A New York state judge has blocked an attempt by former President Donald Trump to subpoena NBC documents related to the release of its Stormy Daniels documentary. The judge, Juan Merchan, called the subpoena a “fishing expedition” and said allowing Trump’s legal team unbridled access to media organization’s internal documents would violate civil rights laws. Trump is facing trial later this month on charges of falsifying business records in relation to hush-money payments made to Daniels in 2016.
The trial, initially scheduled for March 25, was delayed after NBC’s Peacock streaming service released the documentary titled “Stormy.” Trump has accused NBC of purposely releasing the documentary near the trial date to portray him in a negative light. However, NBC argued that Daniels had no involvement in the release timing and did not approve the content of the film. Judge Merchan ruled in favor of NBC, stating that the subpoena for documents related to the documentary’s premiere date and Daniels’ payments was unwarranted.
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records for allegedly misidentifying payments to his former lawyer Michael Cohen as legal services payments, when they were actually intended as hush money for Daniels. Daniels has claimed she had a sexual relationship with Trump in 2006, which he has denied. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has sought to delay the trial until the Supreme Court rules on the issue of presidential immunity, which he argues should apply to his criminal trials. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments later this month.
In addition to the Daniels trial, April 15 will also see Trump being deposed by lawyers for two co-founders of the Trump Media & Technology Group in a lawsuit alleging that he diluted their shares in the company. The company, which includes the Truth Social app, went public last month with an initial valuation of $8 billion, but its share price has since fallen. Trump’s net worth, estimated at $5 billion, surged with the company going public but has seen a decline with the drop in the company’s stock price. He was ranked as the 625th richest person in the world on Friday.
Despite the legal battles and fluctuations in his net worth, Trump remains a significant figure in the business and political world. His ongoing legal challenges and the outcomes of the trials he is facing will have implications for his future endeavors. The Supreme Court’s decision on the issue of presidential immunity may also have a profound impact on Trump’s legal defense strategy going forward. As the trials proceed and more evidence is presented, the public will be closely watching the developments surrounding the former president and his legal troubles.
