Former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardri said he is “concerned” about the safety of the jurors seated in former President Trump’s hush money trial.
Caldori told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that some jurors may be concerned about the amount of personal information that will be made public about them. The first seven jurors were selected to participate in the trial on Tuesday after the judge, Trump’s defense team and prosecutors narrowed down the field.
“I think some people may be a little dissatisfied with the amount of information that’s been made public about them,” he told Blitzer on Tuesday evening’s show “The Situation Room.” “This is not the media’s fault. I want to be clear on this point.”
“The onus is on the prosecutor’s office and the judge to protect all of this very specific information that we are learning,” he continued. “I’m a little surprised that we know all this because I don’t think this jury is necessarily going to remain anonymous…if it stays that way.”
Asked if he was concerned about the safety of jurors, Mr. Caldori said, “Yes.”
“Yes, I’m concerned about their safety. I mean, it’s up to them if they want to write a book after all this has been said and done, but that’s their choice,” he replied. “They shouldn’t be put out like this. They shouldn’t be put out like this.”
His comments came after Trump’s historic trial, the first criminal trial for a sitting or former president, concluded in New York. During cross-examination, details were revealed such as what news outlets prospective jurors read, where they work and what they do in their free time.
Judge Juan Melchan on Tuesday warned President Trump against intimidating jurors, saying he would not put up with it.
“I will not allow that to happen,” Machan said. “I have no intention of intimidating jurors in this courtroom. I want to make that clear.”
The warning came after the former president launched attacks against the families of judges in his own cases and the families of other political opponents. He faces an expanded gag order in the hush money case, which prevents him from attacking the judge’s family, witnesses and jurors.
The former president’s trial is expected to take six to eight weeks and will include 12 jurors and six alternates.
The case involves 34 counts of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 refund that President Trump paid adult film star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an affair before the 2016 election. The dispute centers on
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