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☆ Trump’s Case Heads to the Jury: 5 Takeaways From Closing Arguments
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump began its seventh week, the prosecution and the defense made their final pitches to jurors, sending the landmark case into deliberations on Wednesday. A defense lawyer, Todd Blanche, spent three hours Tuesday hammering Michael D. Cohen, the prosecution’s star witness, including accusing him of perjury. He attacked Stormy Daniels, the porn star whose account of a tryst with Mr. Trump in 2006 set in motion the charges the former president faces. Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to hide Mr. Cohen’s reimbursement for a $130,000 hush-money payment he made to Ms. Daniels. Mr. Trump has denied the charges and the sexual encounter.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Todd Blanche, Michael D, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Daniels

☆ Michael Avenatti: Supreme Court turns away appeal of disgraced attorney’s extortion conviction
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( John Fritze | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined an appeal from disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti, who argued that his extortion conviction was based on a vague anti-corruption law that shouldn’t apply to lawyers making settlement demands. On his broad point, at least, Avenatti’s argument has picked up some support from members of the Supreme Court’s conservative wing. Avenatti cited the Gorsuch opinion in his appeal and argued that the Supreme Court should invalidate the law. The Biden administration countered that Avenatti’s conduct was well within the plain meaning of the prohibition – in other words, not a fringe case – and that his appeal was foreclosed by earlier Supreme Court precedent. The New York-based 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals declined to overturn Avenatti’s conviction last year.

Persons: Michael Avenatti, Stormy Daniels, Avenatti, it’s, Neil Gorsuch, ” Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Biden, shouldn’t, Avenatti’s, Brett Kavanaugh Organizations: CNN, Nike, Conservative Locations: New York

☆ In a baffling closing argument, Trump attorney Todd Blanche used DA's evidence against his own client
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Laura Italiano | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementTrump was not involved with any such conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, Blanche told jurors in great detail on Tuesday, during a three-hour summation. "The government has to prove to you that President Trump caused these entries — even if they were false — with an intent to defraud," Blanche told jurors. "That was outrageous, Mr. Blanche," state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan told Blanche after jurors were dismissed for lunch. Advertisement"President Trump tweeted what happened when it came out," and then signed a government ethics form that also admitted to the reimbursement, Blanche told jurors Tuesday. Cohen is "literally like an MVP of liars," Blanche told jurors.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Trump, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, reimbursing Cohen, Cohen, Juan Merchan, It's, they'd, Allen Weisselberg, what's, he's Organizations: Service, Business, Prosecutors, New, BI, Trump Organization —, Trump, — Trump Locations: Manhattan, York, New York, Blanche's summations

☆ Opinion | ‘Accordion Hands’ and ‘Caterpillar Eyebrows’: Trump Meets the Female Gaze
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Jessica Bennett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Donald Trump is relaxed — or as relaxed as someone can be while on trial for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records — you can see his socks. She takes it all in, and all of it, in turn, informs her work, which has been appearing in New York magazine. But rather than capturing key moments, or producing realistic renderings of the day’s events, Ms. Brourman’s expressive images cut across space and time. She uses watercolors, colored pencils, graphite, glitter pens; sometimes she tweezes for texture, or scrawls words in corners. In her portraits of Mr. Trump, he is both frenetic and hulking; her Stormy Daniels, shaded with blues and purples, looks emotionally bruised.

Persons: Donald Trump, Isabelle Brourman, Trump’s, Ms, Brourman, Mr, Trump, Stormy Daniels, ” Locations: New York

☆ Opinion: Here’s how I, as an attorney, would try to persuade the Trump jury in closing arguments
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Opinion Joey Jackson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

If the jury agrees, Trump would become a convicted felon, and could face up to four years in prison. But Trump’s defense attorneys will have much to say Tuesday about the evidence presented by prosecutors in an attempt to avoid that outcome. As to ledgers and invoices keeping track of these checks, Trump is the owner of the organization, not the bookkeeper or finance person. Cohen claims Trump was with the bodyguard at the time, and that he handed Trump the phone. The evidence shows that in order for checks to be issued to Cohen, Trump would have had to give his approval.

