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☆ Critical days of Trump trial will test whether he can exercise discipline and restraint
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Her evidence on Tuesday was deeply embarrassing for Trump and drew an aggressive cross-examination from his attorney trying to shatter Daniels’ credibility. Merchan also instructed Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, to rein in his client after complaining that the defendant had cursed audibly and shaken his head during Daniels’ testimony. So far, Trump — who has launched searing attacks on the judge — has managed to refrain from openly attacking Daniels since she took the stand. And her appearance is only an appetizer for expected explosive evidence in the coming days of the biggest star witness, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen. The coming days will therefore require qualities that Trump has always struggled to demonstrate in a riotous life in business and politics: restraint and self-discipline.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Daniels, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan, Todd Blanche, —, Michael Cohen, Cohen, he’d, ” Daniels, Sarah Matthews, CNN’s Jim Acosta, “, He’s, ” Matthews, Matthews, ” Trump, he’s, Arthur Engoron, Engoron, Trump’s, Jean Carroll Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump —, White, Trump White House, Prosecutors, Trump Organization Locations: Florida, Lake Tahoe, misbehave

Ms. Daniels could take the stand to testify against Mr. Trump as early as this week. Her presence would let Mr. Trump’s defense lawyers attack Ms. Daniels as an extortionist and question her credibility. Nor can she testify about the plan for Mr. Trump to hide his reimbursements to Mr. Cohen by characterizing them as legal fees. Mr. Trump’s lawyers contend that he did not know that the checks he signed for Mr. Cohen were not for legal fees, and that Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump’s employees were responsible for any false records. “He has never thought that the little man, or especially women, and even more, women like me, matter,” Ms. Daniels said.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Alvin L, Bragg, Trump’s, Michael Bachner, Bachner, Dave Sanders, Stephanie Clifford, Barrett, “ I’m, Donald Trump, ” Ms, Norm, ”, Peacock, J., r. “ Organizations: Mr, The New York Times Locations: Manhattan, New York City, Baton Rouge, La, Texas, Florida, New York

New York CNN —Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial dove into the paper trail at the heart of their case on Monday, revealing to jurors exactly how Michael Cohen was repaid by Trump’s trust and personal accounts in 2017 after he paid hush money to Stormy Daniels. Here are the takeaways from day 12 of the Trump hush money trial:Judge threatens to jail TrumpMerchan began Monday’s session by announcing he found Trump in contempt for violating his gag order a 10th time, after fining him last week for nine violations cited by prosecutors. Both of the witnesses worked for Trump for decades – Tarasoff still works for the Trump Org. Trump fully turned in his chair to watch Tarasoff’s testimony when his attorney, Blanche, began his cross-examination of the Trump Org. was like a “family-run business.”Eric Trump, who is still in charge of the Trump Org., and attorney Alina Habba, who represented Trump Org.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Juan Merchan, Trump Merchan, Trump, fining, fining Trump, Mr, ” Merchan, ”, ” Trump, Merchan, Daniels, Jeffrey McConney, McConney, Deborah Tarasoff, ” McConney, CNN Tarasoff, Donald J, “, David Pecker, Keith Davidson –, Allen Weisselberg, Daniels ’, Davidson, Cohen –, who’ve, Emil Bove, Weisselberg, ” Tarasoff, Todd Blanche, – Tarasoff, “ You’re, ‘, Blanche, ” Eric Trump, Alina Habba, Tarasoff, Eric Trump Organizations: New, New York CNN — Prosecutors, Trump Organization, Trump, Trump Org, Trust, CNN, White, Trump Revocable Trust, Consultants Locations: New York, Washington, McConney, Sharpie

