Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, a rival to former President Donald Trump in this yearâs Republican presidential primary race, laid into the New York legal system in a lengthy statement on Thursday evening after Trump was convicted on 34 felony charges in Manhattan.
A jury of 12 New Yorkers ruled after two days of deliberations that the former president had committed nearly three dozen crimes in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggâs controversial âhush moneyâ trial of the former president.
A sentencing hearing will be held on July 11 â just four days before the Republican National Convention begins in Milwaukee.
DeSantis, who had hoped to be nominated at the convention, unleashed on what he described as the âkangaroo courtâ that secured Trumpâs conviction.
âTodayâs verdict represents the culmination of a legal process that has been bent to the political will of the actors involved: a leftist prosecutor, a partisan judge and a jury reflective of one of the most liberal enclaves in America â all in an effort to âgetâ Donald Trump,â the governor wrote.
He continued, âThat this case â involving alleged misdemeanor business records violations from nearly a decade ago â was even brought is a testament to the political debasement of the justice system in places like New York City.
âThis is especially true considering this same district attorney routinely excuses criminal conduct in a way that has endangered law-abiding citizens in his jurisdiction.â
DeSantis further called for equal application of the countryâs laws as he skewered New York Democrats for weaponizing the legal system against President Joe Bidenâs chief political rival.
âIt is often said that no one is above the law, but it is also true that no one is below the law,â he said.
âIf the defendant were not Donald Trump, this case would never have been brought, the judge would have never issued similar rulings, and the jury would have never returned a guilty verdict,â DeSantis said.
The governor concluded, âIn America, the rule of law should be applied in a dispassionate, even-handed manner, not become captive to the political agenda of some kangaroo court.â
The Florida Republican suspended his campaign on Jan. 21 after a disappointing showing in Iowa and just before the New Hampshire primary.
In doing so, DeSantis endorsed the former president.
âHe has my endorsement because we canât go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form or warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents,â the governor said.
Trump unleashed on New Yorkâs legal system after the verdict was read on Thursday afternoon.
âThe real verdict will be on November 5th by THE PEOPLEâthey know what happened here,â he said on his Truth Social platform.
Trump scheduled a news conference for Friday at 11 a.m. ET from Trump Tower in Manhattan.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.