Persons: Joey Jackson, Donald, Joey Jackson Jeremy Freeman, Trump, District Attorney Alvin L, Bragg, ledgers, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, he’d, Cohen, It’s, Daniels, reimbursing Cohen, Hope Hicks, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Keith Davidson, Davidson, I’ll, Cohen wasn’t, ” Organizations: CNN, Manhattan Supreme, District Attorney, Prosecutors, Trump, Department of Justice, Trump Organization, Playboy, White, FedEx, Twitter, Facebook Locations: United States

☆ 10 Smoking Guns in Trump Hush-Money Trial That Speak for Themselves
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Manhattan district attorney's office/BIWhy is this evidence — our third smoking gun — so important? AdvertisementEvidence People's 35 in the Trump hush-money trial. Robert Costello, a key defense witness in the Donald Trump hush-money trial in New York. Manhattan district attorney's office/BI"Rudy was thrilled and said this could not be a better situation for the President or you. From People's 374 Manhattan district attorney's office/BICohen testified that immediately after these calls with Trump, he took the elevator down from his Trump Organization offices at Trump Tower.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Michael Cohen Alex Brandon, Eduardo Munoz, " Cohen, Cohen, Karen McDougal's, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Daniels, Trump's, Allen Weisselberg, Jonathan Ernst, Jon Elswick, MARK PETERSON, Todd Blanche, Mamaroneck , New York —, Madeleine Westerhout, Westerhout, Cohen —, Weisselberg, Robert Costello, Jane Rosenberg, Rudy Giuliani, Costello, Bob Costello, Rudy, Jay Sekelow, Giuliani, It's Trump, Timothy A, Clary, Donald, he's, — Trump, reimbursing Cohen, Pecker —, Pecker, — that's, Cohen's, Melissa Duran, Duran, Susan Hoffinger Organizations: Service, Business, Reuters, Trump, Prosecutors, National Enquirer, Trump Org, Manhattan Criminal, Getty, Defense, White House, —, Read, Wall Street Journal, FBI, Giuliani, CQ, Cohen's, AMI, Department of Justice, Federal, First Republic Bank, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, Trump, New York City, Mamaroneck , New York, Republic, New York, United States

☆ Closing arguments for Trump’s hush money trial begin Tuesday. Here’s what to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Devan Cole | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But prosecutors will have an extra degree of difficulty with a long break ahead of closing arguments, as jurors will have been away from the case since Tuesday. “This, more than even your typical case, is going to be a closing case,” he added. The star witness in this case are the documents, and the documents speak for themselves.”Trump’s attorneys will present their closing arguments first on Tuesday, followed by the arguments from prosecutors. They will say this is a documents case,” he explained, going on to describe the various accounting documents presented during the trial. Still, the closing arguments from each side will be carefully crafted to win not only a verdict in their favor, but also to mark each attorneys’ place in the historic trial, Villalona mused.

Persons: CNN —, Donald Trump, Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg’s, “, ”, Elie Honig, Bernarda Villalona, Juan Merchan, David Pecker, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Robert Costello, Cohen, Daniels, Merchan, Honig, ‘ Michael Cohen’s, Allen Weisselberg, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, “ Trump, …, Pecker, ’, Agnifilo, Villalona, CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle Organizations: CNN, Attorney, Former New York, Trump Organization, Trump, Trump Org ., Attorney’s Locations: York, Manhattan, New York

☆ When the crowd leaves Trump's hush-money trial, the judge spends his day in a very different kind of court
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-26 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

AdvertisementGetting accepted is just the startThe Manhattan mental health court is one path available to those who plead guilty to felonies. Related storiesMerchan is the sole judge of the mental health court in all of Manhattan, and has presided over it since its founding in 2011. If the office allows it, a mental health court treatment plan can become part of their plea agreement, which includes different consequences for failures. "It's really hard, a huge burden to even get so far as to be accepted into mental health court," said Orlins. If you fail the mental health court program in such a dramatic fashion, the next step can be a sentencing hearing.