Much of Hicks’ testimony focused on her role on the Trump campaign in October 2016, just before Election Day. When cross-examining Hicks, Trump attorney Emil Bove elicited testimony that Trump was also concerned about what his wife would think. Video Ad Feedback Trump closed his eyes during Hope Hicks' testimony. There was a lot at play.”Hicks forwarded the email that included a transcript of the audio to several Trump campaign staffers including Kellyanne Conway. With Hicks’ testimony, prosecutors nudged closer to the repayment and the alleged charges.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Hope Hicks, Hicks, Daniels, Michael Cohen, “, ”, Trump, Matthew Colangelo, ” Hicks, Karen McDougal’s, Emil Bove, Kellyanne Conway, chuckling, Steve Bannon, Conway, Jared Kushner, Jason Miller, McDougal, Cohen, nudged, –, Honig, CNN Hicks, Colangelo, Michael, ‘ Mr, ’ Michael Cohen Trump’s, Douglas Daus, Trump’s, Daus, DANY, Cohen ”, ” Daus, Prosecutors, Chris Conroy, Judge Juan Merchan, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Daniel Dale, He’s, ” Merchan, ” Trump, Merchan Organizations: CNN, White House, Trump, Manhattan, Attorney’s Office, Trump White House, Trump Organization, Prosecutors, Wall Street, American Media, Inc, Wall, Washington Post, ” Prosecutors, House, New York Times, Trump “, Manhattan DA Locations: Washington, Manhattan, New York, Michigan

It might seem strange that prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office are eliciting such testimony about their central witness, especially given that the defense has already begun attacking Mr. Cohen’s credibility. Mr. Cohen, who pleaded guilty to federal crimes in 2018, was often belligerent as he did Mr. Trump’s bidding. It appears that the district attorney’s office will seek to turn that to their advantage: So far, they’ve drawn smiles and chuckles from jurors when asking witnesses to discuss Mr. Cohen. “I didn’t want to receive a million frustrating phone calls from Michael,” said the lawyer, Keith Davidson, who in 2016 represented a porn star, Stormy Daniels, who received the hush money. Prosecutors have accused the former president of falsifying business records to cover up the hush money deal and charged him with 34 felonies.

Persons: Cohen, they’ve, “, Michael, ”, Keith Davidson, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Trump Organizations: Prosecutors Locations: Manhattan

Without saying so specifically, the upshot from Trump’s attorney was that the Trump deals followed a pattern that bordered on extortion. The upshot from Trump’s attorney was that the Trump deals followed a pattern that bordered on extortion. After the lunch break, Trump attorney Susan Necheles said Trump’s legal team feels the gag order is ambiguous about whether Trump can repost article written by lawyers analyzing the trial. During Tuesday’s session, Davidson testified that he ended up getting involved with the Daniels deal because Cohen was being so difficult. “The moral of the story was: No one wanted to talk to Cohen,” Davidson said.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, ” Trump, Emil Bove, Keith Davidson, – Hulk Hogan, Lindsay Lohan, Charlie Sheen, Tila Tequila –, Davidson, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Judge Juan Merchan, Trump, Karen McDougal, Bove, Cohen, McDougal, ” Davidson, Hulk Hogan, “, ”, Hogan, ” Bove, Joshua Steinglass, ” Merchan, Merchan, Chris Conroy, David Pecker, “ He’s, ” Conroy, Conroy, Trump “, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Susan Necheles, “ I’m, Trump’s, ’, ’ ” Cohen, Daniels “, they’d, ” Prosecutors, Daniels ’, Witnesses, Michael Cohen Davidson, Cohen –, –, ‘, I’m, I’ve, ’ ” Davidson, Cohen’s, Pecker, he’s, Hunt Organizations: CNN, Trump, AMI, Bove, Democratic, ” Locations: Washington

☆ Opinion: Even if Trump can’t stay awake this week, the jury will have reason to
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Welcome to week two of the Trump 2016 election interference trial. And the case Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought is, at heart, a documents case – Trump has been charged with 34 counts of felony record falsification, actions allegedly taken to cover up hush money payoffs connected to the 2016 election. But as demonstrated by longtime Trump assistant Rhona Graff’s testimony Friday afternoon, the methodical nature of the testimony and evidence doesn’t mean it will be dull for the jury. The testimony of Gary Farro, Cohen’s onetime banker, is emblematic of what we are likely to hear from other witnesses this week. When defense counsel elicited from Graff on cross-examination that Trump was a good boss, she became a free character witness.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Norm Eisen, Attorney Alvin Bragg, – Trump, Rhona Graff’s, Trump’s, paramours, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Pecker, Dallas ”, ” –, Trump, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Gary Farro, Cohen’s, Farro, Graff, Cohen, Rebecca Mangold, McDougal, Mangold, It’s, Team Trump Organizations: CNN, National Enquirer, Attorney, Trump, Dallas, Prosecutors, Team, DA Locations: Manhattan

