DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

AdvertisementDonald Trump sits next to his attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove during the former president's criminal hush-money trial in Manhattan. Eric Trump listens as his father, Donald Trump, speaks to the media in the courtroom hallway during the former president's criminal hush-money trial. Vance listens as Donald Trump speaks to the media in the Manhattan courthouse where his hush-money trial is taking place. AdvertisementFormer President Donald Trump speaks alongside his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, during a rare joint appearance as they arrived to vote in Florida's primary election. "There was no crime," Donald Trump railed Tuesday as he spoke to reporters in the courtroom hallway.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Michael Cohen —, Vivek Ramaswamy, Mike Johnson, Doug Burgum, Byron Donalds, Cory Mills, Donald Trump's, Eric Trump, Lara Trump, Todd Blanche, Emil Bove, Craig Ruttle, Trump, Johnson, Cohen, Justin Lane, Susan Hoffinger, Ohio Sen, J.D, Vance, Nicole Malliotakis, Alabama Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Brenna Bird, Steve Marshall, Mark Peterson, Michael Cohen, Florida Sen, Rick Scott, Ken Paxton, Katie Phang, Jeanine Pirro, Andrew Guiliani, Rudy Giuliani, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, CNN's Anderson Cooper, Giorgio Viera, reimbursing Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, I've Organizations: Service, Trump, Business, GOP, Mike Johnson , North Dakota Gov, Florida Rep, cochair, Republican, Vance , New York, Alabama, Conservative, Fox News, Getty, Prosecutors, Manhattan, Attorney's Locations: York, Manhattan, Mike Johnson ,, Florida, Cory Mills of Florida, Washington, Donalds, Ohio, Vance ,, Alabama, Iowa, Texas, Tahoe

AdvertisementThe unprecedented criminal trial of a former US president has delivered several stunning moments so far. Jurors get a peek at the 34 records at the heart of the caseTwo weeks into Trump's trial, jurors finally saw the paperwork at the heart of the matter. A courtroom sketch of Stormy Daniels on the witness stand in Donald Trump's hush-money trial. On the stand, Daniels said Trump told her she reminded him of his daughter, commenting on her blond hair and beauty. Trump's legal team requested a mistrial on the basis of Daniel's testimony.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen —, Hope Hicks, Cohen, Daniels, Hicks, Andrew Harnik, Jeffrey McConney, Deborah Tarassoff —, Alvin Bragg, Stephanie Clifford, Donald Trump's, Jane Rosenberg, Juan Merchan, audibly, Merchan, Judge Merchan, MARK PETERSON, Donald, Von ShitzInPantz, Todd Blanche, Joe Biden, Blanche, Cohen's Organizations: Service, Business, White House, Trump, White House Communications, AP, Trump Organization, Prosecutors, Reuters, Truth, Manhattan Criminal, Getty Locations: Manhattan, Lake Tahoe, New York City

☆ Trump's 'multi-tasking' defense is falling apart in court
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementThis is one of the arguments Donald Trump's lawyers have advanced in his defense for his hush-money trial: Trump didn't do anything wrong. Cohen met with Allen Weisselberg, the now-former Trump Organization CFO, in January of 2017 to hash out how he'd get reimbursed by Trump and the Trump Organization, according to records shown at trial. Occasionally, he'd write "VOID" on one he didn't want to be paid, according to Trump Organization employee Deborah Tarassoff. If Trump had a question about a check, he'd talk with a Trump Organization employee about it, Westerhout testified. Advertisement"Am I correct that when he would sign checks, he was often multitasking?"

Persons: —, Donald, Trump, Michael Cohen, reimbursing Michael Cohen —, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Cohen, Hope Hicks, Hicks, Susan Necheles, Madeleine Westerhout, Necheles, Westerhout, he's, — Trump, Allen Weisselberg, he'd, Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney, Trump's, Keith Schiller, Deborah Tarassoff, Tarassoff, Rhona Graff, Donald Trump, Westerhout didn't, Rebecca Manochio, Manochio, Graff, what's Organizations: Service, Business, FBI, The Manhattan, Attorney's, Trump Organization, Wall Street, Trump, Washington Post, FedEx, White, Manhattan, New York Locations: United States, New York, North Korea, Russia, Manhattan, Washington, DC, New York City, Westchester

☆ Opinion: How one text exchange gave Trump an ominous day in court
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Norm Eisen Courtesy Norm EisenIn Donald Trump’s Manhattan election interference trial, the case is coming in better than expected, and that is ominous for the former president. The prosecution asked Davidson to explain the meaning of a text he had sent to Howard that evening. As the election was about to be called for Trump, Davidson sent a text to Howard asking, “What have we done?”Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Davidson what the meaning of those words were. It also highlighted the stakes here: Unlike Trump’s 2020 election interference cases pending in Georgia and federal court, the unlawful effort to impact the election alleged in this case might have actually worked. I was watching the jury closely when Davidson spoke, and they were riveted.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, CNN CNN —, Norm Eisen, Donald Trump’s, Keith Davidson, Davidson, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Michael Cohen, Daniels, David Pecker, Cohen, Dylan Howard —, Howard, Joshua Steinglass, ”, Matthew Colangelo Organizations: CNN, CNN CNN, American Media, Inc, National Enquirer, Trump, Twitter Locations: ”, Donald Trump’s Manhattan, Georgia

