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The Trump vs. Trump trial continues with testimony
Good morning on the last day of the third week of Donald Trump‘s hush money criminal trial.
In Thursday, Keith Davidsonthe lawyer who brokered a hush money payout for both adult film stars Stormy Daniels and a former Playboy model Karen McDougall, returned to the dock as a prosecution witness. Davidson was scolded on communications with Dylan Howard, then editor of the National Enquirer and Michael CohenTrump’s fixer at the time.
Davidson testified that as Trump’s presidential victory became clearer on election night in 2016, he texted Howard asking, “What did we do?” “Oh, my God,” Howard replied as Davidson led jurors through the texts as they were shown in court. Davidson told the jury his expression amounted to “gallows humor”. When pressed to explain, Davidson said he meant:
Our activities may have helped Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in some way.
Prosecutors say Cohen paid Daniels to keep her quiet and coordinated a payment to McDougall through the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc, to help Trump’s election chances. Trump is on trial in New York for falsifying business records for allegedly listing payments to Cohen as legal fees in company filings.
Court is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET, with a forensic expert Douglas Dawes is expected to return to the witness stand after a brief appearance yesterday.
Today we are back in court. Stay with us.
The criminal trial against Trump for money in secret: what should I know
Key events
Victoria Bekiempis
Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer and go-between who is now the star prosecution witness against his old boss, has yet to take the stand in this Manhattan criminal trial. But he was a great virtual presence on the court.
On cross-examination on Thursday, Trump’s lawyer Emile Beauvais tried to use Keith Davidsonaccount of Michael Cohen to create cracks in the testimony of the expected star witness.
Bove asked about Cohen’s behavior in late 2016. Cohen thought he might have become Trump’s chief of staff only to find himself out of the picture, Davidson recalled. He said:
I thought he was going to kill himself.
Bove also criticized Davidson for his legal dealings involving other former A- and B-listers such as Hulk Hogan, Charlie Sheen and Tila Tequila, a Playboy model turned born-again Christian who is said to be flirted with alt-right ideologies.
In an apparent effort to make Davidson look outclassed, Bove also asked if Hustler publisher Larry Flynt had offered to indemnify Daniels if she came forward for Trump.
‘What did we do?’: Lawyer who negotiated deal Stormy Daniels seemed shocked Trump won
Victoria Bekiempis
Like Donald Trumppresidential victory became clearer and clearer on election night in 2016. Keith Davidson – who brokered cash payments for Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougall to bury Trump’s alleged sexual affairs — seemed shocked that his efforts had succeeded, sending messages Dylan Howard, then the editor of the National Enquirer:
what we did
Davidson described the phrase as “gallows humor” regarding the fact that “our activities may have somehow aided Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.” Howard responded to the text message with, “Oh my God.”
In addition to a first-hand account of the alleged payoff scheme, Davidson’s time on the stand served to corroborate the expected testimony of Michael Cohen, who went from Trump advisor to star witness for the prosecution.
Trump’s lawyers have already signaled they will aggressively attack Cohen’s credibility when he testifies, describing him as a liar with an ax to grind. Prosecutors’ questioning of Davidson on Thursday appeared to be a preemptive strike against that defense strategy. Indeed, Davidson’s comments aired problems with Cohen’s credibility before Trump’s lawyers could present them to the jury.
prosecutor Joshua Steinglass, for example, asked Davidson whether he had continued to communicate with Cohen after the election. Davidson recalled a particularly lively phone conversation from 2016.
Jesus, can you believe I’m not going to Washington? After all I’ve done for this fucking man, I can’t believe I’m not going to Washington.
“I’ve saved this guy’s ass so many times you don’t even know,” Davidson recalled of Cohen’s call.
He said I didn’t even get paid. This fucking guy won’t even give me my $130,000 back.
The Trump vs. Trump trial continues with testimony
Good morning on the last day of the third week of Donald Trump‘s hush money criminal trial.
In Thursday, Keith Davidsonthe lawyer who brokered a hush money payout for both adult film stars Stormy Daniels and a former Playboy model Karen McDougall, returned to the dock as a prosecution witness. Davidson was scolded on communications with Dylan Howard, then editor of the National Enquirer and Michael CohenTrump’s fixer at the time.
Davidson testified that as Trump’s presidential victory became clearer on election night in 2016, he texted Howard asking, “What did we do?” “Oh, my God,” Howard replied as Davidson led jurors through the texts as they were shown in court. Davidson told the jury his expression amounted to “gallows humor”. When pressed to explain, Davidson said he meant:
Our activities may have helped Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in some way.
Prosecutors say Cohen paid Daniels to keep her quiet and coordinated a payment to McDougall through the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc, to help Trump’s election chances. Trump is on trial in New York for falsifying business records for allegedly listing payments to Cohen as legal fees in company filings.
Court is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET, with a forensic expert Douglas Dawes is expected to return to the witness stand after a brief appearance yesterday.
Today we are back in court. Stay with us.
The criminal trial against Trump for money in secret: what should I know
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