Action
After losing a defamation case against writer E. Jean Carroll and being fined heavily for his involvement in a fraud case in New York, this hush-money case is the latest legal woes Trump has to deal with.
He’s also had to fight to retain his spot as the GOP presidential hopeful. That court battle saw him face other Republicans who thought he didn’t represent the party’s best interests.
Other Legal Matters Pending
In addition to his hush-money case, Trump is also on the hook for carrying away top-secret documents from the White House after his stint as President. Trump had previously denied the charges.
However, a search warrant executed on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort uncovered several documents that he was asked to return. Trump hopes the case for that won’t come up until after the elections.
Wrong Rosenberg Tried Calling
The “wrong” Jeremy Rosenberg, who was named in the subpoena, made it clear to Trump’s lawyers that he had no files for them, and he wrote a letter back to them explaining the mix-up.
He also said that he had tried calling, but the phone number the lawyers provided on the subpoena was disconnected. He was also planning to keep the $15 they sent for postage.
Lawyers Just Didn’t Seem to Realize the Problem
Even after the “wrong” Rosenberg had sent them the letter explaining the problem, Trump’s lawyers seemed adamant that they couldn’t have possibly gotten the wrong guy.
The lawyers complained to the court that Rosenberg was “flippant and dismissive” when contacted about the files that they wanted. Since this guy was not the right Rosenberg, he obviously wouldn’t have any of those files.
Prosecutors Highlight The Error
In court, the prosecution noted that Jeremy Rosenberg, whom Trump’s lawyers had subpoenaed, was not the correct person since they had spoken directly to the correct Mr. Rosenberg.
According to the right Jeremy Rosenberg, he had never corresponded with or spoken to the defense at any time during the trial and doesn’t have any connection to the address the subpoena was sent to.
What’s This Case About?
This case centers on allegations that Trump falsified business records, and he’s been charged with 34 counts of this particular offense, carrying jail time of up to four years in each count.
It also centers on hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels right before the 2016 election to keep her from divulging an alleged affair that she had with the presidential hopeful.
Who’s the Right Jeremy Rosenberg?
The correct Jeremy Rosenberg that Trump’s lawyers were supposed to subpoena was former District Attorney Supervising Rackets Investigator Jeremy Rosenberg. He was a critical element in the defense’s case.
Rosenberg is alleged to have filed against Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen. Cohen had been partners with Trump before he turned on the former president.
Rosenberg Was Suspended For Contact with Cohen
Rosenberg became a player in this case when it was revealed that he was suspended from work for his contact with Michael Cohen.
When the defense found out about the suspension, they realized they could use information about this relationship in their own case, hence the subpoena.
Gag Order Implemented
The case gets even more interesting since Trump’s lawyers are appealing a gag order placed on him by the judge in the case.
The lawyers had hoped to move the trial down as they waited for the ruling on the gag order. Moving the case down benefits the Trump campaign significantly.
Why Implement a Gag Order?
The judge in the case had imposed this gag order to ensure that Trump doesn’t verbally attack witnesses, prosecutors, or Judge Juan Merchan himself.
Trump is well-known for his outspoken tirades, and he has attempted to intimidate prosecutors in the past, so this protects them from his verbal abuse in and out of court.
Many See This as Targeted
Trump’s supporters see his situation in court and all the charges against him as a targeted effort to defame the former president and make him look as bad as possible before the next election.
There is no sign that this particular case is an attack on the GOP hopeful. However, the lawyers believe that if they can defer the case long enough, Trump will be elected and not have to face charges.
Will This Affect the Case’s Outcome?
The defense seems to think that if they have information showing a connection between Cohen and Rosenberg, they could leverage it in their defense. However, it’s unlikely to significantly impact the final verdict. Trump’s one hope is that his lawyers can push the trial down past the election date.
Many people involved in the case think that it’s a cut-and-dry situation. However, if Trump’s lawyers get their wish and the case is moved down to after the elections, there’s a chance that Trump won’t have to face charges. If elected, he could simply pardon himself and not have to worry about being prosecuted.
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