Mar-a-Lago Trial Opens With Odd Plea -- A Request for Underwear
The trial of the Chinese woman (who is representing herself) accused of trespassing at Mar-a-Lago is off to a bizarre start
(Bloomberg) -- The Chinese woman representing herself against charges she trespassed at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida began her trial Monday by saying -- incorrectly -- that she thought the proceeding had been canceled. She also prompted a brief delay because she didn’t have any underwear.
Yujing Zhang, who is accused of unlawfully entering Trump’s Palm Beach club and then lying to the Secret Service about why she was there, has confounded the court with her seemingly inexplicable legal moves. She fired her public defender a few months ago despite having no apparent knowledge of American courtroom procedures.
The first day of Zhang’s trial was even more unusual.
Zhang, a 33-year-old Shanghai consultant who faces six years in prison, arrived in court Monday in her prison garb instead of street clothes. In trying to explain why, the conversation quickly turned to underwear.
Zhang told U.S. District Judge Roy Altman she had no undergarments, though it was never completely clear why. She was reluctant to wear a silky blouse provided to her without a bra, so she opted instead for the prison-issue uniform.
“Could you provide me the undergarments,“ Zhang asked the judge through an interpreter.
“I don’t have any undergarments,” Altman said.
The judge has accused Zhang of “playing games,” and he has suggested she understands more than she lets on. Prosecutors say she is smarter and better spoken in English than she appears.
Altman has repeatedly advised Zhang to use the services of a public defender. She has refused, though she did accept help to end Monday’s wardrobe crisis.
Public defender Kristy Militello, who has been on standby on judge’s orders, intervened to arrange for Zhang to get some non-prison clothing -- Zhang was permitted to leave the court to change into a beige blouse and khaki pants. Militello also advised Zhang during jury selection.
In the lead-up to trial, Zhang has portrayed herself as clueless, and the prosecution has insinuated it could be an act.
She sometimes uses a Mandarin interpreter provided by the court and sometimes doesn’t. The language issue came up again Monday, when Zhang asked the judge not to speak at the same time as the translator. He said the translation had to be simultaneous lest the trial drag on too long.
Prosecutors have hinted at something more nefarious than mere trespassing. They have highlighted the cache of electronics Zhang brought to the club, including four cell phones, a laptop and a thumb drive initially thought to contain malware. Prosecutors ultimately walked back that last claim, saying the malware idea may have resulted from a “false positive.”
Prosecutor Michael Sherwin said the U.S. will use testimony and forensic evidence from Zhang’s electronics, including her iPhone, to show she trespassed in a prohibited area and lied to federal agents.
In her hotel room, she also had cash and a device to detect hidden cameras.
Investigators are looking into Zhang as part of a broader FBI-led investigation into whether Chinese operatives are targeting Trump and Mar-a-Lago to get information about the administration’s policies regarding China, a person familiar with the probe said in April, asking not to be identified because the inquiry is ongoing. The counterintelligence investigation, which began in December, expanded after Zhang’s arrest, the person said at the time.
The case is U.S. v. Zhang, 19-cr-80056, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (Palm Beach).
To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Levin in Miami at jlevin20@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Steve Stroth
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