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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

☆ Tabloid Publisher Defiant as Trump Lawyer Tries to Shake His Confidence
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Jonah E. Bromwich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Lawyers for Donald J. Trump on Friday grilled the former publisher of The National Enquirer, casting doubt on his explanation for why he suppressed salacious stories about the Republican presidential candidate before the 2016 election. The witness, David Pecker, who has known Mr. Trump for decades, faced a stern cross-examination from one of the former president’s defense lawyers, Emil Bove, who pressed Mr. Pecker about two deals he had reached in 2015 and 2016 with people who were seeking to sell stories about Mr. Trump. Mr. Bove sought to convince the jury of two fundamental points about the stories, which Mr. Pecker bought and then buried: Such arrangements, characterized by prosecutors as “catch and kill,” were standard for the publisher, and that Mr. Pecker had previously misled jurors about the details of the transactions.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Emil Bove, Pecker, Bove Organizations: National Enquirer, Republican

astead herndonLast year, the comedian was Roy Wood Jr., a veteran of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central —archived recording (roy wood jr.) Happy to be here. I don’t think you can ignore anything that the American people are bringing to you. So I think that’s where it ain’t funny to a lot of people. And I think that’s what we’re — those are the only two things we’re armed with is either laughs or yelling. But now do you want the funny guy that’s going to be in control of your uterus?

Persons: astead herndon, Jon Stewart, Wanda Sykes, roy, Dark Brandon, Roy Wood Jr, astead herndon —, I’ll, I’m, Clarence Thomas, There’s, Trump, it’s, Donald Trump, —, Biden, ” I’m Astead, ”, Showtime ”, that’ll, astead herndon Really, It’ll, astead, Jim Messina, Joe Biden, Rupert Murdoch, That’s, Harry Styles, Don Lemon, Harris, Ron Klain, exoticize Joe Biden, Scranton Joe, we’re, you’re, Obama, herndon, we’ve, Bob Dole, that’s, George Floyd, They’re, what’s, Roy, Buddy, who’s, Trayvon Martin —, let’s, Ludacris, Kim Kardashian, Ray J, Kardashian, astead herndon Roy, he’s, Joe Biden’s, It’s, I’ve, He’s, George Lopez, they’re, astead herndon I’m, there’s, John Oliver — astead herndon, “, Sarah Palin, Tina Fey’s, Nikki Haley, ain’t, Haley, Nikki Haley can’t, donald, Ron “ DeSanctimonious, astead herndon It’s, who’ve, Obama Obama, Lock, Hillary’s, Marco, You’re, Little Marco, Karine Jean, Pierre, astead herndon That’s, Donald Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Jonah Bromwich, haven’t, jonah bromwich You’ve, We’ve, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, don’t, Trump — jonah bromwich, He’ll, biden, astead herndon Joe Biden, Let’s, She’s Organizations: White, Super, Comedy, “, Disney, The New York Times, Showtime, astead herndon, Trump, Biden, Paramount, BET, Scranton, Republicans, Florida, M University, Black College, Republican, Democratic Party, Democratic, Democrat, RFK, Party, Tea Party, SNL, Democrats, Tower, National, ”, AMI, Trump — Locations: Washington , DC, France, America, ” I’m Astead Herndon, herndon, Scranton, Tallahassee, Birmingham , Alabama, Birmingham, astead herndon, South Carolina, CPAC, Palestine, Israel, Manhattan, Florida, Tampa, Pennsylvania

☆ Harvey Weinstein’s Conviction Was Fragile From the Start
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jodi Kantor | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s New York sex crimes conviction on Thursday morning may feel like a shocking reversal, but the criminal case against him has been fragile since the day it was filed. New York’s top judges, many of them female, have held rounds of pained debates over whether his conviction was clean. The issue of whether Mr. Weinstein’s trial was fair “is a really close question that could have gone either way.”Outside the justice system, evidence of Mr. Weinstein’s sexual misconduct is overwhelming. But while Mr. Weinstein’s alleged victims could fill an entire courtroom, few of them could stand at the center of a New York criminal trial. One of the original accusers was dropped from the trial because of allegations of police misconduct.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein’s, I’m, ”, Deborah Tuerkheimer, Weinstein’s, Weinstein Organizations: Prosecutors, Northwestern, New York Times, New Locations: York, Manhattan, New York