Persons: —, Donald Trump's, Stormy Daniels, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Donald Trump, Curtis Means, Trump, I'm, Eliza Orlins, Justice Juan M, Seth Wenig, Juan Merchan's, ANGELA WEISS, Orlins, Jane Rosenberg, Iris Organizations: Service, Republican, Business, New, Trump, Justice, AP, Manhattan, Attorney's, Getty, Associated Press Locations: United States, Washington, Manhattan, New York City

☆ Trump trial: CNN’s in-the-courtroom reporters describe key moments
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

A judge found Trump liable for fraud for inflating his net worth to get friendly loans, and juries found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defaming Carroll. DEL VALLE: This is actually my fourth Trump trial. Here, it’s almost been interesting how at moments it just felt like a regular trial. Reporters in the courtroom sat behind Trump – with a view often blocked by the many officers in the aisles of the gallery. The response prompted one of the biggest laughs in the courtroom in the entire trial – even several jurors were laughing.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, CNN’s Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb, Jean Carroll, Trump, defaming Carroll, del, he’s, it’s, That’s, I’ve, Kara, Lauren, Daniels, It’s, Susan Hoffinger, Christine Cornell, Michael Cohen’s, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Cohen, Keith Schiller, Cohen …, flailing, Kaitlan Collins, Robert Costello, Emil Bove’s, Costello, Judge Juan Merchan, ” Merchan, –, admonish, David Pecker, Trump’s, Pecker, Jane Rosenberg Hope Hicks, Hope Hicks, CNN Madeleine Westerhout, Madeleine Westerhout, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Boris Epshteyn, “, Joshua Steinglass, Emil Bove, Jaden Jarmel, Schneider, Bove, ”, ” Jarmel, ” Bove Organizations: CNN, Trump, New, DEL VALLE, Midway, National Enquirer, Trump … DEL VALLE, White House, VALLE, White, Attorney, Republican Locations: York, New York, del Valle, Manhattan

☆ Alibaba's Hong Kong shares drop 5% after report of possible $5 billion convertible bond sale
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hong Kong-listed shares of Alibaba fell over 5% Thursday following a report that the Chinese tech giant is considering selling convertible bonds to raise $5 billion. Shares ended the trading day 5.24% lower, after falling more than 6% earlier following the Bloomberg report. In premarket trading in New York, Alibaba's NYSE-listed shares were down 2.21% at 04:51 a.m. CNBC could not independently confirm the report, and Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, Chinese e-commerce rival JD.com took a similar step with a $1.75 billion convertible senior note offering due in five years with a 0.25% coupon.

Persons: Alibaba, JD.com, — CNBC's Arjun Kharpal Organizations: Bloomberg, Alibaba's NYSE, CNBC Locations: Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, China, Hong Kong, Alibaba, New York, Alibaba's

☆ UK election 2024: Everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Rishi Sunak’s rival for power is Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is heavily favored to become Britain’s new prime minister in July. Labour leader Keir Starmer -- the frontrunner in the election -- launches his campaign in Gillingham on Thursday. Given Labour’s standing in the polls, Starmer is more equipped to take the fight to other groups. In the UK, voters don’t elect a prime minister directly. But this is a formal role only; the King won’t contradict his prime minister or overrule the results of an election.

Persons: CNN —, Rishi Sunak, We’ll, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Downing, Maja Smiejkowska, – Sunak, Boris Johnson’s, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Stefan Rousseau, Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May, Sunak hasn’t, –, Starmer, Henry Nicholls, Rishi Sunak’s, Gareth Fuller, Reform Party –, David Cameron, King Charles III, won’t Organizations: CNN, CNN — Britain’s, Labour, Reuters, Sunak’s Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Conservative, Party, Getty, European Union, Reform Party, Scottish National Party, Green Party, National Health Service Locations: Westminster, Rwanda, England, AFP, Gillingham, Gaza

☆ The jury in the Trump trial faces a task unique in American history
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“The judge hates Donald Trump, just take a look, take a look at him, take a look at where he comes from. The intricate task that awaits jurorsIt’s impossible to know how jurors are interpreting the daily drama of the courtroom in any trial. Trump has denied the alleged affair with Daniels, and hush money payments are not illegal in themselves. When Cohen finally took the stand, he directly implicated Trump in the alleged scheme to buy Daniels’ silence. But he may have ended up creating a hole in the Trump defense, according to several legal experts.

