Donald Trump’s hush money trial resumed Friday in Manhattan criminal court, where former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker — the first witness called by the prosecution — faced cross-examination by the defense.
Judge Juan Merchan continues to weigh whether the former president violated a gag order by attacking other witnesses on social media.
Pecker testified about his effort to “catch and kill” stories of Trump’s alleged extramarital affairs with adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal weeks before the 2016 presidential election.
Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to conceal the $130,000 hush money payment to Daniels, who is among the witnesses expected to testify in the trial, which will last between five and six weeks.
Follow our live blog below for the latest updates from inside and outside the courtroom.
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER119 updates
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 11:06 PM GMT+2
Trump’s plane spotted at LaGuardia
Trump’s plane was seen at LaGuardia Airport Friday. (Yahoo News) While court was in session, an eagle-eyed Yahoo News editor snapped a picture of Trump’s plane on the tarmac at LaGuardia as it was preparing to take off.
Trump told reporters that after court was adjourned in his criminal hush money trial, he planned to fly home to Florida to celebrate Melania Trump’s birthday. The former first lady turns 54 on Friday.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 10:36 PM GMT+2
Court is dismissed for the weekend
After prosecutors questioned Farro, Judge Juan Merchan dismissed court for the weekend.
“Have a good weekend, take care,” Merchan told the jurors.
Court will resume on Tuesday morning.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 10:35 PM GMT+2
Farro testifies about Cohen opening account to pay Stormy Daniels
Under questioning from prosecutors, Farro detailed his dealings with Michael Cohen to open an account for Essential Consultants LLC that was used to pay adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000.
“Every time Michael Cohen spoke to me, he gave a sense of urgency, and this was one of those times,” Farro said of the call he had with Cohen about establishing the LLC account.
Farro testified that on the form First Republic Bank used to create the account, Cohen checked “no” when asked if the LLC was “associated with political fundraising/Political Action Committee (PAC).”
Prosecutors allege that the payment to Daniels violated campaign finance laws.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 10:00 PM GMT+2
Farro testifies about being assigned to work with Michael Cohen
Former First Republic Bank senior managing director Gary Farro testified about how he came to work with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, saying he inherited his new client in 2015 because Farro was known by colleagues for his “ability to handle individuals that may be a little challenging. “
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 9:53 PM GMT+2
Prosecutors question Farro about banking regulations and payment to Stormy Daniels
Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold questioned Gary Farro about banking regulations put in place under the Bank Secrecy Act for wire transfers as well as those made by political candidates. Farro worked at First Republic Bank when Michael Cohen arranged payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 9:42 PM GMT+2
Prosecution calls Gary Farro to witness stand
As their third witness in the trial, prosecutors called Gary Farro, First Republic Bank’s former senior managing director, to the witness stand.
He will testify about the payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 9:24 PM GMT+2
Graff finishes testifying; judge excuses jury for 15-minute recess
After defense lawyers finished their cross-examination of Rhona Graff, Judge Juan Merchan excused the jury for a brief recess.
Graff testified that Trump had contract entries for adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy Model Karen McDougal, both of whom claim to have had extramarital affairs with him.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 9:19 PM GMT+2
Graff says Trump was potentially interested in casting Stormy Daniels for ‘Celebrity Apprentice’
Rhona Graff said she had heard that Donald Trump was considering casting adult film actress Stormy Daniels for a role on his hit show, Celebrity Apprentice.
“I vaguely recall hearing him say that she was one of the people that may be an interesting contestant on the show,” Graff testified.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 9:19 PM GMT+2
During cross-examination, Graff speaks glowingly of Trump
During cross-examination by Trump attorney Susan Necheles, Rhona Graff spoke highly of working at the Trump Organization.
“It was a very stimulating, exciting, fascinating place to be,” she said.