CNN —The third week of the Donald Trump criminal hush money business fraud trial will resume Tuesday with the Manhattan district attorney’s office continuing to be secretive about it its plan of attack. In court, they said they would not give Trump’s legal team much in an effort to avoid subjecting witnesses to Trump’s social media wrath before they take the stand. He described a tabloid media landscape where America Media Inc. did Trump’s bidding ahead of the 2016 election with Cohen as Trump’s liaison. Trump’s longtime assistant Rhona Graff also testified Friday, telling the jury she remembers seeing Daniels at Trump’s office once years before the 2016 election. Graff – whose lawyers are paid for by Trump – testified that she input the contact information for Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, Michael Cohen’s, Trump, Juan Merchan, he’s, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Merchan, Cohen, Gary Farro’s, Farro, Daniels, Karen McDougal’s, David Pecker, Trump’s, Rhona Graff, McDougal, Graff –, Trump – Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Trump, AMI, America Media Inc, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, Delaware

CNN —Judge Juan Merchan handed down his first punishment to Donald Trump for violating the judge’s gag order in the New York hush money trial Tuesday, fining Trump $9,000 for nine violations. Instead, Davidson negotiated a $130,000 hush money deal with Cohen on Daniels’ behalf, and she did not speak out publicly before the 2016 election. In his order, the judge warned Trump that he could be imprisoned if he continues to willfully violate the gag order. “All you have to do is talk to that a**hole Cohen,” Davidson recalled. His son, Eric Trump, attended the trial – the first family member of the former president to appear during the trial.

Persons: Juan Merchan, Donald Trump, fining, Daniels, Karen McDougal, Keith Davidson, Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Davidson, Cohen, Trump, –, Merchan, David Pecker, “, ” Merchan, Stormy’s, McDougal, ’, Dylan Howard –, Gina Rodriguez, “ It’s, ” Davidson, Rodriguez, Peggy Peterson, David Dennison, Joshua Steinglass, Dennison, ” Steinglass, ” Cohen, Gary Farro, Daniels ’, Farro, ” Trump, “ Michael Cohen, He’s, Judge Merchan didn't, Jean Carroll, Prosecutors, Melania Trump, Eric Trump, Susie Wiles, Ken Paxton, David McIntosh, Barron’s Organizations: CNN, fining Trump, Trump, AMI, Prosecutors, American Media Inc, Daniels . Records, Bank, Twitter, Club for Growth, Mar Locations: New York, LA, Texas

☆ Right-Wing Network Retracts False Story About Key Witness in Trump Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Maggie Haberman | Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

One America News, a right-wing cable news network, on Monday retracted a report claiming that Donald J. Trump’s former fixer had been the person who actually had an affair with the porn star whose claims of a sexual relationship with Mr. Trump are key to his criminal trial. The retraction came after the fixer, Michael D. Cohen, hired a leading defamation lawyer to address the false report, which was posted on the network’s website on March 27. The lawyer, Justin Nelson, had represented Dominion Voting Systems in a suit against Fox News that cost that network $787.5 million to settle. Mr. Nelson worked with Mr. Cohen’s longtime lawyer, Danya Perry, in what was a remarkably quick about-face by OAN. There are no monetary damages, but the story is being removed from the website “and all social media,” the network said in a statement on Monday.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael D, Cohen, Justin Nelson, Nelson, Cohen’s, Danya Perry Organizations: America, Voting Systems, Fox News, Mr, OAN

☆ Fact check: Trump’s false courthouse claims about his trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Here’s a fact check of four of the claims he made about the trial. (For this particular article, we’ll leave aside the false claims he made in the courthouse about a variety of other subjects.) It is an armed camp to keep people away.” And he said in comments inside the courthouse on Thursday: “This courthouse is locked down; there’s not a person within five blocks.”Facts First: Trump’s claims are all false. Facts First: As he has before, Trump made Merchan’s gag order sound far broader than it is. The gag order does not prohibit Trump from declaring the case a sham or from sharing others’ claims that the case is a sham.

