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FIRST ON FOX: A top House Republican lawmaker is so sure that former President Trump’s recent criminal conviction has ensured his re-election that he invited the Manhattan judge who oversaw the trial to his inauguration.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., a staunch Trump ally, blasted the Friday guilty verdict against the former president as “irresponsible and unethical.”
He told Fox News Digital that he had his son, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, hand-deliver a note to New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan‘s bailiff late last month offering a place as his guest to a potential January 2025 Trump inauguration.
Rep. Joe Wilson, right, ripped the Trump guilty verdict and said Judge Juan Merchan, left, is helping former President Trump get re-elected. (Getty Images)
“My view of inviting him to the inauguration is to show my recognition that what Merchan is doing unintentionally is re-electing… Donald Trump,” Wilson told Fox News Digital. “In fact, I’ve got one of my grandson’s, Houston Wilson, ready to be with him and to make sure he has proper seating.”
Wilson pointed out that both Trump and aligned Republican groups have raked in massive campaign donations since a New York City jury ruled the ex-president was guilty on 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Eric Trump announced earlier this week that the campaign brought in over $200 million in the first three days following the conviction.
Trump had been on trial for charges linked to accusations that he falsified documents to cover up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
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Former President Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
His allies have long criticized the case as political, and have argued the charges would not have been brought if he was not running for re-election in November.
“It should be concerning to every American, because if you can convict a former President of the United States on such bogus charges…every American of either party is at risk, whether they be a public official or not,” Wilson said.
“Why would it come up during an election year? Of course, it’s totally contrived to interfere with the election.”
Wilson said he didn’t know if Merchan would respond to his invitation.
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Wilson is a staunch ally of the former president. (Reuters/Julia Nikhinson)
“And hey, I mean it to indicate to him that what he has done is wrong,” Wilson said. “I would urge him to come to see the response to the American people. I think people will be polite, but they will certainly let him know that his conduct is unethical and corrupt. Totally corrupt.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the New York City public court system for a response.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