☆ 2 founders of a crypto mixer charged with laundering funds from the dark web
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The cofounders of crypto mixer Samourai Wallet were charged with money laundering. The service anonymized hundreds of millions of dollars for dark web criminals, prosecutors said. AdvertisementThe cofounders of a cryptocurrency mixing service called Samourai Wallet — which rendered crypto transactions anonymous — have been arrested and charged with money laundering, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday. Rodriguez and Hill were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Related storiesThe Samourai Wallet website has been seized.

Persons: Samourai's cofounders, —, — Keonne Rodriguez, William Lonergan Hill —, Rodriguez, Hill, James Smith, haven't Organizations: Service, Prosecutors, Southern, of, FBI Locations: of New York, Portugal, DMs

☆ 4 Takeaways From the Supreme Court Hearing on Trump’s Immunity Claim
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Charlie Savage | Alan Feuer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court heard arguments on Thursday about Donald J. Trump’s claim that the federal charges accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2020 election must be thrown out because he is immune from being prosecuted for any official act he took as president. Several justices seemed to want to define some level of official act as immune. Although Mr. Trump’s claim of near-absolute immunity was seen as a long shot intended primarily to slow the proceedings, several members of the Republican-appointed majority seemed to indicate that some immunity was needed. Some of them expressed worry about the long-term consequences of leaving future former presidents open to prosecution for their official actions. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. criticized an appeals court ruling rejecting immunity for Mr. Trump, saying he was concerned that it “did not get into a focused consideration of what acts we are talking about or what documents are talking about.”

Persons: Donald J, Trump’s, Brett Kavanaugh, John G, Roberts Jr, Trump, “, ” Organizations: Republican

☆ Justices Seemed Ready to Limit Election Case Against Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared ready today to rule that former presidents should have some degree of immunity from criminal prosecution. Such a decision, while effectively rejecting Donald Trump’s assertion of absolute immunity, could narrow the scope of the federal criminal case accusing Trump of plotting to subvert the 2020 election. They agreed with the liberal justices mainly about the significance of their decision, which is expected in late June or early July: “We’re writing a rule for the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said. Many of the justices seemed to be considering the idea that presidents should enjoy some form of protection against criminal prosecution. But the liberal justices voiced concern that by offering presidents a shield from prosecution, the court could turn the Oval Office into a “seat of criminality,” as Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson described it.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, “, ”, Neil Gorsuch, Ketanji Brown Jackson

☆ How a Playboy Model’s Story of an Affair With Trump Became a Commodity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the middle of the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump called David Pecker, publisher of The National Enquirer. The candidate was seeking advice about a former Playboy model who was trying to sell her story of an affair with him, Mr. Pecker told jurors in Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial. Mr. Pecker suggested a way to silence the model, Karen McDougal. “I think that the story should be purchased,” he said he told Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the Daniels payment as part of an effort to influence the election.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump’s, Karen McDougal, “, ”, Ms, McDougal, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: National Enquirer, Playboy

Mr. Trump’s top lawyer said in response that Mr. Trump was simply defending himself from political attacks. The tabloid discovered that the story was apparently false, but paid $30,000 anyway, “because of the potential embarrassment” it could have caused Mr. Trump, Mr. Pecker said. When he proposed the magazine, Mr. Pecker said, Mr. Trump’s biggest question was, “Who’s going to pay for it?”Trump’s short leash could get shorter. For their part, prosecutors said they were not seeking to jail Mr. Trump, but wanted him to be fined. When Mr. Blanche finished his argument, Mr. Trump immediately beckoned him over before he snatched a piece of paper off the defense table.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Juan M, Merchan, Trump’s, ”, Justice Merchan, Todd Blanche, “ you’re, David Pecker, Mr, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, —, Pecker, Michael D, Cohen, Marion Curtis, Pecker’s, Trump “ Donald, “ Who’s, Christopher Conroy, Michael Cohen, “, ” Mr, Conroy, Blanche, Mark Peterson Organizations: National Enquirer, ” Prosecutors, Republican, Trump, Credit, Associated, Trump Mr Locations: Manhattan, York, Washington, New York