Persons: Donald Trump, Here’s, we’ll, Trump, it’s, Michael Cohen’s, Michael Cohen “, ” Cohen, “, ”, Cohen, Trump’s, ” Trump, Judge Juan Merchan’s, Merchan, you’re, “ I’m, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Biden, Alvin Bragg’s, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo Organizations: Washington CNN, New York Times, Trump, CNN, Monday, Republican, Intelligence, Manhattan, Attorney, Biden, Justice Department Locations: Lower Manhattan, Moscow, Russia, ”, Manhattan, York’s

CNN —Jurors will now have a three-day weekend to think about what they heard during the first full week of testimony in the historic Donald Trump hush money trial. In one instance, Bove pointed to FBI notes from a 2018 interview, where agents had written that Pecker testified Trump did not thank him or AMI during a January 6, 2017, meeting at Trump Tower. In that interview, Pecker testified that Trump had in fact thanked him during that 2017 Trump Tower meeting. Trump cracks a smile for his longtime assistantTrump’s longtime assistant Rhona Graff testified for less than an hour. He replied, “Of course I do.”Graff no longer works for Trump, but she spoke positively about her experience at the Trump Organization and having Trump as a boss.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, pummel, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Trump’s, Rhona Graff, Cohen, Trump, Karen McDougal’s, Banker Gary Farro, Daniels, Farro, He’s, Emil Bove, Pecker, Bove, McDougal, Prosecutors, Joshua Steinglass, Steinglass, Karen McDougal, ”, Graff, Susan Necheles, ” Graff, “, humanize Trump, ” Trump, Hope Hicks Organizations: CNN, American Media Inc, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump, First Republic Bank, AMI, Trump Tower, Trump Org, ” Defense Locations: Delaware

“As we walked out, President Trump asked me, ‘How’s Karen doing, how’s Karen doing?’ So, I said, ‘She’s doing well, she’s quiet, everything’s going good.’” Pecker said. I thought you had this under control.”Pecker also received a call from Trump after McDougal was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper in March 2018. Pecker told Trump on the call that he had amended McDougal’s agreement on speaking to other media. “But the US Supreme Court had a monumental hearing on immunity and the immunity having to do with presidential immunity. “So, you ran articles about President Trump because it was good for business?” Bove asked.

Persons: David Pecker, Donald Trump’s, Karen McDougal’s, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Pecker, Cohen, Daniels, McDougal, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Trump’s, ‘ How’s Karen, how’s Karen, ‘ She’s, ” Pecker, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “, Chris Conroy, ” Conroy, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Jackson, CNN Trump, ” Trump, Emil Bove, Quizzing, Bove, Dino Sajudin, ” Bove, Stelter, Bove’s, –, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger, Ari Emanuel, Mark Wahlberg, Rahm Emanuel, Tiger Woods, Woods, ”, Wahlberg Organizations: CNN, Former American Media Inc, Trump, AMI, White House, Wall, Office, National Enquirer, National, Pecker, California, Chicago, ” CNN Locations: Manhattan, Washington, New York, New York City, Bedminster, CNN’s, Japan

☆ Hearing over gag order comes amid Trump-Michael Cohen feud
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Jeremy Herb | Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Judge Juan Merchan will consider whether to fine Donald Trump for repeatedly violating the gag order barring the former president from publicly discussing witnesses or jurors in the criminal hush money case. Trump nevertheless went after Cohen in remarks on camera after leaving court on Monday. Trump’s lawyers have argued that his social media posts do not actually violate the gag order. The jury will not hear the argument on the gag order violations. Merchan said if arguments over the gag order were not finished by 11 a.m., they would pick up the hearing later.

