1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Brusso from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 2: In the first court here and in nearly a year, 3 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 2: a lawyer for Donald Trump clashed with the judge in 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: the federal election interference prosecution of the former president. Prosecutors 5 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 2: and defense lawyers are bitterly at odds over the next 6 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 2: steps in the case. After the Supreme Court narrowed the 7 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 2: scope of the prosecution by ruling that former presidents are 8 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 2: entitled to broad immunity from criminal charges. There were several 9 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 2: tens exchanges between Judge Tanya Chuckkin and Trump lawyer John Lauro, 10 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 2: particularly when he referenced the November election. We're talking about 11 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 2: the presidency of the United States, Laura said. At one point, 12 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 2: Chuckkins shot back, I'm not talking about the presidency of 13 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,639 Speaker 2: the United States. I'm talking about a fore count indictment. 14 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 2: Joining me is Zoe Tillman, Bloomberg senior reporter who is 15 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: at the hearing and is joining us from the courthouse. ZOEA. 16 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 2: I understand it was pretty contentious between the judge and 17 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 2: Trump's attorney. 18 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right. You know, I think that the defense 19 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 3: really wanted to come out swinging, saying that they think 20 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 3: that the Special Council is rushing and trying to move 21 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 3: things too fast and prejudice them by going first, essentially 22 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 3: to try and make their case for why the indictment 23 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 3: should move forward after the Supreme Court's immunity ruling, and 24 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 3: the Judge repeatedly said, you know, I don't want to 25 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 3: hear rhetoric. I want to hear legal arguments. It doesn't 26 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 3: seem like there's rushing and you know, references to the election. 27 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 3: The judge made clear that she was deeply uninterested considering 28 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 3: the electoral calendar and deciding what to do next. So 29 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 3: those are all tension points. 30 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: Today, there was a dispute about which side will file 31 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: briefs first. The Special Council wants to submit a brief 32 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: first on why it's superseding indictment complies with the sup 33 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 2: Frame Court's immunity decision, and it would include a lot 34 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 2: of evidence like grand jury transcripts and FBI notes on 35 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 2: witness interviews. 36 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 3: They wanted to essentially lay out the facts and the 37 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 3: evidence that they're going to present as part of this 38 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 3: next stage of the case and then argue why those 39 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 3: all survive the immunity decision. Either because they are not 40 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 3: official acts by Trump as president, or even if they are, 41 00:02:29,639 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 3: why they sort of overcome the presumption of immunity that 42 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 3: the Supreme Court laid out for sort of non core 43 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 3: official acts by a president. And so they argued that 44 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: the most efficient way to do this, rather than wait 45 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 3: for Trump to file emotion to dismiss the incitement, which 46 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 3: would be the normal course of action, would be for 47 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 3: them to preemptively sort of lay out their case, make 48 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 3: the argument for why it is legally valid under the 49 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 3: immunity framework, and then have Trump respond to that. 50 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 2: So did the judge decide whether to proceed in that 51 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: way with them filing the brief first. 52 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 3: She did not. She said that she hoped to set 53 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 3: a schedule later in the day or at least soon, 54 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 3: And you know, agreed with Trump's lawyers that this would 55 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,359 Speaker 3: sort of be going out of order. That's the normal 56 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 3: course of business, and the normal rules would call for 57 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 3: the defense to go first and sort of raise the 58 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 3: points they want to raise about what is sufficient in 59 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 3: the new indictments. But as the judgment also noted, you know, 60 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 3: just because normal course of action doesn't mean that they 61 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 3: can't change up the order and the government argued that 62 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 3: this would avoid multiple potential appeals by Trump's lawyers, versus 63 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: putting everything sort of in one package and then whoever 64 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 3: loses can take all of that up to the DC circuit. 65 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 2: So it seemed as if the judge and the prosecution 66 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 2: acknowledge that no matter what happened, there was going to 67 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 2: be an appeal, and that the prosecution was just trying 68 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 2: to keep it down to one appeal. 69 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 3: That's right. Basically, Trump lawyers talked about wanting to handle 70 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 3: this in a couple stages where they first want to 71 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 3: argue that by keeping allegations about Donald Trump's efforts to 72 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 3: pressure then Vice President Mike Pence in the indictment, that 73 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 3: that conduct specifically is still official acts not entitled to immunity. 74 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 3: And if that's the case, they argue, that means that 75 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 3: this new grand jury that returned the superseding indictment was 76 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 3: tainted and the entire indictment should be tossed up. And 77 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 3: then if the judge disagrees and says that the Pence 78 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 3: information can stay in, then they would go to a 79 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,880 Speaker 3: next round of briefing as to why other parts of 80 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 3: the indictment bill fail. Out of the immunity test. But yees, 81 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 3: I think everyone agreed that whatever happens, whatever jun Tutkin does, 82 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 3: will be appealed, and she at one point even said 83 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 3: that she thought it was a quote exercise in futility 84 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 3: to try to set some kind of trial schedule because 85 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 3: it just doesn't matter, and everything we put on hold 86 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 3: again when it goes up to the circuit or the 87 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 3: Supreme courtance. 