Persons: there’ll, Donald Trump’s, He’s, Juan Merchan, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Donald Trump, Trump, It’s, he’s, —, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, “, Matthew Colangelo, they’ve, Michael Cohen, ”, Todd Blanche, Cohen, David Pecker, Pecker, Hope Hicks, Hicks, ” Hicks, ’, ” Trump, ‘, ’ ” Cohen, Trump’s, he’d, beseeched, Cohen’s, ” Blanche, Merchan, — Robert Costello, Costello Organizations: CNN, Trump, Attorney, Democrat, Republican, GOP, New York, Prosecutors, American Media Inc, National Enquirer, White House Locations: New York, Manhattan, Lake Tahoe

☆ Latest Trump hush-money battle: how to instruct jurors on the coverup of a coverup and crimes within crimes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewLawyers in the Donald Trump hush-money trial spent Tuesday afternoon in a spirited battle over this question: what will the judge tell jurors right before they begin their deliberations next week? The jury charge is so important, so sacrosanct, that Merchan will order the doors to his courtroom sealed for its duration, with no one in the well or audience allowed to enter or leave. AdvertisementThe jury charge for this single felony should be easy, right? But it's not the only law jurors must understand and weigh when they begin deliberations as early as Wednesday. Or can some jurors find that Trump conspired to violate tax law, while other jurors see the falsification of National Enquirer business records as the central offense?

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Trump, There's, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Michael Cohen, Cohen, — Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Getty, Daniels, it's, Prosecutors, he's, It's, reimbursements, Emil Bove, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Merchan, I'm, Yuki Iwamura, Bove, he'll Organizations: Service, York, Business, Trump Organization, Prosecutors, Attorney, Trump, Manhattan, Federal, National Enquirer Locations: New York, York, Manhattan

☆ Opinion: Trump’s defense ends on one disastrous witness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Part of the reason for those modest hopes was the fact that the defense case would not include testimony by the defendant. Later, the charging conference to agree on jury instructions showed how daunting the law is that Trump faces. All of that is bad news not just for Costello, whose clash with Merchan won Trump’s praise outside the courtroom Monday, but also for the defense. Because Costello was one of Trump’s only witnesses, there is also the risk that he — and the jury’s reaction to his poor attitude — will taint the defense case overall. There was little the defense could do about the law in the charging conference beyond their usual able argument.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Robert Costello, Costello, Michael Cohen, Susan Hoffinger, ” Cohen, Rudy Giuliani, Cohen, —, Trump, Norm Eisen, Stormy Daniels, ”, parrying, Merchan, it’s, Matthew Colangelo, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump —, FBI, Prosecutors, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Manhattan, , New York

☆ Trump trial resumes with defense witness Robert Costello after judge scorches him for disrespectful conduct
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The man who might be the most significant defense witness for former President Donald Trump — and the last witness in his New York criminal hush money trial — resumes testimony Tuesday, a day after a judge ripped him for disrespectful conduct on the witness stand. The witness, criminal defense lawyer Robert Costello, was sharply warned Monday afternoon by Judge Juan Merchan for glaring at the judge and muttering in disdain when Merchan upheld objections from prosecutors. "I'm putting you on notice that your conduct is contemptuous now," Merchan told Costello, after clearing the courtroom of most of the public and press when he had had enough of the former federal prosecutor's antics. "If you stare me down one more time, I will remove you from the stand," Merchan warned, according to a transcript of the verbal beatdown. Cohen has said he paid Daniels to keep her quiet about a one-off sexual tryst with Trump in 2006 to keep her from damaging his chances in the 2016 presidential election.