Persons: Juan Merchan, Donald Trump, Trump, Michael Cohen, ”, Chris Conroy, Michael Cohen Trump, Cohen, he’s, ” Trump, Hey Von ShitzInPantz, ” Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Emil Bove, Todd Blanche, Trump’s, ” Blanche, “, ’ Jesse Watters, ” Merchan, Merchan Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Trump, Twitter, Truth, New, Liberal Locations: Manhattan, Trump, New York

☆ Will Trump testify? What he says and why it’s a risky bet
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Video Ad Feedback Smerconish: Will Trump testify? While he is under no obligation to testify, Trump has promised he will. And the truth is that there’s no case, they have no case,” Trump said. When juries and a judge have seen Trump testify, he lostThe first Carroll trial jury in 2023 was played a videotape of Trump’s deposition by lawyers. Not a hush money case, but an election interference caseOne other key thing to note out of the prosecution’s opening statement is that they want to portray this case as an election interference case rather than a hush money case.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Michael Cohen, National Enquirer David Pecker, Cohen, Pecker, Will Trump, I’m, ” Trump, Juan Merchan, Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb, E, Jean Carroll, ►, – Trump, Merchan, Hillary Clinton, Joey Jackson, Jackson, “, Jake Tapper, Will Scharf, Scharf, ”, ” Scharf, Carroll, Marla Maples, Read, Feedback Trump, Arthur Engoron, reimbursing Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Clifford, Daniels, … … …, CNN’s Paula Reid Organizations: CNN — Prosecutors, New, National Enquirer, Trump, CNN, Mar, Trump Organization, Prosecutors Locations: New York

CNN —The first criminal trial of Donald Trump is officially underway. Prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys delivered opening statements and the first witness – a former National Enquirer publisher – was called Monday in the historic and unprecedented criminal trial of a former president. “The defendant Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election,” said prosecutor Matthew Colangelo told jurors. At the hearing, Trump’s attorneys came to an agreement with the New York attorney general’s office on the terms of that $175 million bond. Trump’s attorneys representing him in the civil matter later stopped by the criminal trial and spoke to cameras in the hallway outside the courtroom where Trump sat at the defense table.

Persons: Donald Trump, –, Stormy Daniels, Trump, ” Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, ”, Matthew Colangelo, “, ” Colangelo, Cohen, David Pecker, Colangelo, it’s, Todd Blanche, “ Donald Trump, ” Blanche, he’s, Blanche didn’t, It’s, Blanche, Cohen’s, Trump ”, Trump’s, Michael Cohen, President Trump, He’s, Pecker, Karen McDougal –, Letitia James, James ’, ” Alina Habba, Merchan, Chris Conroy, Emil Bove Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, National Enquirer, Trump, American Media Inc, Defense, AMI, Pecker’s AMI, New, Specialty Insurance Locations: New York

Mr. Cohen has said he acted at Mr. Trump’s direction, but the former president is not charged over the payment itself. If Mr. Trump testifies in his own defense, that could pit Mr. Cohen’s word against Mr. Trump’s — a he-said, he-said story, with two questionable narrators. Mr. Trump’s lawyers will seek to emphasize Mr. Cohen’s checkered past at every turn. And, on cross-examination, Mr. Trump’s lawyers are likely to portray Mr. Cohen as a serial liar with a grudge against his former boss. Mr. Pecker can support at least some of Mr. Cohen’s testimony about Mr. Trump’s involvement in the hush-money deals.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Alvin L, Bragg, Michael D, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniel J . Horwitz, Michael Cohen, ” Mr, Horwitz, Mary Altaffer, Daniels, Trump’s, Joshua Steinglass, Donald Trump, Mr, Steinglass’s, David Pecker, Hope Hicks, Pecker, Bragg’s, Karen McDougal, Marion Curtis, reimbursements, Allen H, Weisselberg, Steinglass, McDougal, Dave Sanders, The New York Times Susan Necheles, Cohen’s, President Trump, Madeleine Westerhout, “, ”, ” William K, Rashbaum, Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, Michael Rothfeld Organizations: Prosecutors, Mr, fixer, National Enquirer, Trump, Trump . Credit, The New York Times, American Media, Associated, ” Locations: New York, Manhattan, Trump ., America, Russia