☆ A Puzzling Move by a Political Survivor Grips Spain
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jason Horowitz | Rachel Chaundler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A wave of political turmoil crashed over Spain on Thursday as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez publicly weighed resigning his post after a judge agreed to investigate his wife over allegations that he and other officials decried as a politically driven smear campaign. Mr. Sánchez, whose political survival skills have for years astonished his supporters and detractors alike, wrote in a public letter Wednesday that the accusations against his wife, Begoña Gómez, were false and amounted to harassment. One of the most prominent leftist leaders in Europe, Mr. Sánchez has canceled his public schedule while he reflects on his next move. He plans to address the nation on Monday. As Mr. Sánchez holed up with his family and resisted the entreaties of his allies to hit the campaign trail ahead of key elections in the Catalonia region and for the European Parliament, supporters talked about mobilizing rallies to convince him to stay.

Persons: Pedro Sánchez, —, Sánchez’s, Sánchez, Begoña Gómez Locations: Spain, Europe, Catalonia

☆ Ex-Enquirer Publisher Says He and Others Around Trump Feared His Anger
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Matthew Haag | More About Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A recurring theme in the testimony of David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer, has been how people around Donald J. Trump lived in fear of his wrath. Notably, Mr. Pecker kept his eyes locked on exhibits and prosecutors while discussing Mr. Trump’s temper, not once glancing over at the former president in the courtroom. Mr. Trump appeared subdued during Mr. Pecker’s testimony, as he has for most of the trial, but at one point, he motioned to the lawyers next to him and crossed his arms over his chest. Mr. Pecker and Mr. Cohen were in frequent contact during the 2016 presidential campaign, strategizing over how to bury threatening news about Mr. Trump before the November election. In urging Mr. Pecker to kill harmful stories, Mr. Cohen often invoked Mr. Trump’s potential anger as a reason for Mr. Pecker to do what he asked.

Persons: David Pecker, Donald J, Trump, Pecker, Michael D, Cohen, ” —, Pecker’s, motioned, Mr Organizations: National Enquirer, Mr

☆ Live Updates: Supreme Court Hears Trump’s Claim to ‘Absolute Immunity’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Adam Liptak | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Political appointees in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel have declared that the Constitution implicitly establishes immunity for sitting presidents. But political appointees in the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, whose interpretations are binding on the executive branch, have declared that the Constitution implicitly establishes such immunity. (That same month, Mr. Nixon had Mr. Cox fired in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre. Amid a political backlash, Mr. Nixon was forced to allow a new special counsel, Leon Jaworski, to resume the investigation.) Mr. Starr later said that he had concluded that he could indict Mr. Clinton.

Persons: Donald J, Robert G, Dixon Jr, Dixon, Richard M, Nixon, Archibald Cox, Nixon’s, Robert H, Bork, Cox, Leon Jaworski, Bill Clinton, Kenneth Starr, Monica Lewinsky, Randolph D, Moss, Department’s, Jaworski, Mr, Ronald Rotunda, Starr, Clinton, ”, Rotunda, ” Mr, Starr —, — Organizations: Justice Department’s, White, Justice Department, Justice Locations: Whitewater, “

☆ The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money Deals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Molly Cook Escobar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money DealsThe first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump has resurfaced three potential sex scandals that he faced ahead of the 2016 presidential election and buried with the help of allies. Manhattan prosecutors charged him in relation to the one involving the porn star Stormy Daniels; he pleaded not guilty and has said the three stories are untrue. Two other hush-money deals were made as part of a “catch and kill” effort by The National Enquirer. While those episodes are not formally part of the charges Mr. Trump is facing, prosecutors will argue that they were part of the effort to bury negative news about Mr. Trump to influence the election. Those deals involve Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump in 2006-7, and Dino Sajudin, a former doorman who in 2015 tried to sell an apparently false tip about Mr. Trump fathering a child out of wedlock.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels David Pecker, Karen McDougal Dino Sajudin, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Stormy Daniels Karen McDougal Dino Sajudin, Daniels, Karen McDougal, Dino Sajudin Organizations: Trump, National Enquirer, The New York Times Locations: Manhattan