88 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: Trump's lawyers took the position that the whole case has 89 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 2: to fall if Trump's interactions with Mike Pence are immune 90 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 2: from prosecution, and did the judge disagree with the defense 91 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 2: interpretation of the Supreme Court decision? 92 00:05:14,920 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 3: Not in so many words, but she suggested that she 93 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 3: didn't think that it was clear cut that that was 94 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 3: definitely off limits and that it was official acts and 95 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 3: immune from prosecution. I think a few times she indicated 96 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,799 Speaker 3: that what exactly the Supreme Court had to say about 97 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 3: the indictment was not as sort of clear cut as 98 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:39,240 Speaker 3: Trump's lawyers suggested it was, and that it had to be, 99 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 3: you know, a fact based determination as opposed to just 100 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 3: a decision on the wall about whether that that part 101 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 3: of the indictment is wholesale off limits to prosecutors or not. 102 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 2: Anyone who read that decision knows it's not clear cut. 103 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 2: There's not much that's clear cut in that decision. Now. Also, 104 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 2: the Trump lawyers did not try before for this to 105 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 2: make an argument that the Special Counsel's appointment is unconstitutional, 106 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 2: but now they want to make that argument here they do. 107 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 3: There was definitely some tense back and forth about that 108 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 3: as well, you know, with the judge and the prosecutor 109 00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 3: from Jack's miss Office, Tom Wyndham, basically saying that they 110 00:06:20,560 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 3: actually missed the deadline to raise that argument before the 111 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,279 Speaker 3: case was paused during the immunity fights. But regardless, you know, 112 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 3: Judge Chuckkin is going to give them some time to 113 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,080 Speaker 3: raise that argument, but she already signaled that it's an 114 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 3: uphill battle for them. They noted, you know, that Judge 115 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 3: Eileen Cannon and Florida had just missed the other case 116 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 3: that miss Office brought regarding Trump's handling class by documents 117 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 3: on the appointment's clause issue, and that Justice Thomas, in 118 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 3: a concurring opinion in the immunity case, had mentioned that 119 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 3: issue as one of interests him at least. And Trump 120 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 3: lawyer said, well, these two things you know, really make 121 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 3: this an important issue for us to approach now. And 122 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 3: Judge Chuckkins said, I don't know about that. She said 123 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 3: that she thought Judge Cannon's opinion on this issue was 124 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 3: not quote, particularly persuasive. So I think we got an 125 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:17,239 Speaker 3: indication that she's not inclined to join Judge Cannon and Florida. 126 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 3: And there's also finding PC Circuit president on this issue. 127 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 3: So regardless of what she thinks about Judge Cannon's opinion, 128 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 3: her hands are tied here. But they'll be able to 129 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 3: raise it, but you unlikely to succeed, at least not 130 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 3: in the way that they did in Florida. 131 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: Is there still an attempt to move the case forward 132 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 2: quickly even though it's obvious that it can't be tried 133 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 2: before the election. Or are the prosecutors sort of a 134 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: little bit more laid back about it? 135 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 3: You know, it's interesting when they put in writing what 136 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 3: they wanted to do next ahead of this hearing, the 137 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 3: government noticeably did not commit to a certain date when 138 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 3: they wanted things to get started. They just said that 139 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 3: we're prepared to move as quickly as the judge wants 140 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 3: us to. In court today, Judge Chuckkins said, you got 141 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 3: to give me more than that. You know, how quickly 142 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 3: are you prepared to really move and they said three weeks, 143 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 3: two to three weeks, probably three weeks, so you know, 144 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 3: that's that is quite fast. And I think it's really 145 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 3: now a question of is the judge inclined to go 146 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 3: with that schedule and sort of move things forward and 147 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 3: have you know, new pleadings and aspects of this fight 148 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 3: play out publicly before the election, or is she inclined 149 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 3: to go with the sort of slower pace post election 150 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 3: schedule that Trump's lawyers have proposed. 151 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 2: And at one point, did Trump's lawyer actually say that 152 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 2: they didn't want sensitive information coming out before the election? 153 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 3: You know what Trump lay, John Laurro said a few 154 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 3: times because he referred to this quick, sensitive time, and 155 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 3: he brought that up a few times, and the judge 156 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 3: finally said, let's talk about what you're talking about here. 157 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 3: You're talking about the election. She goes, you know, I 158 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 3: understand that there's an election coming, but and this is 159 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 3: the point that she's made before the election does not 160 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 3: dictate my schedule. It's not relevant to the schedule that 161 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 3: I'm setting here. And at one point she even said 162 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 3: to trumpflar. She accused them of trying to drag this 163 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 3: out to avoid influencing the election, and you know, their 164 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 3: argument was that they didn't want the government to sort 165 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 3: of go first, right, So the implication was that they 166 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 3: were trying to delay this anything coming out that might 167 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 3: be hurtful to Trump's campaign before the election. And John 168 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 3: Laurier pushed back on that and said, no, no, that's 169 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 3: not what we're trying to do here. We just think 170 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 3: that the Supreme Court has required us to give these 171 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 3: very weighty issues related to the presidency careful considerations. That 172 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,720 Speaker 3: it was clear, you know, she was trying to unwrap 173 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 3: what she said was really the subtext of what they 174 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,439 Speaker 3: were saying. When Dunlaer kept talking about this being a 175 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:52,520 Speaker 3: sensitive time. 176 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 2: No surprise that they're trying to delay the case, as 177 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 2: they've delayed every case so far. Was there any talk 178 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 2: of whold an evidentiary hearing? Perhaps before the election. 