Persons: Robert Costello, Juan Merchan, Donald Trump's, Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump —, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan, Costello, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Daniels, Trump Organizations: FBI Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, New York

☆ Trump’s trial reaches crescendo as tempers fray in the courtroom
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The presumptive Republican nominee’s lawyers made a long-shot bid for the dismissal of his first criminal trial before the jury has even been asked to deliberate. And he implored Merchan not to hand jurors a case so reliant on testimony from Cohen, a confessed liar. Key developmentsMonday’s court action at times threatened to spin out of control — in a way that only a Trump trial can. “I know it may feel like you’re on trial here after cross-examination, but are you actually on trial?” she asked Cohen. Courtroom chaosVeteran lawyers and court reporters said they’d never seen anything like the scene precipitated by defense witness Robert Costello.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Juan Merchan, Michael Cohen, sensationally, ’, Todd Blanche, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Merchan, Cohen, ” Blanche, ”, “, Blanche, he’d, ” Trump, Daniels, won’t, —, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Keith Schiller, Susan Hoffinger, LaDoris Hazzard Cordell, Jake Tapper, they’d, Robert Costello, Costello, there’s, ” Merchan, ” Cordell, Tapper, Bob Costello, I’ve, Terri Austin, CNN’s Erin Burnett, we’ll Organizations: CNN, Republican, Trump, Republican Party, Trump Organization, “ Locations: Merchan, Trump, Manhattan

☆ Bob Menendez: Trump circus overshadows senator’s corruption trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

So it goes for Menendez, who is likely pleased to have his legal drama playing out in relative obscurity. More recently, Fetterman mocked the senator’s defense, which relies in part on pointing the finger of blame on Nadine Menendez, his wife. Republicans in Washington, as they’ve done during these first two weeks of the Menendez trial in New York, have been consistently deferential to the New Jersey Democrat. Rep. Andy Kim, a popular Democrat from South Jersey, is expected to win the nomination to succeed Menendez. Andrew Giuliani, pressed for a thought on the senator’s trial or the allegations against him, shrugged.

Persons: New York CNN — Andrew Giuliani, Donald, ”, Rudy Giuliani squinted, “, ” He’s, Sen, Bob Menendez’s, –, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Menendez, Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Ronny Jackson, Bob Costello, Pam Bondi, Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Matt Whitaker, Sebastian Gorka, Gov, Dan Patrick, Jackson, María Elvira Salazar, Troy Nehls, Dale Strong, Daniel Webster of, Vladimir Putin’s, Cory Booker, Chuck Schumer, John Fetterman, George Santos, Fetterman, Nadine Menendez, ” Fetterman, Jake Tapper, Mitch McConnell, ” North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, he’s, Andy Kim, Andrew Giuliani, haven’t, ” CNN’s Sabrina Souza Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York, Manhattan Criminal, Court, Republican, Democrat, The New, The New Jersey Democrat, Foreign Relations, Trump, Democratic, Manhattan, Attorney, Texas, Dale Strong of, Pennsylvania Democrat, New York Rep, “, Union, ”, Republicans, New Jersey Democrat, Democrats, GOP, ” North, Politico Locations: New York, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, The, The New Jersey, Menendez’s, Florida, Sebastian Gorka , Texas, María Elvira Salazar of Florida, Texas, Dale Strong of Alabama, Daniel Webster of Florida, North Korea, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Egypt, ”, “ State, Israel, ” North Dakota, South Jersey, New York City

☆ A Swift Defense and a Decision Ahead: 5 Takeaways From Trump’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And, despite dangling the possibility, Mr. Trump did not testify. Testimony started April 22 with a tabloid publisher called by the prosecution, David Pecker, and ended with a lawyer called by the defense, Robert Costello. Mr. Trump, 77, has denied the charges and the encounter. Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trump’s 20th day on trial. Mr. Costello, once Mr. Cohen’s informal adviser, continued on the stand on Tuesday, after a reprimand Monday from Justice Juan M. Merchan, who said he had been “contemptuous.”

