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☆ Cohen Asks the Supreme Court to Let Him Sue Trump Over His Imprisonment
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Ben Protess | Maggie Haberman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump is riding a winning streak at the Supreme Court. Mr. Cohen had been released for health reasons in 2020, but the Trump administration brought him back to prison after he announced plans to write a scathing book about Mr. Trump. Ultimately, a federal judge ordered his release and rebuked the Trump administration for its “retaliatory” action. Mr. Cohen then sued Mr. Trump and other federal officials, a case that has gained significance after the former president’s pledges to seek retribution and prosecute political enemies. Lower courts dismissed the lawsuit early on in the case, setting up Wednesday’s request that the Supreme Court take it up and send it back for a trial.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Michael D, Cohen, Cohen’s Organizations: Supreme, Wednesday, Mr

☆ Judge rolls back parts of Trump gag order ahead of sentencing in New York criminal case
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Lauren Del Valle | Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Trump, however, cannot discuss any prosecutor, court staffer or their family members, according to a court order on Tuesday from Judge Juan Merchan that rolls back parts of the gag order imposed before the trial began. That aspect of the gag order remains in effect at least until his sentencing, which is set for July 11. Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement that Merchan’s order “leaves in place portions of the unconstitutional gag order” and that Trump plans to appeal the ruling. Trump repeatedly complained about the gag order throughout the seven-week trial, arguing that witnesses, including Cohen, were taking advantage of the gag order to attack him when he couldn’t respond. In the filing, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said it did not oppose lifting the portion of the gag order that blocked Trump from making statements about witnesses.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Joe Biden, Trump, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Biden, Steven Cheung, ” Cheung, ” Trump, Cohen, Daniels, Donald, Donald’s, ” Merchan, “ Organizations: CNN, Trump, Democratic, “, New, Trump fixer Locations: Manhattan

☆ Recapping the Trump hush money charges, trial, verdict and questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Dan Berman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The indictment alleged that Trump was a part of an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election. While hush money payments are not illegal in themselves, each charge was tied to a specific allegedly false entry among the financial records of the Trump Organization. Trump has argued that the payments to Michael Cohen, his former fixer who paid Daniels, were correctly labeled as legal expenses. Trump railed against the gag order every day during the trial and again on May 31 when he spoke at Trump Tower the day after the verdict. And the Georgia election interference case is in legal limbo while Trump and several of his co-defendants try to disqualify the Atlanta-area prosecutor who brought the charges.

Persons: Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump, what’s, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Cohen, David Pecker, Karen, Pecker, perjurer, Cohen couldn’t, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Trump’s, CNN’s Zachary B, Wolf, Devan Cole, CNN’s Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb, Zachary B Organizations: CNN, Trump, White, Manhattan, Attorney, Trump Organization, fixer, Prosecutors, National Enquirer, Trump Tower, Division, Department, New, US Locations: New York, Washington ,, Florida, Georgia, Atlanta

But in closing arguments, one of Mr. Bragg’s prosecutors said that Mr. Cohen had told his lies for Mr. Trump. After the election, Mr. Pecker testified, Mr. Trump summoned him to Trump Tower. The ShowdownEven that did not prove that Mr. Trump had falsified records to disguise his reimbursement of Mr. Cohen. Mr. Trump washed his hands of Mr. Cohen, who turned on the man he had once idolized. Mr. Blanche also argued that Mr. Cohen had profited from his hatred for Mr. Trump with two books and a lucrative podcast deal.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Juan M, Merchan, anoints, Alvin L, Bragg, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Michael D, Cohen, Eduardo Munoz, Daniels, Mr, Michael Cohen, ”, Joshua Steinglass, Cohen “, ” Mr, glowered, Mike Johnson, Biden, “, Donald Trump, Dave Sanders, Biden’s, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Todd Heisler, David Pecker, Pecker, nonchalantly, Hope Hicks, Hicks, Ms, The New York Times “, Justice Merchan, “ You’re, ” Ms, Allen H, Weisselberg, Susan Hoffinger, Cohen’s, Joe Piscopo, giddily, Hoffinger, Jean Carroll, Bragg’s, Wesley Parnell, Michael Rothfeld Organizations: White, Republican, Convention, Office, Reuters, Mr, Credit, The New York Times, Democratic, New York Times, National Enquirer, Trump, Playboy, Street Journal, New, Hells Angels Locations: American, Manhattan —, Lower Manhattan, —, Florida, Washington, Georgia, New York, Manhattan, Trump’s Midtown Manhattan, Tahoe, Nev, America