179 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 3: There was, but it didn't sound like that something that 180 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,679 Speaker 3: would happen anytime here from lawyer John Morrow talked about 181 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 3: at some point their clients should have the ability to 182 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 3: question the Special Counsel's witnesses and test their evidence as 183 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 3: this immunity fight plays out, but neither side was really 184 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 3: pushing for that kind of airing of evidence or testimony 185 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:29,199 Speaker 3: in the near future. 186 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 2: So what's the next thing that will happen. 187 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:34,440 Speaker 3: So what we're waiting for now is for the judge 188 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 3: to enter a scheduling order and it will indicate sort 189 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 3: of who wins and loses this round, at least when 190 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 3: it comes to timing, and will see, you know, if 191 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 3: she sets any deadlines before November fifth, that's really the 192 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 3: most important operative date right now, and what order she 193 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 3: puts things in, if she has breathed to do sort 194 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,640 Speaker 3: of all at once, or if she staggers them. But 195 00:10:56,720 --> 00:11:01,040 Speaker 3: we're not really expecting any other surprises on just when 196 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 3: those first deadlines are Judge Chuckkin. 197 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 2: Judge Chuckkins seems like a no nonsense judge. Judge Chuckkins 198 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 2: seems like a no nonsense judge. 199 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 3: She does, and you know, I think as a reporter 200 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 3: watching her, you could sense the frustration that she had 201 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 3: with some of the ways that Trump's lawyers were framing 202 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 3: their arguments. You At one point she told John Laura 203 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 3: to sort of cool it with the rhetoric, and he 204 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,080 Speaker 3: pushed back and said this is not rhetoric. These are 205 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 3: legal arguments. 206 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 2: Thanks so much, Zoe for taking us inside the courtroom. 207 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 2: That's Bloomberg Senior reporter Zoe Tillman coming up next on 208 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:44,440 Speaker 2: the Bloomberg Law Show. Another twist and turn in the 209 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 2: odd non Sayyed case, the legal saga that gained national 210 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 2: attention through the podcast serial. I'm June Grosso and you're 211 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 2: listening to Bloomberg. Yet another twist and turn in the 212 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 2: odd non Sayyed case, a llegal saga that gained national 213 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 2: attention through the hit podcast serial. After more than two 214 00:12:05,679 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 2: decades in prison, Sayed was freed in September of twenty 215 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 2: twenty two when a Baltimore judge overturned his conviction for 216 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 2: the murder of his ex girlfriend at the request of 217 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 2: Baltimore prosecutors, who said they found flaws in the evidence 218 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,679 Speaker 2: used against him at trial. But now Siyed is once 219 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 2: again facing prison. His conviction has been reinstated after the 220 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 2: Maryland Supreme Court, in a four to three decision, ruled 221 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 2: that the earlier proceedings had violated the rights of the 222 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 2: victim's family because they weren't given enough notice of the 223 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 2: time of the hearing. Joining me as trial attorney David 224 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,559 Speaker 2: Ring of Tailor and Ring in Los Angeles. If prosecutors 225 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 2: decide that they've wrongfully convicted someone, shouldn't it be their 226 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 2: decision to drop the charges? I mean, why should a 227 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 2: court make that decision? 228 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 1: The court has a say in that because the or 229 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: it's the ultimate gatekeeper. You know, we have to have 230 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: checks and balances. Look, most of the time, if the 231 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: prosecution comes in and says, hey, you know, this guy's 232 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:12,080 Speaker 1: wrongfully convicted, the vast majority of the time, the court's 233 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 1: going to agree with them and drop the charges. But 234 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:17,920 Speaker 1: this court still has to sign off on it. There 235 00:13:17,960 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: still has to be some sort of hearing, and it's 236 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: just a way to have checks and balances to make 237 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,760 Speaker 1: sure that everyone's playing fairly in the system. 238 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 2: So in this case, the issue is that the victim's brother, 239 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 2: who spoke at the hearing by video conference from his 240 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 2: house in California, he argued that you should have gotten 241 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 2: more notice of the proceeding. He was given notice on 242 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 2: Friday about a Monday hearing. 243 00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: That was the issue. But here's the bigger picture on 244 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 1: that issue. Because the way it's kind of framed sometimes 245 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 1: in the media, it's like well, what's the big deal? 246 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 1: He beared by zoom. But that hearing was a monumental hearing. 247 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 1: That was a hearing where the prosecution basically came into 248 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: court and said, hey, Court, we want to drop these charges, 249 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:06,439 Speaker 1: we want to have this conviction overturned. And what Maryland's 250 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: highest court has said in respond to that was, if 251 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: you're going to have a hearing like that, the victim 252 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: or the victim's representative absolutely has a right not only 253 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: to be there in person, but to be heard. And 254 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: that's a big part of this ruling is that you know, 255 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 1: the victim's brother, mister Lee, he was in California. He 256 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: was given notice on a Friday to be there Monday. 