☆ Opinion: Both sides brought their A-game for opening of Trump’s trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Opening statements, followed by a few minutes of testimony from the first witness, concluded Monday in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump. Norm Eisen Courtesy Norm EisenMy takeaway: The prosecution has the upper hand based on the evidence and the law, and Trump knows it. As expected, prosecutor Matthew Colangelo hammered home his theory of the case: that it is all about election interference and its cover-up. Colangelo made the complex simple, going through the chronology of evidence that prosecutors will present to prove the election interference. ACT THREE: A payment to another person with a damaging story — Karen McDougal, who alleged she had an affair with Trump.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, Norm Eisen, Trump, Matthew Colangelo, ”, Colangelo, David Pecker, Pecker, Michael Cohen, Dino Sajudin, Karen McDougal, Hope Hicks, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Daniels, Todd Blanche, Blanche, ” Blanche, Juan Merchan, –, “ Trump, couldn’t, Hicks Organizations: CNN, ACT ONE, Trump, American Media, National Enquirer, ACT FOUR, White House, ACT FIVE, Trump Organization, ” Locations: Trump

☆ Trump Violated Gag Order Seven More Times, Prosecutors Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Matthew Haag | More About Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Mr. Trump has continued to test its limits by sharing quotes and articles that are critical of his perceived enemies — a tactic that he has used for years to defend his statements while retaining plausible deniability. His lawyers on Thursday sought to preserve his ability to do so during the trial, while Mr. Conroy laid out new examples of posts that prosecutors say broke the order, and risked inspiring violence against or harassment of people involved in the trial and those close to them. For instance, the former president posted a link to a New York Post article that called Michael D. Cohen, his former longtime fixer and a key witness in the trial, a “serial perjurer,” and described the case as an “embarrassment for the New York legal system.”The link was posted Monday on Mr. Trump’s campaign website, and again on Tuesday on both that site and his Truth Social platform. Mr. Trump attacked Mr. Cohen again on Wednesday, prosecutors said, when he posted on Truth Social a link to a National Review article with the headline “No, Cohen’s Guilty Plea Does Not Prove Trump Committed Campaign-Finance Crimes.”

Persons: Trump, Conroy, Michael D, Cohen, ” Organizations: New York Post, longtime, New, Finance Locations: New York

☆ Key players in Trump’s hush money trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s criminal New York hush money trial begins Monday, more than a year after the former president was indicted in the case. Stormy DanielsAdult-film star Stephanie Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels, received a $130,000 payment just days before the 2016 presidential election. Michael CohenThe $130,000 payment to Daniels was made by Cohen, then Trump’s personal attorney, who landed in federal prison over that transaction for breaking campaign finance laws. Cohen, now a critical witness, has said that Trump directed him to make the payment to Daniels. Judge Juan MerchanNew York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan, who is known for maintaining control of his courtroom even when his cases draw considerable attention, will preside over this case.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Trump, Stephanie Clifford, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Michael Cohen, Cohen, he’s, David Pecker, Pecker, Karen McDougal, Hope Hicks, Hicks, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Juan Merchan, Steve, Trump’s, Allen Weisselberg, Merchan, Sydney Kashiwagi, CNN’s Devan Cole, Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb, Marshall Cohen, Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Trump, American Media Inc, National Inquirer, AMI, Manhattan, Attorney, Juan Merchan New, Trump Organization, Democratic Locations: York, Manhattan

☆ Opinion: Why there’s hope for an impartial jury in Trump trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Opinion Jeffrey Abramson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —On Monday, jury selection for the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president begins in Manhattan. The process may take longer than the usual jury selection and the pool of persons questioned will be larger. There is something to be said for Trump’s claim that he faces an uphill battle in jury selection. True, another New York jury found Trump liable of defaming and sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in 2023 and again this year. There is a famous quip of unknown origin that goes: “In England, the trial starts when jury selection is over.