☆ Voters’ reactions: Trump trial verdict isn’t doing much to shift these voters’ 2024 picks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( John King | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But don’t expect committed Donald Trump voters to suddenly waver because their candidate is now a convicted felon. “This does not impact my plans to vote Republican. Linda Rooney is a Haley supporter from Media, Pennsylvania, wrestling with whether to cast a reluctant Trump vote or write in the former South Carolina governor or someone else. “I looked briefly at some of those things, and it just doesn’t hold water.”Former Trump voter Joan London had a mixed take on the convictions. Lots of Biden voters I talk to.”Pat Levin, another Biden voter in Northampton County, said of the verdict: “It supports and reinforces I believe in the rule of Law.

Persons: don’t, Donald Trump, “, Billy Pierce, “ Biden, Trump, ”, Joe Biden, Andrew Konchek, Bill Clinton’s, Cohen, Who’s, Michael Cohen, Debbie Katsanos, …, I’m, Chris Mudd, ” Mudd, Betsy Sarcone, Nikki Haley, Biden, “ I’ve, ” Pierce, Konchek, —, Matt Vrahiotes, ” Vrahiotes, you’ve, I’ll, ” Jan Gardner, ” Gardner, Hillary Clinton, Devin McIver, Linda Rooney, Haley, Rooney, Irma Fralic, it’s, ” Fralic, Joan London, Michael Cohen’s, Darrell Ann Murphy, Murphy, he’s, ” Pat Levin, ” David Moore, ” Moore, Jade Gray, Nanette Mees, Joanna Brooks Organizations: CNN, Trump, Democrats can’t, Iowa Trump, America, Biden, Republican, Republican National Convention, Media, South, White House, “, University of Michigan, College Democrats Locations: Hartsville , South Carolina, Manhattan, York, New Hampshire, Iowa, Hall County , Georgia, Dunwoody, an Atlanta, Media , Pennsylvania, South Carolina, New York, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Trump . London, London, Northampton County , Pennsylvania, Northampton County, Nogales , Arizona, Loudon County , Virginia, Milwaukee

☆ Fact check: Trump’s post-conviction monologue was filled with false claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Instead, Trump delivered a rambling monologue that was filled with false claims on subjects ranging from the Manhattan trial to immigration to tax policy. He said this time that “you have violent crime all over this city at levels that nobody’s ever seen before.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is not even close to true. Michael Cohen’s crimesCriticizing key prosecution witness Michael Cohen, Trump repeated a claim he made during the trial in April. Facts First: There is no basis for Trump’s claim. It was dead.”Facts First: Trump’s claim is false.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, New York City Trump, Michael Cohen’s, Michael Cohen, Cohen, “, Robert Mueller, Trump’s, ” Cohen, ”, ” Trump, Biden, Joe Biden, Alvin Bragg’s, –, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, Judge Juan Merchan, Merchan, Bradley Smith, Rather, Smith, Congo ’ Trump, Africa –, Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, ” Serge Mombouli Organizations: Washington CNN, New York City, New, Trump, Republican, Intelligence, Biden, DOJ, of Justice, federal, Department, Democrat, Justice Department, Congo, Democratic, CNN, PAC, Nord Locations: Manhattan, New York, , New York City, New York City, –, Russia, Moscow, York’s, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Africa, United States of America, Republic of, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Ukraine

☆ Live Updates: Jury to Review Testimony as Deliberations Resume in Trump Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Mr. Bragg has accused Mr. Trump of concealing a federal campaign finance violation and a state election-law crime. The defense argued that Mr. Trump was a victim of extortion, led by Mr. Cohen. The defense’s main witness was a lawyer linked to Mr. Trump’s circle, Robert J. Costello, who in 2018 had acted as Mr. Cohen’s back channel to Mr. Trump’s legal team. The maximum sentenceThe charges against Mr. Trump are all Class E felonies, the lowest category of felonies in New York. But nothing in the law requires Justice Merchan to imprison Mr. Trump if he’s convicted by a jury.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Trump’s, Michael D, Cohen, Daniels, Alvin L, Bragg, Juan M, Karen McDougal, Playboy’s, ”, McDougal, Cohen’s, Hope Hicks, Mr, Robert J . Costello, Merchan, Justice Merchan Organizations: Prosecutors, The National Enquirer, Trump Tower, White, Trump, Defense, Mr Locations: New York City, Manhattan, Nevada, New York

☆ Opinion: Trump verdict is a pyrrhic victory for Democrats
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Opinion Cnn Contributors | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

CNN —CNN Opinion asked our contributors to weigh in on Trump’s conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records. Are there really that many voters whose view of Trump as a man, or politician, could be altered by bookkeeping irregularities? How many would-be Trump voters will be swayed against him because of miscategorized business expenses? Instead of validating Trump’s narcissism, Democrats should turn the camera away from Trump and toward the American people. Democrats should make the case that Trump’s policies would decimate the middle class and that ought to be a (metaphorical) crime.