257 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: He had an attorney who was representing him. They said, hey, 258 00:14:32,520 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: give us another week. We want to be there in 259 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 1: person and we want to be heard. And they weren't 260 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: given that opportunity. And the key to this decision is 261 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: if he had been given time to come to Baltimore 262 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: to appear in court with his lawyer, the lawyer has 263 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: a right to argue in basically in the shoes of 264 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: the victim and say why is this conviction being dropped? 265 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: There's plenty of evidence here, this guy did it, there's 266 00:14:56,560 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: no new evidence to drop it, and they basically have 267 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: a right to challenge the prosecution's decision to drop the case. 268 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: That's where this decision is so important. 269 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 2: There's no set time for the notice to a victim 270 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 2: in Maryland law. So how did the Maryland Supreme Court 271 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,880 Speaker 2: decide what notice is enough? And how did they. 272 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: Come to that it's a reasonableness standard. And so basically, 273 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: in a very close decision four to three, the Supreme 274 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: Court said it's not reasonable to tell the victims representative 275 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: on a Friday that you're having a hearing on a 276 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: Monday and say, oh, gee, but you can appear by zoom. 277 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: That's not reasonable. They have a right to be there 278 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: in person. So what's reasonable? Okay, set it a week out, 279 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: two weeks out, but setting it on the next business 280 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: day unreasonable. It denied the victim's representative of his right 281 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: to be in court and to be heard. That's the key. 282 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,640 Speaker 2: While the appeal was pending, and eight days before the deadline, 283 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 2: the Baltimore States Attorney had dropped all charges against Sayed 284 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 2: in the dessense, Justice Michelle Houghten argued the issue was 285 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,840 Speaker 2: moot because the underlying charges no longer exist. Quote, this 286 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 2: case exists as a procedural zombie. It has been reanimated 287 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 2: despite its expiration. The doctrine of mootoness was designed to 288 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 2: prevent such judicial necromancy. Very good language. 289 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: Then I totally disagree with her. I think in this 290 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: day and age, the victim's rights are incredibly important, and 291 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: too many times the victim or their family the rights 292 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: get trampled in the criminal process and the prosecutor. Remember, 293 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,120 Speaker 1: the prosecutor represents the people. They don't necessarily represent the 294 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: victim's family or the victim. They represent the people. And 295 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: so I think what Maryland Supreme Court has said here is, hey, 296 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: you know what, we're going to respect the victim's rights here. 297 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: And this victim had its rights trampled upon by this prosecutor, 298 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: who who quickly went in court had completely reversed course 299 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 1: on how they felt about Saii's conviction and suddenly was 300 00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:09,399 Speaker 1: willing to let this guy go free. And basically the 301 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: Supreme Court of Maryland said, hey, you know what, that's 302 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 1: not fair. This victim her representative has an absolute right 303 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: to be there and to challenge that decision by the prosecutor. Look, 304 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,439 Speaker 1: I think if you want to kind of read between 305 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: the lines here, you know, sometimes we have to read 306 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: between the lines of how these decisions get played out 307 00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: in the highest course. I think that the Supreme Court 308 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,480 Speaker 1: is basically saying, we don't think Saia should be free. 309 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:38,920 Speaker 1: We think there should be a new trial. Why did 310 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: the prosecution, you know, fight this for twenty years and 311 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:46,200 Speaker 1: then suddenly in twenty twenty two reverse course and say, yeah, 312 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: you know what, he should be free. Why did that 313 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: suddenly happen? I think they want to see a new trial. 314 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,200 Speaker 1: They don't want to see him go free. 315 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 2: Well, the prosecution did a complete new investigation and new 316 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 2: DNA has staying from the shoes of the victim, excluded 317 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 2: Sayed as a suspect. The prosecution had new evidence, and 318 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 2: you know, the rights of the victim are one thing, 319 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 2: but you know that our justice system is far from 320 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:17,840 Speaker 2: perfect and there are a lot of wrongful convictions. So 321 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 2: how do you weigh you know, the twists and turns 322 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 2: in this case. It's been going on for twenty years, 323 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 2: you know, the rights of the victim versus the rights 324 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 2: of a defendant that the prosecution says now was wrongfully convicted. 325 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 1: Well, so Here's here's where this dynamic kicks in is 326 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:39,960 Speaker 1: because again it's all about the opportunity to be heard 327 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,359 Speaker 1: and to have a fair playing field. And so when 328 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: the prosecution came in in twenty twenty two and said, oh, 329 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: we have new evidence which we think exonerates, said, well, 330 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: they did that behind closed doors. They didn't do that 331 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: in open court. You know it's come out what the 332 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: evidence was. But I'll tell you, if you'd have fresh 333 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: eyes on that so called new evidence, I'm not sure 334 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,680 Speaker 1: how new or exculpatory it really is. I mean, there's 335 00:19:05,720 --> 00:19:08,679 Speaker 1: no DNA on her shoes. To me, that's like a 336 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 1: so wet you know, she was strangled to death. Why 337 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: would there be his DNA on her shoes? How does 338 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: that exonerate him? I get it. There's two sides to 339 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: this case. There are people who absolutely believe he got 340 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: railroaded and didn't do it, and there's people who believe 341 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 1: that he absolutely did it. And so the Supreme Court 342 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 1: is saying, you know what, not so fast here, not 343 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: so fast prosecution. There's got to be a hearing on this. 344 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,480 Speaker 1: We want to shine a spotlight on what your new 345 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:39,920 Speaker 1: evidence is and what your reasons are for suddenly reversing 346 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: a conviction and letting a guy go free, and we're 347 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: not going to let you do it behind closed doors. 