☆ Harvey Weinstein sex crime conviction overturned and new trial ordered
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The New York Court of Appeals on Thursday overturned the sex crimes conviction against Harvey Weinstein, the powerful Hollywood producer whose downfall stood as a symbol of the #MeToo movement. Douglas H. Wigdor, an attorney who has represented eight of Weinstein’s accusers, including two of the “prior bad acts” witnesses at his New York criminal trial, criticized the ruling. In addition, three other women testified during the trial as “prior bad acts” witnesses as prosecutors sought to show Weinstein had a pattern of abuse. The use of “prior bad acts” witnesses has increased in recent years with the rise of the #MeToo movement. “Prior bad acts” evidence is one exception to this rule.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein, “, uncharged, Jenny Rivera, ” Weinstein, Weinstein, ” Donna Rotunno, ”, Emily Tuttle, Douglas H, Weinstein’s, MeToo, Bill Cosby, Miriam Haley, Jessica Mann, Haley, Mann Organizations: CNN, The New, Hollywood, Correctional Facility, of Corrections, Attorney’s, Manhattan, The New York Times, Yorker Locations: The New York, Rome , New York, Los Angeles, New York, Manhattan, York, Hollywood, Love, Pennsylvania

Trump himself has continued to lobby for absolute immunity, including before his appearance at a New York court where he’s on trial for business fraud. Dreeben told Barrett that the indictment against Trump is substantially about private conduct, meaning that a trial could proceed even if the Supreme Court finds some immunity for Trump’s official actions. Liberal justices weren’t impressed with Trump’s absolute immunity claimsIt was pretty clear where the court’s three liberals will be when the opinion lands. With arguments over, focus shifts to timing for decisionThe arguments about Trump’s immunity claim are over. In the immunity case, the court already helped Trump by denying the special counsel request last December to leapfrog the appeals court and resolve the question quickly.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Jack Smith carte, Trump, John Roberts, Roberts, didn’t, he’s, ” Roberts, skeptically, ” Trump, John Sauer, Sauer, Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Elena Kagan, Brad Raffensperger, Raffensperger, ”, Justice Barrett, Barrett –, Barrett, Smith, ” Barrett, Michael Dreeben, Dreeben, weren’t, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Kagan, “, that’s, ” Kagan, Jackson, ” Jackson, “ I’m, Alito, they’d, ” Alito, ’, Ty Cobb, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Richard Nixon, Gore, Katelyn Polantz, Hannah Rabinowitz, Holmes Lybrand Organizations: CNN, Trump, Appeals, DC Circuit, Georgia, Republican National Committee, Arizona, Justice Department, Trump isn’t Locations: New York, Arizona, Michigan , Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Washington

“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

☆ Legal woes pile up for Trump allies: Giuliani, Meadows, and more indicted in Arizona election interference case
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows are among those indicted in an Arizona election interference case. Multiple Trump allies and Arizona GOPers were charged with felony counts, including conspiracy. The indictment also appeared to list former President Donald Trump as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1." AdvertisementProsecutors charged Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and a slate of Arizona Republicans with multiple felonies in a 58-page indictment made public on Wednesday. A representative for Trump and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Persons: Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Donald Trump, —, Jenna Ellis, John Eastman, Christina Bobb, Trump, Mike Roman, Boris Epshteyn, Ted Goodman, Giuliani, Bobb, Charles Burnham, Eastman, George Terwilliger, Meadows, hadn't, Joe Biden Organizations: Trump, Service, Prosecutors, Arizona Republicans, The Washington, GOP, Eastman, Business, Post, United, Trump Organization Locations: Arizona, Maricopa County , Arizona, Ellis, United States, Georgia , Michigan , Wisconsin, Nevada, Georgia, Mar, New York

