Porn actress Stephanie Clifford, with the stage name Stormy Daniels, testified in the bribery case against Donald Trump today.
On Tuesday afternoon at around 4.30pm, Clifford took the witness stand.
There she told, among other things, about the first meeting with Trump. They met for the first time at a golf tournament in 2006.
– It was a short meeting, she said.
Would have the case dismissed
Trump lawyer Todd Blanche says just after 8 pm Norwegian time that they will try to have the case dismissed after Clifford’s testimony.
He says the court set up a line that Clifford broke.
– Much of the certificate today is completely different from what she told in 2016, he says.
Blance further says that the judge was aware that lines were to be set up as to how much detail Clifford was to tell about.
– But now we have heard it. And that is a problem.
The judge in the case did not agree with the Trump lawyers, so the case is not dismissed.
– There were some things that would probably have been better left unsaid, says the judge. At the same time, I do not think we are at a point where it is appropriate to reject the case.
Imbalance in power
Daniels also talked about a meeting at Trump’s home on a later occasion.
– There was definitely an imbalance in power. He was bigger and blocked the way. I was not threatened verbally or physically, she said.
Clifford and Trump are said to have had intercourse in the hotel room this evening. When asked if Clifford remembered how her clothes came off, she replied as follows.
– No. Suddenly I was on the bed, she said.
She said she told several friends about the meeting with Trump in the hotel room. Few and close friends found out about the intercourse.
– I told many people that I had gone to his room and met him. It wasn’t a secret at all.
Clifford also spoke of having a “very brief” conversation with Trump about his wife, Melania Trump.
Clifford says she asked Trump about Melania, and told him she was very beautiful.
She remembers Trump saying: “We don’t sleep in the same room.”
Trump closed his eyes, shook his head and mumbled to his lawyers at the defense table as the former porn star said this.
Accused
Trump is charged with breaching the Accounting Act in connection with a payment of $130,000, just over NOK 1.4 million, to Clifford.
He is the first former president in US history to be indicted in a criminal case.
There is also great tension as to what Judge Juan M. Merchan will do with Trump’s constant violation of the ban on speaking about witnesses, jurors and others connected to the case.
On Monday, the judge fined Trump $1,000. It is the tenth fine he has given Trump for contempt of court. The former president has now been fined a total of 9,000 dollars for not complying with the obligation to remain silent.
Trump has insisted on all occasions that he is only exercising his freedom of speech.
Questions and answers
What is the bribery case against Donald Trump?The bribery case against Donald Trump concerns accusations that Trump allegedly paid money to porn actress Stormy Daniels, actually Stephanie Clifford, to prevent her from speaking publicly about a sexual encounter the two allegedly had. This must have happened just before the presidential election in 2016, and the aim was allegedly to influence the outcome of the election.
Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is an American porn actress and director. She has been in the media’s spotlight after claiming that she had a sexual encounter with Donald Trump in 2006, which led to the discussed bribery case.
Donald Trump has been indicted for breaching the Accounting Act in connection with a payment of 130,000 dollars to Stormy Daniels. This is historic because he is the first former president in US history to be indicted in a criminal case.
In court, Stormy Daniels testified about her first meeting with Trump and details of the alleged sexual encounter. She also described how she experienced the power imbalance between them and how she told friends about the incident.
The judge in the case has warned Trump that he could face jail time if he continues to show contempt of court. This comes after several fines that Trump has received for not complying with the obligation to remain silent in court.
Contempt of court means that a person does not follow the rules of the court or show respect for the legal process. In Trump’s case, he has been fined for talking about witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case, which is prohibited.
– It is important that you understand
The judge also threatened Trump with jail time if he shows contempt for the court again, saying the fines apparently do not deter the outspoken former president.
If he continues to show contempt of court he may be forced to order Trump to the jail cell.
– Mr. Trump, it is important that you understand, the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well, Merchan said in court on Monday, according to CNN.
Merchan said he understands the significance of such a decision, but pointed out that he has a job to do.
“As much as I don’t want to impose a prison sentence, I want you to understand that I will do so if it is necessary and appropriate,” he told Trump yesterday.
Quiet money payout
Clifford is very central to the case against Trump, the first against a former president. Prosecutors say Trump covered up a $130,000 payment his former lawyer Michael Cohen made to Clifford ahead of the 2016 election.
Cohen has previously said Trump asked him to pay Clifford to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006, allegedly to prevent her from telling her story to the media before the election.
READ MORE: VG met porn actor Stormy Daniels in March this year.
Before the weekend, Trump’s former press secretary and his favorite, Hope Hicks, testified and she burst into tears in court.