Persons: Patrick Brown, Patrick T, Brown, —, Trump, Attorney Alvin Bragg, ”, Biden, Robert De Niro, Stacy Schneider, Rikers Stacy Schneider, Juan Merchan, Donald Trump, I’ve, Trump’s, There’s, ” Timothy C, Tim Parlatore Tim Parlatore, Michael Cohen’s, Karen McDougal, Daniels, today’s, Timothy C, Paul Begala, ’, Roe, Wade, kowtowing, Vladimir Putin, Bill Clinton’s, Clinton, Jennifer Rodgers, Judge Juan Merchan, Prosecutors, Donald Trump’s, Merchan, Will, it’s, they’d, he’d, “, Joey Jackson, Donald, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Cohen’s Organizations: CNN, Progressives, Trump, haven’t, Attorney, Republicans, Public Policy Center, Economic, Parlatore Law, LLP, Navy, Paul Begala CNN, Social Security, Democratic, Manhattan, NYU School of Law, Columbia Law School, Republican Party, GOP, Team Trump Locations: Manhattan, Washington , DC, New York, Trump, Russian

☆ Live Updates: Jury to Consider Felony Charges Against Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Ben Protess | Jonah E. Bromwich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The jury in Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial finished its first day of deliberations Wednesday without reaching a verdict after meeting for more than four-and-a-half hours. ET to resume deliberations, but the 12 men and women will also again hear from Judge Juan Merchan. Jurors also want to re-hear Merchan’s instructions on the law that he had given them earlier Wednesday morning. The testimony the jurors are requesting relates to interactions Trump had directly with Pecker. While most federal judges will send the actual document with the jury as it deliberates, New York state courts forbid this practice.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Juan Merchan, David Pecker, Michael Cohen, Trump, Karen McDougal’s, Cohen, Pecker, Joe Biden, Merchan, Stormy Daniels, ” Merchan, Elie Honig, “, ” Honig, ”, They’ve Organizations: CNN, National Enquirer, AMI, Trump, New Locations: York, New York, Manhattan

☆ Judgment day looms for Donald Trump in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Donald Trump, who built a mystique as the brash epitome of power, has never been more powerless to dictate his own fate. In order to convict Trump, jurors must first decide that he falsified financial documents and did so with the express purpose of committing another crime. That was evidenced, today by the Biden campaign themselves holding a rally here,” Don Trump Jr. said. “You cannot convict President Trump,” Blanche said, before repeating himself for emphasis while impressing on the jury the gravity of the historic deliberation that lies before them. “You may say, who cares if Mr. Trump slept with a porn star 10 years before the 2016 election?

Persons: Donald Trump, Judge Juan Merchan, “, Joshua Steinglass, Stormy Daniels, Trump, Daniels, Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen, ”, Blanche, there’s, Joe Biden, Robert De Niro, Biden, —, Don Jr, Eric, ” Don Trump Jr, it’s, Pop Michael Jackson, That’s, Trump’s, Michael Cohen Trump, histrionics, ” Blanche, Cohen, Steinglass Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Trump, Hollywood, Capitol, Biden, GOP Locations: New York City, York, New York

☆ Opinion: Trump trial verdict now hinges on these three questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Opinion Norman Eisen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —On Tuesday, we at last came to closing arguments in the Manhattan criminal trial of former President Donald Trump after 20 days of trial, testimony from 22 witnesses and over 200 exhibits. Were the 34 allegedly false records actually false? The first pivot point is whether the 34 business records at the heart of the case actually contain false information. And Steinglass pushed back on Blanche’s emphasis on the much-discussed October 24, 2016, Cohen call to Trump’s bodyguard, Keith Schiller. Indeed, Blanche continued, Trump repeatedly disclosed the reimbursement — including on Twitter, a 1099 form to the IRS and a federal financial disclosure form.