The Harvey Weinstein Appeal Ruling, AnnotatedThe 2020 conviction of Harvey Weinstein on felony sex crime charges in Manhattan was overturned on Thursday by New York’s top court. The ruling by the New York Court of Appeals said the trial judge in Mr. Weinstein’s case, Justice James M. Burke, erred in letting prosecutors call some women as witnesses who said Mr. Weinstein had assaulted them, but whose accusations were not included as charges. The appeals court found that Mr. Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer whose case ignited the #MeToo movement, had not received a fair trial. The New York Times is annotating the ruling. Download the original PDF.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein, James M, Burke, Weinstein, “, Mr Organizations: New, Appeals, Hollywood, New York Times Locations: Manhattan, California

☆ Trump feared for campaign, not family, as sex scandals were caught and killed, ex-Enquirer CEO tells hush-money jury
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When a porn star and Playboy Bunny both came forward, Trump feared for voters, not family, Pecker told jurors. Then, in swift succession and with the 2016 election just months away, a Playboy Bunny and a porn star appeared with more sex scandals. But in the months before the 2016 election, all Trump worried about was his voters, Pecker testified on his third day on the stand. "I thought his concern was with the campaign," Pecker added. Pecker told jurors he had been investigated by California officials for just this sort of thing more than a decade before Trump's 2016 campaign.

Persons: David Pecker, Playboy Bunny, Trump, Pecker, —, Donald Trump, Dino Sajudin, Bunny Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Steinglass, Daniels, Michael Cohen, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Dylan Howard, Trump's, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnold, Howard, Howard texted, Cohen, Karen, McDougal, Michael, Jeff Sessions Organizations: National Enquirer, Service, Trump, Enquirer, Trump Organization, Attorney, American Media International, AMI, Prosecutors, McDougal's, Federal, Commission Locations: Manhattan, California, Australia

☆ McKinsey advised drug companies on how to 'turbocharge' opioid sales. Now it's under criminal investigation.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Meghan Morris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Department of Justice is investigating McKinsey for advising opioid producers on boosting sales. The firm previously paid nearly $1 billion to resolve lawsuits related to its opioid work. The investigation is also looking at potential obstruction of justice by McKinsey and its employees. News of the investigation underscores how McKinsey's opioid work — which the firm said it stopped in 2019 — continues to plague the consultancy. In a 2018 email, for example, a since-fired McKinsey executive wrote to another senior executive about the firm's legal risk.

Persons: —, Endo, Martin Elling Organizations: Justice, McKinsey, Service, McKinsey & Company, US Department of Justice, Street, Purdue Pharma, DOJ, of, Purdue Locations: Virginia, Western, of Virginia, of Massachusetts, Seattle

☆ Prosecutors Say Trump Keeps Breaking Gag Order, With Four New Violations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Matthew Haag | More About Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Prosecutors on Thursday accused former President Donald J. Trump of violating a gag order four additional times, saying that he continues to defy the judge’s directions not to attack witnesses, prosecutors and jurors in his hush-money trial. “He’s doing what the order tells him not to do,” said Christopher Conroy, a prosecutor for the Manhattan district attorney. As Mr. Conroy laid out what he said were violations, Mr. Trump whispered to his lawyer Todd Blanche and frowned. After they spoke, Mr. Blanche rubbed his face several times. With the latest allegations, prosecutors now say that Mr. Trump has violated the gag order 15 times in less than two weeks.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, “, ”, Christopher Conroy, Conroy, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Juan M Locations: Manhattan

☆ Two Trump courtroom dramas could help shape the tone of a future presidency
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Prosecutors have framed the trial as more than a simple case of falsifying business records — the offense with which Trump has been charged. But the results of Trump’s pending cases — and whether they even come to trial — could help decide the tone of a future presidency. But at the same time, Trump is using the privileges of appeals available to any defendant to their full extent. “We’re writing a rule for the ages.”It’s always hazardous to speculate how Supreme Court justices will rule based on their questioning in oral arguments. This could mean the case returns to lower courts for more litigation — a move that could delay the federal election trial for months, far beyond the November election.

