Robert Costello, a key witness in former President Donald Trump's documents case, told a New York based radio show that Judge Juan Merchan "totally overreacted" while he was on the witness stand.
Speaking on the "Cats and Cosby Show" on Friday, Costello told hosts John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby that Merchan had it out for him during the trial. Costello was brought in as a defense witness to speak on the advice he gave former Trump attorney Michael Cohen.
On Thursday, a Manhattan jury found Trump guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to adult entertainer Stormy Daniels. Costello ended up being the only witness the Trump defense called to testify.
Costello, who served as deputy chief in the criminal division for the U.S. Attorney's office in the Southern District of New York said he was surprised at the way Merchan treated him. "I guess I muttered … 'Jeez' … That's all I did. The judge then went on a rant … I had to turn to my right to look at him," Costello said. "That's what you normally do when somebody's speaking to you."
Costello told the hosts that he felt the judge was specifically trying to target him. "He immediately said, 'Are you trying to stare me down?'… [I said], 'No. Can I explain?' And he said, 'No. This is not a discussion." Costello also noted the now infamous exchange where Merchan accused him of rolling his eyes at the judge.
"A, I don't believe I was, and B, if I was, he couldn't possibly have seen it because he's behind me and to my right, and I was looking to my left to the jury box," he added.
Costello said he was surprised that the jury came back with a guilty verdict and "expected a hung jury" and that the jury had "fooled" him. "I gave them more credit than they deserved … Judge Merchan helped them along that road [to a conviction] with his charge, which was absolutely absurd."
Costello said the whole ordeal was an "unfortunate experience brought on by a judge with thin skin totally overreacting. But maybe he did it on purpose because no rational judge would have engaged in behavior like that."
As for the jury, Costello labeled them as those who suffer from "Trump derangement syndrome and simply will not listen" noting that this segment of society is not interested in listening to facts.
"They think he [Trump] is guilty of something, and they don't care what it is," he added.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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