348 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 2: Now there's another twist in the case because the Baltimore 349 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 2: State's Attorney, Marilyn Moseby, who had moved to throw out 350 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 2: the conviction and drop the charges, she's no longer the 351 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 2: Baltimore State Attorney. And now there's a new Baltimore's state attorney, 352 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 2: and his office said it needed time to review the 353 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 2: Supreme Courts lent the opinion, and to determine whether his 354 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 2: office has a conflict of interest in the case. What 355 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 2: kind of conflict of interest are they referring to. 356 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:18,040 Speaker 1: So you have a new prosecutor, Ivan Bates, And in 357 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: his campaign to become the prosecutor, he seemed to be 358 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: a proponent that the conviction should be dropped. And so look, 359 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 1: he's in a political pickle right now because it's a 360 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 1: tough decision. Do you drop this conviction for murder or 361 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,400 Speaker 1: do you go ahead and reverse course yet again and 362 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:37,440 Speaker 1: have a new trial. So he might take the easy 363 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: way out. He might punt it to another independent agency 364 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: and let them make the decision. You know, he may 365 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,159 Speaker 1: look back at it and say, hey, this is too 366 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 1: much water under the bridge here for this Baltimore prosecution office, 367 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 1: and we've lost credibility on this case. Let's let an independent, 368 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: another state agency come in and make that decision for us. 369 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 2: This case, as you know, has gotten so much attention 370 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 2: because of the serial podcast, and there have been so 371 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:10,439 Speaker 2: many legal twists and turns in the case. And after 372 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 2: his release there were crowds outside the courthouse and it 373 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:20,120 Speaker 2: was covered nationally. He's now out pending the determination here. 374 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 2: I mean, what would it be like politically for a 375 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 2: state's attorney to say, oh, we're going to refile charges 376 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 2: and you have to go back to prison. 377 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: They'd absolutely be an outpright And I don't think anyone's 378 00:21:33,560 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 1: expecting that decision to be made for that exact reason, 379 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:39,400 Speaker 1: because that's a tough decision to say, you know what, 380 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: we're gonna have another trial, We're going to go through 381 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: this all over again, and that's going to be more 382 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: years and more appeals and all that, and you know, 383 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 1: we're going to take this guy who's now out there 384 00:21:49,320 --> 00:21:51,200 Speaker 1: and free and we're going to put him back in prison. 385 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,159 Speaker 1: That's the toughest decision to make. And you're right, The 386 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: easy decision is we're just going to let things stand 387 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: where they are. We're gon we're gonna pursue this any further. 388 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 1: It's been going on too long already. It's been going 389 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: on for twenty five years. You know, he was convicted 390 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 1: in the year two thousand. This case has been going 391 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: on for a long time. But it's not over yet 392 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: because we still have to have this new hearing. The 393 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: Supreme Court said there's going to be another hearing on 394 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 1: whether this conviction is going to be dropped. The victim's 395 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 1: brother has a right to be heard at that hearing, 396 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: and then there could be appeals that flow from that. 397 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:27,160 Speaker 1: This case is going to go on for a few 398 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:28,120 Speaker 1: more years. 399 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 2: Although if the victim's family gets its chance to appear 400 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 2: and the charges are dropped again, that should and the appeals, 401 00:22:37,960 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 2: I mean, tell us what could happen at this hearing. 402 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 1: Well, look, here's the possible outcomes of this next hearing. Right, 403 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:46,880 Speaker 1: So it's going to be a redo, and we don't 404 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: know which way the prosecution is going to come in. 405 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 1: But let's say the prosecution stays where they were in 406 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,880 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two and says, hey, we think the conviction 407 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: should be overturned, right, and then the mister Lee, the 408 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: brother gets to come in and argue that shouldn't be 409 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: the case. But let's say the judge agrees with that, 410 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,159 Speaker 1: all right, that probably brings an end to the case. 411 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:10,840 Speaker 1: You know, the conviction's overturned, he's free. Finally it's over. However, 412 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,239 Speaker 1: you know, there's going to be a new judge on 413 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: this hearing. It's not going to be the judge from 414 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 1: twenty twenty two. There's new prosecutors on this case, not 415 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: the same ones from twenty twenty two, and there's a 416 00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:27,919 Speaker 1: decent chance that with the new players involved and a 417 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: new judge, this judge could say, you know what, I'm 418 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,439 Speaker 1: not going to overturn the conviction. We're going to have 419 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: a new trial, and we're going to go back to 420 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:39,320 Speaker 1: square one, back where we were in two thousand, and 421 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: have a new trial on this whole thing. I agree, 422 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: it's a remote possibility, but it's a possibility. 