☆ Former National Enquirer boss reveals sleazy tactics the tabloid used to protect Donald Trump and smear his rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But on Tuesday, former National Enquirer boss David Pecker lifted the curtain on the actual media collusion that took place in the 2016 election. Pecker revealed in granular detail how Trump worked hand-in-hand with the infamous national tabloid to boost his candidacy and, perhaps far more importantly, simultaneously smear his political opponents with shameful lies and innuendo. Meanwhile, Pecker worked with Cohen to smear Trump’s Republican rivals in the 2016 primary, including Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. At times, Pecker said that Cohen went as far as to contact him and direct the Enquirer to attack Trump’s GOP rivals. When the Enquirer published negative stories about Bill and Hillary Clinton, Pecker said that Trump was elated.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, “, ” Pecker, Michael Cohen, Karen McDougal’s, ”, Dino Sajudin, Cohen, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, “ Michael Cohen, — Michael Cohen —, Hillary Clinton, Dylan Howard, we’re, Rupert Murdoch’s, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: New York CNN, Democratic Party, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump, GOP, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, MAGA Media, Fox, Fox News Locations: New York, Pecker, Manhattan

☆ Trump thought hush money was risky because 'It always gets out,' National Enquirer exec testifies. In this case, Trump was right.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"It always gets out," Pecker testified Trump told him. "It always gets out," Trump explained of his hesitancy, according to the trial's first witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Advertisement"I think the story should be purchased and you should buy it," Pecker told jurors, describing what he told Trump about McDougal's accusations during a June, 2016 phone call. But Trump wanted nothing to do with the McDougal payoff, Pecker said Tuesday, his second day on the witness stand. But Trump is now on trial for a second hush-money payment that prosecutors say has Trump's fingerprints all over it — the payment to Daniels.

Persons: Donald Trump's Manhattan, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Model Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Alvin Bragg's, Daniels, Bragg, McDougal, Michael Cohen —, Cohen, Melania Trump, Barron, Pecker's Organizations: Service, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump Org

☆ Trump loses big in NY hush-money hearing, as judge rejects all efforts to dodge or delay March 25 trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Laura Italiano | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Trump appeared in his Manhattan felony hush-money case, and learned his trial date remains March 25. Trump had asked to delay the March 25 trial, insisting through his lawyer that he was too busy campaigning and fighting his three other felony cases. Judge Juan Manuel Merchan is expected to rule whether the trial will begin as scheduled on March 25. Cohen sent his own $130,000, borrowed on a home equity line of credit, to Daniels to ensure she would not go public with her claim of an affair with Trump, prosecutors allege. Read Manhattan prosecutors' 99-page rebuttal to Trump's dismissal motion here.

Persons: Trump, he's, —, Donald Trump, Todd Blanche, Trump's, Blanche, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Stormy Daniels, Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, Brendan McDermid, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Daniels, Michael Cohen — Trump's, Cohen, he'd Organizations: Service, Republican, Manhattan Criminal, Court, Attorney, Prosecutors, Trump Organization, Read Manhattan Locations: Manhattan, Florida, New York City

NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge said Thursday he would take a fuller look at Donald Trump’s out-of-court comments and reconsider a $10,000 fine he imposed on the former president a day earlier at his civil fraud trial. The development came after Trump’s lawyers urged Judge Arthur Engoron to rethink the penalty. She sits next to Engoron, and Trump’s lawyers had groused a bit earlier about the clerk’s facial expressions and role in the case. Trump’s lawyers insisted anew Thursday that Trump was talking about Cohen. They pointed out that right after his reference to the person “sitting alongside” the judge, Trump said: “We are doing very well, the facts are speaking very loud.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Arthur Engoron, Engoron, Trump, Michael Cohen —, Cohen, ”, Christopher Kise, “, ” Kise, I’ve, Letitia James, Allen Weisselberg, James Organizations: Trump, Republican, Democrat, New York Locations: York, New York

☆ Bitter, virtual Trump promises a Manhattan judge he won't harass or attack hush-money witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

He also shook his head in apparent disgust when told he'll be in contempt if he uses DA evidence to harass witnesses. Trump shook his head "no" in apparent disgust when the judge told his lawyer, Todd Blanche, that he risks sanctions and a finding of contempt if he violates the order. "He is free to do anything that does not violate the specific terms of this protective order," the judge told Blanche. The protective order bars Trump from using the prosecution's most sensitive evidence for anything other than his own defense. "I have less than zero confidence," Cohen told Insider of Trump's ability to abide by the protective order and restrain himself from using sensitive evidence to attack witnesses.