Graff also offered a glowing assessment of her former boss. “I think that he was fair and, what’s the word I’m looking for, [a] respectful boss to me,” she said of Trump.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 9:11 PM GMT+2
Prosecutors quickly finish questioning Graff
After Rhona Graff spent approximately 15 minutes on the witness stand, prosecutors finished their initial questioning, establishing that she saw Stormy Daniels in the Trump Tower reception waiting area prior to June 2015.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 9:06 PM GMT+2
Graff testifies she saw Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower before Trump announced the 2016 presidential run
Stormy Daniels in 2018. (Ringo HW Chiu/AP) Rhona Graff, Trump’s longtime assistant at the Trump Organization, said she saw adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the reception area at Trump Tower prior to his June 2015 announcement that he was running for president.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 8:59 PM GMT+2
Graff testifies about her role at the Trump Organization
Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger is now questioning Rhona Graff about the 34 years she worked at the Trump Organization.
Graff testified that she sat just outside Trump’s office in Trump Tower and was responsible for scheduling his calendar and coordinating his contact with others in the company.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 8:57 PM GMT+2
Prosecutors call Rhona Graff to the stand
Rhona Graff, former executive assistant to Donald Trump, in 2005. (Katy Winn/Getty Images) Prosecutors called Trump’s former assistant Rhona Graff as their second witness in the hush money trial.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 8:47 PM GMT+2
Pecker is done
After four days on the witness stand, David Pecker’s testimony as the first witness called in the historic trial has finished.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 8:45 PM GMT+2
Pecker warned Cohen that Trump would be mad if he didn’t buy the Stormy Daniels story
Stormy Daniels in 2018. (Markus Schreiber/AP) Summing up his redirect, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Pecker about a phone call he had Michael Cohen after learning Stormy Daniels was shopping her story about an alleged affair with Trump.
Pecker testified that he warned Cohen that if the story were to get out through another media outlet, “the boss is going to be very, very, very angry with you.”
Cohen eventually paid Daniels $130,000 in hush money in a deal that is at the center of the prosecution’s case.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 8:20 PM GMT+2
Court is back in session
After an hourlong lunch break, Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is back on the witness stand, and the court is back in session.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 7:39 PM GMT+2
Prosecutor: Hush money contracts were not ‘standard operating procedure’ for the National Enquirer and AMI
During his redirect, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass tried to poke holes in the defense’s argument that Pecker’s arrangement to bury negative stories about Trump during the 2016 campaign was, as Trump attorney Emil Bove put it, “standard operating procedure” at the National Enquirer and AMI.
Steinglass got Pecker to agree that the company’s contracts with former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had a sexual relationship with Trump, and a doorman at a Trump property, who falsely alleged Trump fathered a child out of wedlock, were not “standard operating procedure” at the tabloid.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 7:21 PM GMT+2
Court is taking a lunch break
Judge Juan Merchan has called for a lunch recess until 2:15 pm ET, when Pecker will return to the witness stand for more questioning from prosecutors.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 6:45 PM GMT+2
Defense concludes its cross-examination of Pecker
The defense has concluded its cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
Trump attorney Emil Bove asked Pecker why he cooperated with the prosecution at this trial.
“To be truthful,” Pecker replied.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is now asking Pecker follow-up questions.
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Fri, April 26, 2024 at 6:36 PM GMT+2
While Trump is in court, Biden tells Howard Stern he’d be ‘happy to debate him’
Former President Donald Trump and President Biden. (Brendan McDermid, Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters) While Trump was inside Manhattan criminal court at his hush money trial, President Biden was several blocks away at Sirius XM studios for a live interview with Howard Stern.
During the hourlong interview, Biden told Stern he would be “happy” to debate Trump this fall.
Trump has not yet committed to participating in the three presidential debates that have already been scheduled. And until Friday, Biden and his campaign had declined to commit to appearing onstage with Trump.
But when asked by Stern if he would debate Trump, Biden replied he would be “happy to debate him.”
Tags: Prosecution calls witnesses establish Trump ties Stormy Daniels Karen McDougal