Persons: Donald Trump, Todd Blanche, Joshua Steinglass, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Blanche, Daniels, ”, Norm Eisen, Madame Tussaud’s, Cohen, Steinglass, Keith Schiller, Schiller, Allen Weisselberg, “, ” Steinglass, …, ” Blanche, Hope Hicks, Madeline Westerhout, Cohen — Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump Foundation, Trump Organization, Twitter, IRS, New, White House, Facebook Locations: Manhattan, New York

☆ Trump braces for final act of his historic criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s first criminal trial has arrived at its dramatic final act with lawyers for both sides primed on Tuesday to hammer home their cases before jurors consider a verdict that could make history. They argued during the trial that there was no evidence of criminal intent. The trial has not gripped the attention of the country as it might have were television cameras allowed in the courtroom. And Trump used his multiple criminal indictments to his political advantage in clearing the Republican nominating field. The time off only seems to have escalated Trump’s fury as one of the defining weeks of his life dawns.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Juan Merchan, Trump, president’s, Todd Blanche, Michael Cohen, CNN’s Kara Scannell, Joshua Steinglass, Blanche, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, ”, Elliot Williams, “, ” Cohen, Jeremy Saland, you’d, Matthew Colangelo, Daniels, David Pecker, Hope Hicks, Joe Biden, Yorkers, Mike Johnson, Biden, he’s, Merchan, ” Trump, Jean Carroll Organizations: CNN, Manhattan, Attorney, Democrat, “ CNN, Trump, White House, Prosecutors, Justice Department, Republican Locations: New York

☆ Live Updates: Closing Arguments to Begin in Trump Criminal Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Jonah E. Bromwich | Ben Protess | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

The defense did not call Mr. Weisselberg either, nor did Mr. Trump take the stand in his own defense. And for weeks, Mr. Weisselberg’s absence has loomed large over Mr. Trump’s case, the first criminal trial of an American president. And when Mr. Trump was sworn in as president in 2017, he entrusted Mr. Weisselberg, along with Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, with running his company. Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen told the jury, “approved” of the arrangement and knew that they would falsify records to cover it up. Over the course of their decades together, Mr. Cohen knew, Mr. Trump and Mr. Weisselberg had become more or less symbiotic.

Persons: Donald J, Allen Weisselberg, Trump, Michael D, Cohen, Allen H, Weisselberg, Trump’s moneyman, Trump’s, lucre —, Eduardo Munoz, Stormy Daniels, Weisselberg’s, beholden, ” Emil Bove, Juan M, Justice Merchan, “, Evan Vucci, Fred Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, ” Mr, ” “, Mr, Jefferson Siegel, —, Arthur F, Engoron, Justice Engoron, ”, ‘ Frick, Frack, Cohen’s, Daniels, Susan Hoffinger, Todd Blanche, Dave Sanders, Blanche, Kate Christobek Organizations: Prosecutors, New York Times, Trump, Mr, Reuters, Manhattan, Trump Organization, “ Trump, New, The New York Times, The Trump Organization, Credit, Frick Locations: Washington, New York, Trump, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, York, tatters

Cohen testified that Trump bodyguard Keith Schiller put Trump on the phone so Cohen could tell him he was going forward with the Daniels payment. Blanche also said that prosecutors offered no evidence connecting Trump to the payment to Daniels outside of Cohen’s testimony. They speak in coded language, and they speak fast,” Steinglass said of Cohen and Trump. “Trump is deputizing Cohen right in front of Pecker so that Pecker knows that any go ahead from Cohen is a go head from Trump. When the “Access Hollywood” story came out in October 2016, Steinglass said that Trump and the campaign went into panic mode.

Persons: ”, Donald Trump, Michael Cohen –, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, Juan Merchan, Michael Cohen’s, Todd Blanche, Trump’s, Blanche, Tom Brady, ” Blanche, Keith Schiller, Trump, Daniels, Schiller, texted Schiller, “, Michael Cohen, Merchan, there’s, Joshua Steinglass, David Pecker, ” Steinglass, Steinglass, “ Hey, Keith, how’s, Karen McDougal, “ Trump, deputizing Cohen, Donald J, Pecker, Allen Weisselberg, Weisselberg, Jeff McConney, “ I’m, –, Dino, McDougal Organizations: CNN — Prosecutors, Trump, Defense, ” Prosecutors, CNN, AMI, ”, Trump Organization, Trump Org, ” Defense, Trump . Trump Locations: Trump’s New York, Trump, Weisselberg

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ Video: Michael Cohen’s lawyer on what she observed about jury in Trump trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Ally Hill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

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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

☆ 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

☆ 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

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