Persons: Trump, he'll, —, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Merchan, Tuesday's, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Catherine McCaw, Michael Cohen —, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: Service, New York, Attorney, Trump, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Prosecutors, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, United States

☆ John Edwards and Donald Trump were both accused of paying money to women who said they had affairs with them. But the cases are quite different.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Like Donald Trump, John Edwards was accused of paying off a mistress during a campaign. Edwards was charged with campaign finance violations over the payments but wasn't convicted. For one, Trump has not been charged with violating federal campaign finance laws. It may well be true that the Edwards precedent is why the Justice Department didn't charge Trump with a campaign finance violation. Bragg does not need to prove that Trump broke federal campaign finance laws; he needs to prove that he falsified business records, which is a crime no matter the reason.

☆ Video shows no one held the door for Donald Trump before he was arraigned in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald Trump had to open a door for himself on his way to be arraigned. A video shows Trump moving through the Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday afternoon. Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury last week, a first for an ex-president. The video, posted on Twitter by The Associated Press, captures the moment Trump entered the courtroom for his arraignment. Unlike his time as president, or the presumed treatment he gets at Mar-a-Lago, no one held the door open for Trump.

☆ The only way you'll see Donald Trump's mugshot is if someone leaks it or he shares it himself
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump will pose for a mugshot ahead of his Tuesday arraignment in New York City. But don't expect his mugshot to be released; under New York law, mugshots are not public record. Trump's mugshot won't be made public unless it is leaked or released by Trump himself. It's possible that Trump's mugshot could be leaked as other prominent figures' booking photos have been in the past. Meanwhile, fake artificial intelligence-generated images of Trump's mugshot and bogus photos of the former president's arrest have already spread like wildfire across social media.

☆ These are the best memes of Trump's indictment, from 'Succession' references to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The news produced many memes, from "Succession" references to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons. Here are some of the best memes of Trump's indictment. While the news of the indictment stirred Trump, his allies, his opponents, and the media into a frenzy, it also spurred some top-quality memes across social media. From references to the popular show "Succession" to Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial comparisons, here are the best memes of Trump's indictment. —Mister Oh my God that Joey's shameless (@SpiceBoyJoey) March 30, 2023Other memes made references to various television shows and movies—The Wire out of context (@WireCaps) March 30, 2023—no context succession (@nocontextroyco) March 31, 2023And Trump indictment memes aren't just an American thingChinese social media users hit the former President's indictment as well.

☆ You can run for president from prison. Here's what happened when 2 candidates campaigned from behind bars.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Two previous candidates, Eugene V. Debs in 1920, and Lyndon LaRouche in 1992, both ran from prison. If Trump is convicted, it's possible he could run for president from behind bars. Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran from behind bars over 100 years agoThe socialist party 1904 Eugene V. Debs and Ben Hanford. HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesIn 1920, Socialist Eugene V. Debs ran for the Oval Office from the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, where he was known as "prisoner 9653," according to Smithsonian Magazine. Alex Brandon/File/APWhile Debs and LaRouche were both unsuccessful in their campaigns, they both were still able to run for president while behind bars.

A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump on felony charges. In a statement, Trump characterized the criminal charges from a grand jury as a political attack. The indictment's specific contents have not yet been made public, even to the defense team, as is common in state criminal cases. The district attorney's office subsequently brought David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, to testify for a second time in front of the grand jury. That post was quickly taken down; Trump attorney Joe Tacopina called it "ill-advised" and said "one of his social media people" put it up.

☆ Stormy Daniels is tweeting up a storm with zinger after zinger about Donald Trump ahead of a possible indictment in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Stormy Daniels posted snarky tweets about Donald Trump ahead of his possible indictment in New York. Trump could be indicted in New York over hush money payments to Daniels. Daniels, a self-described porn star, is at the center of the hush money payments investigation that may lead to a Trump indictment in New York in the coming days. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is currently investigating if Trump violated New York election and document laws by giving Daniels $130,000 in hush money payments to keep quiet about an affair. Daniels' lawyer and a spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Not so fast. A New York grand jury will hear a final surprise witness on Monday and won't vote on Trump indictment until it's over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Manhattan grand jury will continue hearing evidence Monday in the Trump hush-money investigation. A final witness must testify before the panel can deliberate and then vote on a possible indictment. News of a Monday grand jury witness was first reported by CNN. The surprise final witness provides an updated clue to the timing of a possible indictment of Trump and of any co-defendants. Experts who have described the Manhattan grand jury process to Insider say there are several steps between the final testimony and the vote.

Search resuls for: "Michael Cohen —"

17 mentions found