Donald Trump’s hush money trial: Day one recap from inside the courtroom
Donald Trump’s hush money trial is now underway with prosecutors and the defense presenting opening arguments to a 12-person jury.
NEW YORK — The eighth day of Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial will give the former president’s legal team their chance to attack the story prosecutors have so far told of Trump colluding with a tabloid executive to boost his 2016 presidential campaign.
Former tabloid executive David Pecker has been testifying since Monday about an alleged scheme to catch and kill stories that could hurt Trump’s 2016 presidential election chances. Trump’s defense team may seek testimony from Pecker that any catch-and-kill scheme was less about the election than shielding Trump from embarrassment or potential family strife.
Judge Juan Merchan could also rule on whether Trump has violated a gag order and should be fined or threatened with jail time. By Thursday, prosecutors had raised 14 alleged violations. The latest four of those will be discussed at a hearing next week.
Keep up with USA TODAY’s live updates from inside and outside the Manhattan courtroom:
Trump lawyer asks about Hope Hicks presence in Trump Tower meeting
Trump defense lawyer Emil Bove started his cross-examination for today by asking David Pecker about Hope Hicks’ presence at an August, 2015 meeting at Trump Tower. Hicks was the Trump campaign’s communications director for the 2016 election, and also held high-level roles in Trump’s White House. Pecker previously testified that he, Michael Cohen, and Trump agreed to a scheme at the Trump Tower meeting to catch and kill stories that could hurt the 2016 Trump campaign.
In response to Bove, Pecker confirmed Hicks was in and out of the Trump Tower meeting. Pecker also confirmed he doesn’t remember Hicks speaking during that meeting.
– Aysha Bagchi
Jurors enter courtroom, instructed on witness-prosecutor meetings
The jurors entered the courtroom at 9:41 am EST. Witness David Pecker entered about a minute earlier. Judge Merchan just briefly instructed jurors on how it’s normal for prosecutors to meet with witnesses ahead of trial. Trump lawyer Emil Bove questioned Pecker yesterday about having met with prosecutors several times before his current testimony.
– Aysha Bagchi
Trump now says he will testify ‘if it’s necessary’
The former president is starting to equivocate on whether he will testify in the hush money trial.
“I would if it’s necessary,” Trump said in a telephone interview Thursday with Newsmax.
Trump, who once said he would take the stand, told Newsmax television that “there is no case,” suggesting that he might not testify after all.
-David Jackson
Trump wishes wife Melania ‘happy birthday’ from hush money trial
Former President Donald Trump wished his wife Melania a happy birthday Friday while complaining about being stuck at his New York hush money trial for allegedly hiding payments to silence porn actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed she had sex with him while he was married.
“I want to start by wishing my wife Melania a very happy birthday. It would be nice to be with her, but I’m in a courthouse for a rigged trial.”
Trump said he would join his wife in Florida after the trial wrapped up for the day.
–Bart Jansen
Judge Merchan arrives in the courtroom
Judge Juan Merchan entered the courtroom right at the 9:30 am EST start time. As usual, he said a general good morning to the trial teams and a specific “Good morning, Mr. Trump” to Trump.
Merchan also announced that a hearing over alleged gag order violations by Trump will be held next Thursday at 9:30 am EST
– Aysha Bagchi
Trump arrives in the courtroom
Former President Donald Trump entered the courtroom for Day 8 of his criminal trial at 9:26 am ET. We are still waiting for the judge.
– Aysha Bagchi
The prosecution team arrives for Day 8 of the trial
The lead trial prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office arrived in the courtroom at 9:18 am EST. We are still waiting for the defense team and the judge.
– Aysha Bagchi
Today is Melania Trump’s birthday. Where is she?
Melania Trump turns 54 today. She hasn’t attended any of her husband’s criminal trials so far.
Melania Trump was furious when she first learned of reports in early 2018 that her husband paid off porn star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair, according to The New York Times. She left Washington for Florida, and when she returned for her husband’s State of the Union address, she took a separate car.
If she were at the trial, she would likely be spared some embarrassing testimony. Judge Juan Merchan issued a tentative ruling last week that Melania Trump’s pregnancy during an alleged affair between former Playboy model Karen McDougal and Trump cannot be shared with the jury. McDougal also received a hush money payment.
Trump denies the affairs with both McDougal and Daniels.
– Aysha Bagchi
Who is David Pecker, first witness in the Trump trial?
David Pecker, the former head of the National Enquirer’s parent company, wraps up a week of testimony Friday as the first witness in Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
Pecker, 72, the former CEO of American Media Inc., described himself as a friend of Trump’s from the 1980s until 2018, in the aftermath of revelations about the company paying to silence derogatory stories about Trump as he ran for president the first time.
Pecker testified the first payment was $30,000 to a doorman at Trump Tower who was peddling a story that never ran about Trump having an illegitimate child – even though Pecker knew it was “absolutely 1,000% false.”
Pecker also testified about paying $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal for a story that never ran. McDougal claimed a year-long affair with Trump in about 2006, while he was married. Trump denied the affair.
But as Pecker coordinated with Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, he refused to pay $130,000 payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had sex with Trump. Cohen has testified that he arranged the payment himself.
Trump is charged with falsifying business records to hide his reimbursement to Cohen for Daniels. Trump pleaded not guilty and says he didn’t know about paying off the women.
–Bart Jansen
Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office allege Trump falsified the purpose of checks to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in order to conceal a conspiracy to unlawfully interfere in the 2016 presidential election through a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump has pleaded not guilty, and also denies Daniels’ claim that the pair had sex in 2006.
– Aysha Bagchi
Some legal experts believe Trump could face jail or prison time if convicted on all 34 counts, while others believe he would likely only receive probation. Several experts told USA TODAY they would expect a sentence that ranges from no jail time to up to four years in prison. No one predicted Trump would be forced to serve an incarceration sentence before his appeal ran out.
Each felony count carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison, but New York caps such sentencing for these types of felonies – known as Class E felonies – at 20 years.
– Aysha Bagchi
Tags: Trump trial live updates news Crossexamination David Pecker
-
