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U.S. Sen. Scott, FL Congresswomen Luna and Lee trash Trump prosecution as trial nears end • Florida Phoenix [1]

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Date: 2024-05-28  

With a verdict possible as soon as this week, former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is still creating news and controversy. On Tuesday, Florida Republicans trashed the prosecution led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Speaking in Pinellas County to reporters after a press conference on hurricane preparedness, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and Tampa Bay area Congresswomen Anna Paulina Luna and Laurel Lee claimed that the prosecution of Trump was political and in the words of Lee, “a travesty of our justice system.”

Scott was asked by a reporter if he would respect the jury’s decision, no matter the outcome. He said he would, but then went on to dispute every element of it in his response.

“I’ll always respect any jury, but this is just political persecution,” he said.

As he has in the past, Scott once again assailed members of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and Judge Juan Merchan’s daughter Loren for alleged bias because of her previous campaign contributions to Democratic candidates.

“The judge’s daughter is a big fundraiser for Biden-Harris and other Democrats,” said Scott. “This smells horrible.”

While Scott was the first Florida federal lawmaker to attend Trump’s trial in New York City earlier this month, a slew of other Florida Republican members of Congress quickly followed suit, including U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds, Michael Waltz, Matt Gaetz, Cory Mills and Luna.

“The president’s in good spirits, but exactly like Senator Scott stated, there is a lot of political smoke and we know that it is political targeting,” Luna said. “The fact is this is a political witch hunt, but I think the American people see that, which is exactly why you’re seeing the surge with Hispanic and Black voters, independents and women.”

Central Florida Republican Congresswoman Laurel Lee, who is an attorney and former federal prosecutor, criticized the Trump case from a legal perspective.

“This is a case in New York which was predicated upon a bunch of misdemeanors for which the statute of limitations has applied,” she said. “It is not a legitimate cause of action. It hasn’t been since inception. The judge’s rulings, time and again, have let evidence in for the prosecution that didn’t belong, kept President Trump’s defense out. This entire prosecution should not be happening and it’s very clearly something that’s been politically motivated and I will say that as a former prosecutor and judge, it is a travesty that our system of justice is being manipulated and politicized in this way.”

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[1] Url: https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/28/u-s-sen-scott-fl-congresswomen-luna-and-lee-trash-trump-prosecution-as-trial-nears-end/

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