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Robert Costello, Stormy Daniels, Trump’s, Michael D, Cohen, Hope Hicks, Daniels, . Costello, Justice Juan M, Merchan, ” Organizations: Memorial, Mr, Justice

CNN —The defense rested its case in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial on Tuesday after roughly 90 minutes of testimony – and without the former president taking the stand. Here are takeaways from the final day of testimony in the Trump hush money trial:Trump doesn’t take the standOver the last several months, Trump repeatedly teased that he would take the stand in his own defense. “That was a lie,” Blanche alleged of Cohen’s testimony he spoke to Trump about moving forward with the hush money deal. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger also tried to remind jurors that it was Trump – not Cohen – who was on trial in this case. In their first meeting, Costello said Cohen was “absolutely manic” and suicidal after the FBI raid on his properties.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Robert Costello, Michael Cohen, Trump, Cohen, ” Trump, Todd Blanche, Costello, Sandoval, –, Jean Carroll, Donald J, Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Cohen –, Trump’s, Blanche, Keith Schiller, Schiller, Daniels, ” Blanche, Keith, ” Cohen, Prosecutors, Susan Hoffinger, Trump –, ” Hoffinger, “, Juan Merchan, ” Merchan, Merchan, ” Costello, Emil Bove, Bob, Donald Trump, ”, scold Costello, Hoffinger, Rudy Giuliani, Mercahn Organizations: CNN, FBI, Publicly, Trump, New, Mr, Giuliani Locations: Wisconsin, New York, Florida

AdvertisementThe first-ever criminal trial of a former American president is now nearing its end after several weeks of witness testimony. Related storiesIn some of those hallway appearances earlier in the trial, Trump has told reporters that he planned to testify. He told jurors that Cohen told him that Trump didn't know anything about the payments. "If you don't like my ruling, you don't give me side-eye, and you don't roll your eyes," Merchan told Costello before he cleared the room. Trump " wasn't thinking about Melania — this was all about the campaign," Cohen told jurors.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Juan Merchan, Trump, Robert Costello, Costello, Emil Bove, muttered, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Susan Hoffinger, Merchan, Stormy Daniels, Cohen —, Trump —, Daniels, didn't, Rudy Giuliani, audibly, Judge Juan Merchan, castigates, Elizabeth Williams, Daniel Sitko, Brad Smith, Smith's, Smith, reimbursing Cohen Organizations: Service, GOP, Business, New, Trump, Republican, Manhattan, Attorney's Office, Attorney's, Prosecutors, FBI, AP, Federal, Washington Examiner Locations: New York, American, Manhattan, Trump

☆ Opinion: Trump’s defense got one last shot at Michael Cohen. Did they make their case?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The biggest drama in the trial of former President Donald Trump on Monday came not, as expected, in the cross-examination of former Trump attorney Michael Cohen. His testimony wrapped without any moments approaching the significance of last week’s defense hits on the star witness. Cohen had already admitted that he lied to Costello, and indeed lied more broadly to protect Trump before cooperating with the government. But Cohen has already testified that he lied about Trump’s knowledge of the payment to Daniels before cooperating with prosecutors. It culminated before the lunch break with a bit of razzle- dazzle to bolster Cohen’s testimony about what happened on that phone call with Schiller and Trump.

Persons: Norman Eisen, “, Donald Trump, Trump, Michael Cohen, — Robert Costello, Cohen —, audibly, Juan Merchan, Costello, ” Merchan, cautioning, ’, …, ” Costello, Merchan, Norm Eisen, Cohen, chastising Costello, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Keith Schiller, Schiller, —, Trump’s, ”, Susan Hoffinger, Perry Mason Organizations: CNN, Monday, Trump, Trump Organization, SPAN, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Trump’s Manhattan, Tampa , Florida

☆ Live Updates: Trump’s Lawyers Are Expected to Rest Case in Criminal Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trump’s 19th day on trial. Last week, Todd Blanche, Mr. Trump’s lead lawyer, confronted Mr. Cohen about a phone call on Oct. 24, 2016. After cross-examination, prosecutors sought to introduce a photo showing Mr. Trump with Mr. Schiller that was taken about the same time as the call. He tried to raise questions about other calls that Mr. Cohen said he placed to Mr. Trump around the time of the hush-money payment. Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s combustible former lawyer and fixer, never lost his temper, despite admitting all manner of bad behavior.

