A filing from prosecutors stating that they plan to quote extensively from books written by — or ghost-written for — Donald Trump in his upcoming hush money trial has his lawyers on the defensive.
According to a report from ABC News, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has found a wealth of material in the multitude of quotes from the ex-president in the books, including, "For many years I've said that if someone screws you, screw them back."
They intend to present them before the jury tasked with considering the 34 felonies contained in the indictment related to the 2016 cover-up of his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels.
The report notes that investigators have compiled quotes not only from Trump's bestseller "Art of the Deal," but also "Think Like a Billionaire," "How to Get Rich," "Think Big and Kick A--" and "Great Again."
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According to ABC, the new filing includes, "Four dozen quotes from books published between 1987 and 2015," and that Trump's lawyers protesting the former president's words could "prejudice" the jury.
In response, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche stated, "Whatever President Trump's style of business operations was in 1987, 2004 and 2007 ... is by no means probative for how he would have operated those businesses when he was President of the United States of America."
The ABC report adds, "According to the defense, some of Trump's quotes that prosecutors intend to highlight involve his approach to business — including his frugality and 'hands-on' approach — while others focus on Trump's interactions with women, which is expected to be a central issue in the trial."
It continues, "Defense attorneys argue some of those statements could potentially offend jurors, such as when Trump wrote, 'I always think of myself as the best-looking guy and it is no secret that I love beautiful women.'"
Trump's lawyers are arguing the quotes are, "Largely irrelevant, stale, and cumulative," further explaining, "Many of the statements that the People seek to admit have no apparent relevance to the issues in this case and will only lead to juror confusion."
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