423 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,119 Speaker 2: And it's really hard to try a murder case twenty 424 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,120 Speaker 2: five years later, very. 425 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: Very difficult, especially given such the high profile, incredibly high 426 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: profile nature of this case and all the interviews and 427 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: the podcasts and all of the statements made by some 428 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: of the key witnesses over the years, and wildly inconsistent 429 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: statements and less space at the forensic evidence twenty five 430 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 1: years ago is far different than what it is today. 431 00:24:17,280 --> 00:24:20,360 Speaker 1: DNA and cell phone towers and all that. It would 432 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: make it really, really tough to retry this case twenty 433 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: five years later, A. 434 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 2: Long way to go before that decision is made. Thanks 435 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:32,600 Speaker 2: so much, David. That's David Ring of Tailor and Ring 436 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:37,160 Speaker 2: coming up next. Short Sellers are spooked by the Andrew 437 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 2: Left indictment. I'm Juan Grosso and you're listening to Bloomberg. 438 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 2: Short Sellers are beefing up disclaimers in their research reports 439 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 2: in the clearest sign yet that the criminal charges against 440 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 2: Andrew Left are reverberating throughout the industry. Short seller Andrew 441 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:58,800 Speaker 2: Left securities fraud trial has been scheduled to start on 442 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 2: September thirtieth of twenty twenty five in federal court in 443 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 2: Los Angeles. Prosecutors say Left exploited his ability to move 444 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:11,560 Speaker 2: stocks in almost two dozen companies. It's sort of a 445 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 2: novel case, and Bloomberg legal reporter Eric Larson has looked 446 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:19,400 Speaker 2: into it. Were the criminal charges against Andrew Left sort 447 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 2: of years in the making, you know, explain what happened there. 448 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 4: So this investigation by the SEC and the DOJ had 449 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 4: been going on for a few years. And Andrew Lasty's 450 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 4: on a prominent short cellar. He's well known in the industry, 451 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 4: and it was known that, you know, he was one 452 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 4: of the people who was perhaps concerned. But the investigations 453 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 4: sort of dragged on for a little while without anything happening, 454 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 4: so I think some people thought it was over, and 455 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:46,159 Speaker 4: then you know, in July, out of nowhere came this 456 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 4: SEC civil complaints and then a DOJ criminal charges for 457 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 4: security spraud. So this was sort of the culmination of 458 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 4: this investigation into the industry. 459 00:25:56,960 --> 00:26:00,200 Speaker 2: So what exactly is he accused of doing. 460 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:04,159 Speaker 4: So it's a securities broad case and it's a little unusual. 461 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 4: Someone called it a landmark case. And because it's alleging 462 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 4: securities fraud without pointing to specific victims or anything like that. 463 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:19,959 Speaker 4: So the indictment accuses Andrew Left of misleading investors by 464 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:24,679 Speaker 4: issuing his research reports alleging, you know, that a company 465 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 4: was overvalued by the market, in the hopes that his 466 00:26:28,080 --> 00:26:31,639 Speaker 4: reports and his tweets about his reports and would have 467 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:34,880 Speaker 4: influence and would move the market just enough for him 468 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:38,120 Speaker 4: to make some trades, to close out his short positions 469 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 4: or his long positions in some cases, and to make 470 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 4: a quick profit. So the DJ alleges that he was 471 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 4: misleading lying about his views on these companies in some 472 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 4: cases by putting out target prices, saying that a company 473 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 4: was trading for X but should be training at you 474 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 4: know at why, and instead of holding on to his 475 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,720 Speaker 4: position to see if he was correct that the stock 476 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 4: would fall that low, he would sell it, sometimes within 477 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 4: hours or days or even minutes of putting out a 478 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 4: negative report about the company, long before it reached that 479 00:27:11,760 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 4: target price, for example. And so the DJ is saying 480 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,080 Speaker 4: that this was evidence of him trying to manipulate the 481 00:27:18,119 --> 00:27:22,120 Speaker 4: market by misleading investors and trying to nudge stocks up 482 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 4: or down in such a way that he could make 483 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:27,520 Speaker 4: a quick buck, making between sixteen and twenty million dollars 484 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:31,600 Speaker 4: in illicit profits over several years of doing this. So 485 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 4: it's a very unusual case different they're not saying that 486 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 4: specific investors and specific companies were defrauded of specific amounts 487 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 4: of money. They're just saying that he manipulated the stocks 488 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 4: in about fifteen companies, big companies like Tesla American Airlines, Twitter, 489 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 4: Facebook back when they were known as the Twitter and 490 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 4: Facebook by putting out negative reports and then making a 491 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:56,120 Speaker 4: quick profit when the. 492 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:02,240 Speaker 2: Stocks moved, and this industry general operates in gray areas. 493 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,919 Speaker 4: The way that short sellers I interviewed for the story 494 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 4: described it is that they thought that there was a 495 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 4: certain rule books that they were playing under that they 496 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,440 Speaker 4: understood that as long as they put out research reports 497 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 4: with accurate information and it was clear that they stood 498 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 4: the benefit from their own trading, that that was sufficient. 