Persons: Donald Trump, George Washington, David Pecker, Trump’s, Trump, —, Trump —, Republican nominee’s, Jack Smith’s, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Jackson, Pecker, didn’t, Matthew Colangelo, he’s, Joe Biden, Biden, “, Benjamin Franklin, inoculate Trump, CNN’s Zachary B, Wolf, Marquis de Lafayette, demagogue, George Conway, ” Conway, CNN’s Wolf, ”, Neil Gorsuch, “ I’m, Amy Coney Barrett, David Sauer, Sauer, Elena Kagan, Kagan, ” Kagan Organizations: CNN, National Enquirer, Republican, Trump, GOP, Prosecutors, Supreme, White House Locations: New York, Georgia, Florida, — Washington, Washington, Philadelphia , Washington

☆ Live Updates: Harvey Weinstein’s Conviction Is Overturned by New York’s Top Court
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jonah E. Bromwich | Maria Cramer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

PinnedNew York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges, a stunning reversal in the foundational case of the #MeToo era. Citing that decision and others it identified as errors, the appeals court determined that Mr. Weinstein, who as a movie producer had been one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, had not received a fair trial. The four judges in the majority wrote that Mr. Weinstein was not tried solely on the crimes he was charged with, but instead for much of his past behavior. It was not immediately clear on Thursday morning how the decision would affect Mr. Weinstein, 71, who is being held in an upstate prison in Rome, N.Y. Mr. Weinstein was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 100 women; in New York he was convicted of assaulting two of them.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein’s, Weinstein’s, Weinstein, Alvin L, Bragg —, Donald J, Trump Organizations: New, Appeals, Mr, Beverly Hills Locations: Hollywood, Manhattan, Rome, California, Beverly, New York

New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned the felony sex crimes conviction of the notorious Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, a staggering reversal of a bedrock case in the #MeToo era that prompted countless victims of sexual harassment and assault to come forward as accusers. In a bitterly contested 4-to-3 decision, the New York Court of Appeals found that the judge who had presided over Mr. Weinstein’s case deprived him of a fair trial in 2020 by allowing prosecutors to call witnesses who said Mr. Weinstein had assaulted them — but whose accusations were not the basis for any of the charges against him. Responding on Thursday, the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, announced that he would seek to prosecute Mr. Weinstein again. “We will do everything in our power to retry this case, and remain steadfast in our commitment to survivors of sexual assault,” a spokeswoman for Mr. Bragg’s office said. The case was originally prosecuted by his predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr.

Persons: Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein’s, Weinstein, Alvin L, Bragg, Mr, “, ”, Cyrus R, Vance Jr Organizations: Hollywood, New, Appeals, Mr Locations: Manhattan

☆ Weinstein’s Conviction Is Overturned: 5 Takeaways
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Maria Cramer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a 4-to-3 decision on Thursday, New York’s highest court overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction on felony sex crime charges, a reversal that horrified and dismayed many of the women whose decision to speak out against Mr. Weinstein, a prominent Hollywood producer, accelerated the #MeToo movement. The New York Court of Appeals agreed with Mr. Weinstein’s defense team that the trial judge who presided over the sex crimes case in Manhattan, Justice James Burke, made a critical error when he let prosecutors call as witnesses several women who testified that Mr. Weinstein had assaulted them, even though none of those allegations had led to charges. The women became known as Molineux witnesses, a term that refers to trial witnesses who are allowed to testify about criminal acts that the defendant has not been charged with committing. In writing for the majority, Judge Jenny Rivera said permitting such testimony in Mr. Weinstein’s case had served to wrongly “diminish defendant’s character before the jury.”

Persons: Harvey Weinstein’s, Weinstein, James Burke, Jenny Rivera, Weinstein’s, ” Organizations: New, Mr Locations: Hollywood, New York, Manhattan, Molineux

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