Analysts are raising concerns about the New York probation office’s decision to let Donald Trump conduct his first probation session remotely.
CBS News, reporting anonymously, disclosed that Trump will be dialing into the probation meeting from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. His lawyer, Todd Blanche, will accompany him during the meeting—a first for the former president after being convicted in a trial overseen by Judge Juan Merchan.
On May 30, a New York jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying records connected to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 elections, claims he strongly denied.
Legal correspondent Katie Phang from MSNBC’s show, The Katie Phang Show, questioned the special treatment Trump seemed to be receiving by having a probation meeting via Zoom, a departure from the norm. She also noted the unusual presence of Blanche during the meeting, speculating on his potential influence.
Andrew Weissmann, an MSNBC legal expert, highlighted the challenges of arranging an in-person interview with Trump due to his Secret Service detail. Weissmann speculated that Trump might be questioned about his connections to other convicted individuals like Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, and Steve Bannon, all labeled as felons.
Stone received a three-year prison sentence in 2020 on charges related to lying to investigators probing Russian election interference. Manafort, Trump’s ex-campaign chairman, faces a lengthy prison term for separate offenses. Bannon was sentenced to four months in jail for contempt of Congress in 2022.