499 00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 4: So now I think there's this question about whether or 500 00:28:26,119 --> 00:28:30,640 Speaker 4: not some activities in the short selling industry are okay, 501 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:33,360 Speaker 4: or whether or not other companies or researchers could be 502 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:35,439 Speaker 4: in the wrong. You know, a lot of it depends 503 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 4: on how this case goes, if it goes to trial, 504 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,840 Speaker 4: what a cury decides. So the question that kind of 505 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 4: boils down to, you know, today, can a short seller 506 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 4: put out a report that is damning about a company 507 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:50,760 Speaker 4: in such a way that it nudges the stock down 508 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 4: and specifically tries to make a profit by trading, you know, 509 00:28:54,160 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 4: because short seller is the profit when a stock goes down. 510 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 4: So if they put out a report that's negative of 511 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,320 Speaker 4: that a company, the stock goes down a bit and 512 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 4: they trade they can make the money on that. So 513 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:08,080 Speaker 4: the case put out some clarity around that kind of behavior, 514 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 4: and I should add that to Andrew left case. So 515 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 4: it goes a bit further than just saying he did that. 516 00:29:13,200 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 4: That invitment is filled with what the DLJA that describes 517 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 4: with evidence of less specifically misleading the public about his 518 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,720 Speaker 4: trading intentions, So saying I'm going to hold this short 519 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 4: on this company until it reaches zero, for example, but 520 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 4: then not actually doing that, and also allegedly lying about 521 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 4: his coordination with one or two hedge funds that he 522 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,640 Speaker 4: was allegedly secretly working with on the side to carry 523 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 4: out additional trades on his behalf, coordinating those trades around 524 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 4: his reports to again make some of this profits. So 525 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 4: it's not just as straightforward as saying whether the type 526 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 4: of trading is long or not. A lot of this 527 00:29:51,680 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 4: conduct is more specific just to Andrew Left, But that 528 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 4: doesn't mean that it isn't spooking the industry, and a 529 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 4: lot of short sellers are concerned that the case could 530 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 4: have a chilling effect on some of their profitable types 531 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:04,600 Speaker 4: of trades that they do. 532 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 2: Eric, his lawyer, Left's lawyer said that his predictions about 533 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 2: companies were accurate. Does the government disagree with that. 534 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 4: There are a lot of cases where his predictions about 535 00:30:17,240 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 4: companies were accurate, and the government doesn't really specifically allege otherwise. 536 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 4: And that's another interesting angle to this case here. Obviously, 537 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:28,680 Speaker 4: the prosecutors are aware of it, and I believe that 538 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 4: he broke the law anyway in his efforts to allegedly 539 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:36,600 Speaker 4: manipulate the markets and investors. And it seems that their 540 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 4: reasoning is that even though he might have been correct 541 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 4: that a company was heading down for various reasons, that 542 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 4: his intentions, you know, with putting out his report was 543 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 4: to try to somehow capture a profit by misleading people 544 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 4: into helping him move the market down. So it is 545 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 4: very complicated. I'm not going to pretend to totally understand 546 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 4: it one hundreds, but it is going to be I 547 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 4: think that a complicated casey if it goes to a jury, 548 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:04,440 Speaker 4: and a lot of the short sellers they talked to 549 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 4: you made that exact point that you made. He was 550 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 4: right a lot of the time, but you know, some 551 00:31:08,560 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 4: of other short sellers prominent short sellers were critical of 552 00:31:12,520 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 4: Andrew Left as well. So it's not like there's a 553 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,680 Speaker 4: uniform belief that this case was brought incorrectly. There are 554 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 4: some short sellers who don't really engage in the type 555 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,960 Speaker 4: of trading that Andrew Left does who thinks that the 556 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 4: case has some merit. 557 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 2: Because I can see if the government would go after you, 558 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 2: even if your predictions were correct. I could see why 559 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 2: some short sellers would be spooked by this because where's. 560 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 4: The line exactly? And I think that that's why we 561 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 4: saw recently two research firms, Hindenberg Research, Carry's del Capital. 562 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 4: They both recently put out reports, short reports about companies 563 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 4: that help drive some stock down. As they do, that's 564 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,720 Speaker 4: the normal force of business. And they've always had, like 565 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 4: all short sellers, including Andrew Left, they have detailed disclaimers, 566 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 4: you know, telling the public, you know, their opinions, various 567 00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 4: legal assurances that they understand that they're not financial advisors 568 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 4: for everyone and they could profit if the stock goes down, 569 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 4: and that sort of thing. But these two outfits, Pinnenberg 570 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 4: and Carry's Ville recently changed their disclaimers, and Carry's bill 571 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 4: Capital in particular kind of four page disclaimer on the 572 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 4: last report specifically ripped apart. This case against Andrew Left 573 00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:28,000 Speaker 4: included a little bit of even like starcasm and humor 574 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:32,200 Speaker 4: and sort of picking at the allegations and saying, yes, 575 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,640 Speaker 4: let me just be very clear, we might make trade 576 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:37,959 Speaker 4: after we put out a report to make a profit, 577 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,479 Speaker 4: and you should just assume that's what we're going to do. 578 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 4: So you can see that there's already been some impacts 579 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 4: on the industry. But yeah, a lot of this, like 580 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 4: I said, it's really just going to hinge on where 581 00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 4: this case goes. If the Justice Department has brought a 582 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 4: good case here and is on point, or if they've 583 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 4: sort of overstepped and didn't quite understand how the industry worked. 584 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,080 Speaker 4: As Andrew Left's lawyer and some other short sellers told me, 585 00:33:01,680 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 4: that's their opinion that the DJ doesn't really understand how 586 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 4: the industry works, and that's what's brought about this case. 587 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 2: Well. Also, as you're right, one of less defenses are 588 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:16,040 Speaker 2: his own disclaimers that he posted. His lawyer said he 589 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:18,440 Speaker 2: posted a disclaimer that saying that no one should make 590 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 2: assumptions about his trading. So I don't know that a 591 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 2: disclaimer is going to do the trick. 