The US Supreme Court intervenes in the legal dispute over Donald Trump's participation in the primaries for the Republican presidential nomination. The Supreme Court announced on Friday afternoon (local time) that it would accept a corresponding request from the former US president and current presidential candidate. The case, which could change the course of this year's presidential elections, is scheduled to be heard in court in the capital, Washington, on February 8.
Trump appealed to the court to overturn a decision by the state of Colorado. Colorado, like the state of Maine, believed that Trump's behavior regarding the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, disqualified him from being president. Corresponding lawsuits from Trump opponents are still ongoing elsewhere. It can be assumed that the Supreme Court will rule on the matter quickly since primary election season is about to begin.
The court is dominated by a conservative majority, three of the nine judges were appointed by Trump. It is unclear whether they will even address the question of whether the former president was guilty of insurrection. For example, the court could only rule that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not apply to the president. If this also applied to Trump, he would no longer be allowed to hold office in the US.
New twist in the fraud trial against Trump
A new twist in the fraud trial against the former US president had already attracted attention. The Public Prosecutor's Office demands a fine of 370 million dollars (338 million euros). This emerges from a letter published on Friday by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. The new sum significantly exceeds the $250 million payment previously demanded by Trump. Judge Arthur Engoron is expected to rule on the civil case this month.
The lawsuit concerns the future of the 77-year-old's corporate empire. The Public Prosecutor's Office accuses Trump and his children and employees of manipulating the value of the Trump Organization for years to obtain cheaper loans and insurance contracts. Judge Engoron had already confirmed this before the trial. The main focus of the process now is to determine possible penalties and other charges.
Republican Trump is not threatened with a prison sentence or a direct impact on his presidential candidacy, but a conviction could cause him major business losses. In addition to the fine, Trump faces a ban from doing business in New York. The former president wants to be re-elected in 2024. He is the most promising candidate for the Republican nomination. According to many observers, he is using the process as electoral advertising.