Persons: Jeffrey Abramson, “, Donald Trump, Austin Trump, Michael Cohen, Stephanie Clifford, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Trump’s, Juan Merchan, Merchan, ”, “ Get, Alvin Bragg, Daniels, Jean Carroll, Cohen Organizations: University of Texas, Democracy, CNN, Jeffrey Abramson University of Texas, Austin, Trump, Trump Organization, Biden, “, ”, New York Times Locations: Austin, Manhattan, New York, York, England

☆ New York trial of Donald Trump: an unusual request on trial Day 1
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Of the first group of 96 potential jurors who crammed into the courtroom, more than half were immediately excused for saying they could not be fair and impartial. A Manhattan jury also found Trump’s business, the Trump Organization, guilty of tax evasion, although Trump was not personally named in that case. And here is an excellent visual timeline of the entire hush money scandal. It was Cohen who orchestrated the hush money payments and who pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating campaign finance law, for which he served time in prison. Trump is accused by New York of falsifying business records when he paid Cohen back for the hush money scheme.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, CNN’s Kara Scannell, Jeremy Herb, Scannell, “, ” Scannell, Jeffrey Abramson, ”, ” Abramson, Jean Carroll, Abramson, Judge Juan Merchan, Kellyanne Conway, Rudy Giuliani, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, CNN’s Kaanita Iyer, McDougal – She’s, Trump’s, Melania, Barron, Merchan, Carroll –, Carroll, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Maggie Haberman, Jake Tapper Organizations: CNN, America, Democracy, New, Trump, Trump Organization, National Enquirer, Trump . ►, Enquirer, – Prosecutors, New York Times Locations: Manhattan, sidebars, New York, Trump

☆ Elon Musk’s X names new head of safety, more than a year after former safety leader’s exit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

McRoberts’ elevation to the role comes more than a year after the company’s former safety leader, Yoel Roth, who oversaw what was then called the Trust and Safety team, resigned in the wake of Musk’s takeover. In its announcement, X said McRoberts has previously worked on other X safety features including labels that inform a user if their content is being restricted. In a post last month, Musk said he would change the name of X’s “Trust and Safety” team to simply the “Safety” team. We are changing the name of our Trust & Safety group, to simply @Safety,” Musk said. The goal of our Safety team is simply to ensure compliance with the laws that already exist to protect the people.”

Persons: New York CNN —, it’s, Kylie McRoberts —, Linda Yaccarino, Yoel Roth, X, White, Yale Cohen, Yaccarino, Musk, Pizzagate ”, McRoberts, ” X, ” Musk, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Elon, Twitter, Trust and Safety, Publicis Media, Google, Safety, & Safety Locations: New York, Austin , Texas, “

Donald J. Trump watched anxiously from the White House in April 2018 as news broke about federal agents searching the home of Michael D. Cohen, the man entrusted to conceal some of the president’s deepest secrets. After initially coming to Mr. Cohen’s defense, Mr. Trump washed his hands of his fixer within weeks, brushing aside Mr. Cohen’s feelers about a pardon and disavowing his legal bills. Mr. Trump took a different tack when prosecutors shifted their scrutiny to Allen H. Weisselberg, the Trump family’s longtime financial gatekeeper. Mr. Trump’s company paid Mr. Weisselberg’s legal bills and awarded him a $2 million severance, with a condition: He could not voluntarily cooperate with any law enforcement agency. But prosecutors say Mr. Weisselberg lied during his testimony, and this month he pleaded guilty to perjury.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael D, Cohen, Cohen’s, Allen H, Weisselberg, Mr Organizations: White House, Trump Locations: Manhattan, U.S

☆ Live updates: Trump hush money case hearing, bond deadline in civil fraud case
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Dan Berman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The US attorney’s office also turned over 30,000 pages related to documents seized from five iPhones and email accounts associated with Cohen. Why were the documents turned over so late? Trump’s attorneys and prosecutors are pointing fingers at one another over the reason the US attorney’s office did not turn over tens of thousands of documents until this month. But the district attorney says that Trump’s attorneys are to blame for the delay. Prosecutors argue that Trump’s attorneys raised no issues with the document production made in July 2023 until six months later with the January subpoena.

Persons: Donald Trump, Scott Olson, Donald Trump’s, Judge Juan Merchan, Cohen, Merchan, Daniels, Robert Mueller’s, Trump’s Organizations: Getty, Southern, of, US, FBI, Prosecutors Locations: Vandalia , Ohio, New York, Manhattan, of New York

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