592 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, that's clearly going to be a big 593 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,320 Speaker 4: part of the defense. But I think in probably a 594 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 4: lot of cases, different types of cases, you know, disclaimers 595 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:35,240 Speaker 4: a different sorts come up as defenses, and it really 596 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:37,160 Speaker 4: is going to be up to the jury to decide 597 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 4: whether or not everything is all fine and dandy because 598 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,560 Speaker 4: of that disclaimer. I think that's far from certain. 599 00:33:45,440 --> 00:33:48,240 Speaker 2: And so what happens next in this case, I think. 600 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 4: We can expect to see Andrew left the dismissal of 601 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 4: the indictment at some point. No deadlines that I'm aware 602 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 4: of said on that yet. 603 00:33:56,360 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 2: And while I have you, you're always following the Trump cases. 604 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 2: He tried once again to move the hush money case 605 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 2: after the verdict and before the sentencing, he tried to 606 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 2: move it to federal court. What was his reasoning. 607 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:16,520 Speaker 4: His reasoning was the July landmark US Supreme Court decision 608 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:21,400 Speaker 4: on presidential immunity finding that former presidents have some immunity 609 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:25,280 Speaker 4: from criminal charges for conduct related to their official duties 610 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 4: in office. And that was a landmark decision finding that 611 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 4: that type of immunity from criminal charges exist for the 612 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 4: first time. So that of course came out after his 613 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,840 Speaker 4: conviction in the hush money case in May, so, Trump 614 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,480 Speaker 4: argued that the case should be removed to federal court 615 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 4: because of the sort of federal questions raised around whether 616 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:51,480 Speaker 4: or not his trial was painted by evidence or testimony 617 00:34:51,520 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 4: that wouldn't have been allowed under this new Supreme Court ruling. 618 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 4: He argued that only a federal judge should decide this. 619 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:02,680 Speaker 4: Sister judge here in Manhattan rejected that and said that 620 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:06,359 Speaker 4: it was not in his jurisdiction to handle a New 621 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:10,680 Speaker 4: York state law case. Notwithstanding the argument that Trump made. 622 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,160 Speaker 4: It was actually trump second time to try to move 623 00:35:13,239 --> 00:35:16,320 Speaker 4: the case to to federal court. You know, he tried 624 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,160 Speaker 4: that before the trial even happened, and that was shot down. 625 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,400 Speaker 4: He appealed that and sort of abandoned that appeal, so 626 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,080 Speaker 4: it never really went to an appeals court properly. But 627 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 4: that was, of course before the immunity ruling. So he 628 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 4: went back for a second bite at the apple. It 629 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 4: didn't work out, and now he is appealing again. 630 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 2: Explain one of the reasons why Trump wants to move 631 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:41,879 Speaker 2: this case to federal court. 632 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:46,040 Speaker 4: So, one potential benefit of moving this case to federal 633 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:48,800 Speaker 4: court would be that it could get to the Supreme 634 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 4: Court faster. You could see him trying to overturn his 635 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:56,120 Speaker 4: guilty verdict and then if the judge denied that, you know, 636 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:59,800 Speaker 4: appealing to the Second Circuit and then onto the Supreme Court. 637 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,240 Speaker 4: In this sort of faster track route than you might imagine. 638 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 4: It's had to work its way through the New York 639 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:09,399 Speaker 4: State Court his challenge to his verdict, which by the way, 640 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,880 Speaker 4: he's already appealed that verdict in state court. That's one benefit, 641 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,360 Speaker 4: and other is that it simply would delay his sentencing, 642 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,719 Speaker 4: which of course is set for September eighteenth. If this 643 00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:22,319 Speaker 4: had been moved to federal court, that really would have 644 00:36:22,360 --> 00:36:24,399 Speaker 4: been unlikely that that sentence thing would have been able 645 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:27,399 Speaker 4: to go forward. And of course the election is coming up. 646 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:31,759 Speaker 4: He has been fighting to avoid being sentenced before the 647 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:35,239 Speaker 4: voters go to the polls. He calls that election interference. 648 00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:38,760 Speaker 2: Also, if it's a federal case and he wins the election, 649 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:40,400 Speaker 2: he can dismiss. 650 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 4: It, right, he can ask the Justice Department to dismiss 651 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:48,640 Speaker 4: a case in federal court. You know, it's all very unprecedented. 652 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 4: We did see this, however, happened, you might recall, and 653 00:36:52,120 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 4: the civil defamation lawsuits filed by Ejene Carroll that was 654 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 4: started in state court and he actually was able to 655 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:02,880 Speaker 4: move it as a result of the Westball Acts. Is 656 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 4: something I know we talked about a lot back then, 657 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 4: but the idea being that if has claimed it to 658 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 4: be covered by that federal law had worked in federal court, 659 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 4: he could have had the justice part and just missed 660 00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 4: the case that didn't end up happening, But that is 661 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:18,880 Speaker 4: another benefit to having it in fedal report. 662 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:23,560 Speaker 2: So many cases and so many motions. Thanks so much, Eric. 663 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 2: That's Bloomberg Legal reporter Eric Larson, and that's it for 664 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,839 Speaker 2: this edition of the Bloomberg Law Podcast. Remember you can 665 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,800 Speaker 2: always get the latest legal news by subscribing and listening 666 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,560 Speaker 2: to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and at Bloomberg 667 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 2: dot com, slash podcast, slash Law. I'm June Grosso and 668 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:43,040 Speaker 2: this is Bloomberg