Persons: Michael D, Cohen, Donald J, Trump, sully, Juan M, Merchan, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Trump’s, Robert Costello, Costello, “, ”, Justice Merchan, Mr, . Costello, ” Prosecutors, Todd Blanche, —, Keith Schiller —, Schiller, Cohen’s, Blanche, Susan Hoffinger, ” Cohen, Dave Sanders Organizations: Mr, Defense, Trump Organization, The New York Times Locations: Manhattan, Lake Tahoe, Nev

☆ Prosecutors Poised to Conclude Trump Case as Trial Enters Final Days
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Jonah E. Bromwich | Ben Protess | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Donald J. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial will enter its final phase on Monday with the prosecution poised to complete its case and the defense considering whether to call witnesses of its own. The witness, Michael D. Cohen, has already testified over the course of three days, telling jurors that in 2015 he entered a conspiracy to suppress information damaging to the presidential campaign of his then-boss, Mr. Trump. Mr. Cohen, who was Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer, suppressed one of those stories himself, paying $130,000 to a porn star, Stormy Daniels, just weeks before the election to bury her story of having had sex with Mr. Trump. After the election, Mr. Cohen testified, the president-elect approved a plan to reimburse him for the payment, knowing that the reimbursements would be classified as ordinary legal expenses. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has charged Mr. Trump with 34 felonies, arguing that what Mr. Cohen described was a crime: the falsification of business records.

Persons: Donald J, Michael D, Cohen, Trump, Stormy Daniels Locations: Manhattan

Once Mr. Trump was elected, he agreed to repay Mr. Cohen for the $130,000 hush-money deal and more. And at a meeting in Trump Tower just weeks before he was sworn in, Mr. Trump signed off on the fakery, Mr. Cohen recounted from the stand. “What, if anything, did Mr. Trump say at that time?” a prosecutor asked Mr. Cohen. There, he said, Mr. Trump’s chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, explained how Mr. Trump would reimburse Mr. Cohen for the payoff. To reach Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen testified, he called the candidate’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller.

Persons: Donald J, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Michael D, Cohen, Trump, Trump’s, —, Alvin L, Bragg, Cohen —, Marc F, Scholl, ”, ” Mr, Stormy Daniels, Mr, “, Michael M, Joshua Steinglass, Juan M, Merchan —, “ Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Hope Hicks, Penny, Daniels, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Susan Hoffinger, Cohen’s, Keith Schiller, Schiller, William K, Rashbaum Organizations: Trump, Mr, Trump “, New, National Enquirer, Playboy, fixer Locations: Manhattan, New York

CNN —The prosecution rested their case against Donald J. Trump on Monday in the former president’s hush money trial, which is barreling toward a conclusion as soon as next week. Regardless of the break, the Trump hush money trial is near its end – and roughly a week away from being in the hands of the jury. Cohen was the key witness, spending more than 17 hours on the witness stand over four days before wrapping up on Monday. Trial endgame comes into focusTrump’s side began its defense case Monday afternoon – and the former president’s lawyers appear likely to rest on Tuesday. The defense first called a paralegal to introduce call records between Cohen and Costello, before Costello took the stand.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael Cohen’s, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Juan Merchan, Robert Costello, audibly, Costello, Merchan, Daniels, Hope Hicks, National Enquirer David Pecker, Todd Blanche, Trump’s, Rudy Giuliani, “, Bob, Donald Trump, Emil Bove, ”, there’s, ” Merchan, Susan Hoffinger Organizations: CNN, Trump, National Enquirer, CNN Defense, FBI, New Locations: Manhattan, New York

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