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Yates County Democrats Support Rule of Law, Condemn Republican Attacks on our Justice System

The Yates County Democrats are gratified that the rule of law was upheld when a jury of everyday New Yorkers selected to do their civic duty unanimously found Donald Trump guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records with the intent to commit election interference. This verdict was rendered after a fair trial in which the defendant was afforded all the rights and opportunities that the legal system provides to each of us to respond to and defend against the charges against him. He is currently exercising his right to file an appeal.

 Republicans, instead of respecting the verdict and the rule of law, have chosen to align themselves with convicted felon Donald Trump at the expense of our justice system. Trying, and failing, to portray the verdict as a miscarriage of justice and political hit job, Republicans reveal that they are more loyal to a twice-impeached criminal who still faces a slew of additional charges than to America’s founding principles.

 The facts of the case are that Trump was tried and found guilty not by President Biden, not by the Democratic Party, and not by partisan political operatives or biased jurists. The indictment in this case was approved by a grand jury of ordinary citizens. He was then found guilty by a jury of his peers selected and approved by his own legal team. He faced charges in New York because that is where he falsified his business records and was found guilty under the New York state law that defines first-degree falsifying business records with the intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime (Penal Law §175.10). Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted the case, is a locally-elected official who does not report to the federal government. To portray this case otherwise is a dishonest, corrupt attack on our justice system. As noted by President Biden, “it’s reckless, it’s dangerous, and it’s irresponsible for anyone to say this was rigged just because they don’t like the verdict.” While a few prominent Republicans have urged respect for the verdict and the legal process, many more Republicans, including the leadership of the Yates County Republican Committee and our MAGA extremist Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, are maintaining their cult-like allegiance to felonious Trump by lying about this case, all while claiming to support law and order.

 This support apparently does not extend to the hard-working public servants and citizens—judges, clerks, jurors, and others—on whom our legal system rests. For doing nothing more than their jobs and their civic duty, they and their families now face threats of violence, even death, for having the audacity to apply the law to those who seem to think they are above it. We say, enough is enough. The Republican Party has chosen as its standard bearer and Presidential candidate a convicted criminal, fraudster, and adjudicated sexual abuser who incites his followers to violence and has vowed to use the Presidency to exact revenge on anyone who does not support him. That is their choice. The rest of us have a choice to denounce political violence, uphold our values of equal protection under the law and common decency, and support candidates who will use their office to make our lives better and our country stronger.