Donald Trump’s New York hush cash trial continues at Manhattan Legal Court docket with additional testimony from the defendant’s estranged former “fixer” Michael Cohen after the pair got here nose to nose in Decide Juan Merchan’s courtroom on Monday.
Cohen is the lawyer who made the $130,000 cost to porn star Stormy Daniels on the coronary heart of the case within the hope of shopping for her silence a few sexual encounter she claims she had with Mr Trump in a Lake Tahoe resort room in July 2006.
Right this moment, Cohen’s testimony has turned to the center of the case — the falsification of invoices, checks, and ledger entries to cowl up his reimbursement.
The previous president denies the affair and the 34 felony counts introduced towards him by Manhattan district lawyer Alvin Bragg, who accuses him of falsifying enterprise information to cover the payout.
Ms Daniels herself took to the witness stand final week to ship some extremely specific and embarrassing proof towards Mr Trump and greater than held her personal in response to hostile cross-examination from the defence, which labored onerous to discredit her.
Alex Woodward and Kelly Rissman are overlaying the trial for The Impartial from Manhattan Legal Court docket.
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Cohen interpreted these tweets to imply “Keep within the fold. Keep loyal. I’ve you. You’re a high-quality individual. Don’t flip.”
“They bolstered my loyalty and my intention to remain within the fold.”
Some light overflow room laughter when Cohen mentioned: “Don’t flip”.
He interpreted Trump’s tweet to imply “to not present data to the federal government”.
Court docket breaks for the morning recess.
Alex Woodward14 Could 2024 16:16
The next tweets from Trump are proven to the courtroom:
Oliver O’Connell14 Could 2024 16:14
I acquired a telephone name from President Trump in response to me leaving a message. I wished him to know clearly what was happening.
He mentioned to me, Don’t fear. I’m the president of the USA. There’s nothing right here. Every thing’s going to be OK. Keep powerful. Every thing’s going to be OK.
Have you ever spoken to him since then?
He mentioned it was “extraordinarily necessary” to have Trump’s help.
“I used to be scared. First time in my life something like this – and I wished some reassurance that Mr Trump had my thoughts, particularly because it handled points that have been associated to him.”
He wished to remain “within the camp,” or “within the fold,” with Trumpworld.
Messages from Trump’s circle to him: “You might be liked. Don’t fear. He’s received your again. Strongest man within the nation if not the world. You’re going to be OK.”
Alex Woodward14 Could 2024 16:13
Occurring now: Appeals courtroom rejects Trump’s try to throw out gag order in hush cash trial
On Tuesday, a New York appeals courtroom rejected Mr Trump’s request to throw out the gag order saying Justice Juan Merchan “correctly decided that petitioner’s public statements posed a big risk to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses”
Ariana Baio and Alex Woodward report:
Oliver O’Connell14 Could 2024 16:10
We hear in regards to the March 2018 FBI raid on Cohen’s house.
There was a “knock on the door, and I appeared by way of the peephole and noticed a ton of individuals within the corridor. I noticed a badge. I opened the door. They recognized themselves because the FBI and requested me to step into the corridor. I did.”
How did you are feeling in regards to the raid?
He pauses and sighs. “The right way to describe your life turning the wrong way up. Involved, despondent. Offended.”
Alex Woodward & Kelly Rissman14 Could 2024 16:08
AMI writer David Pecker had beforehand talked about in his testimony that Cohen mentioned Legal professional Normal Jeff Periods would “take care” of any FEC points. Why did he say that?
Cohen says he had a dialog with Trump about it.
Cohen now revisiting that point out of a restraining order towards Daniels.
Cohen and Jeff Rosen filed the arbitration continuing in California by way of an in-house lawyer on the Trump Group, however didn’t have Daniels’ deal with. That’s after they discovered Daniels was being represented by another person… Michael Avenatti.
Alex Woodward14 Could 2024 16:05
Outdoors courtroom, Mike Johnson acts as proxy for ‘pal’ Trump as he bashes choose’s daughter
Mr Johnson mentioned he was talking out in defence of his “pal,” the previous president, and decried the “sham” trial.
“ I wished to be right here myself, to name out what’s a travesty of justice,” Mr Johnson instructed reporters. “President Trump is a pal and I wished to be right here to help him.”
Oliver O’Connell14 Could 2024 15:59
Watch: New York appeals courtroom rejects Trump’s gag order enchantment
Oliver O’Connell14 Could 2024 15:55
Prosecutors need to introduce Cohen’s press assertion in regards to the FEC letter. Todd Blanche needs jury directions in regards to the letter and the assertion.
(Decide Merchan instructed the jury that the assertion and the FEC submitting are solely to help them with assessing Cohen’s credibility and for including context, not for functions of figuring out guilt.)
The letter to the FEC from Cohen’s lawyer:
“Mr Cohen used his personal private funds to facilitate cost of $130,000 Stephanie Clifford. neither the Trump group nor the trump marketing campaign was a celebration to the transaction with Ms Clifford and neither reimbursed Mr Cohen for the cost straight or not directly.”
Cohen’s assertion to the press partially mentioned:
“The cost to Ms Clifford was lawful and was not a marketing campaign contribution or expenditure by anybody.”
“I used to be drawing a authorized conclusion which was inaccurate,” Cohen instructed Hoffinger.
The assertion mentioned: “Simply because one thing isn’t true doesn’t imply that it may well’t trigger you hurt or injury. I’ll all the time defend Mr Trump.”
Cohen defined that he wrote that “as a result of it was an announcement that validated what was within the second paragraph about me paying my very own private funds to facilitate that cost.”
Confirmed the assertion to Trump’s lawyer Jay Sekulow after he wrote it: “I used to be instructed to be in contact with Jay Sekulow as a result of he was in touch with Mr Trump.”
We’re now texts between Jay Sekulow and Cohen.
After he despatched him the assertion in regards to the FEC criticism, Sekulow wrote Cohen: “Consumer says thanks for what you do.”
Cohen mentioned “shopper” means “President Donald Trump”.
Kelly Rissman & Alex Woodward14 Could 2024 15:54
Watch: Trump surrogate — taking a break from his position as Speaker of the Home — speaks exterior Trump trial
Oliver O’Connell14 Could 2024 15:50