A fmr White House aide who worked closely w/ #Trump returned to the stand to testify about a significant meeting between Trump & #MichaelCohen his personal lawyer that is at the center of Trump’s #criminal trial.
#Steinglass, one of the prosecutors, says he expects to call 2 witnesses next week, & that it is entirely possible that they will rest by the end of the week.
Keep in mind that we only have a 3-day wk next wk. The trial is always off on Wednesdays, & we'll have next Friday off to allow #Trump to attend Barron’s HS graduation.
Monday will bring the appearance of #MichaelCohen, Trump’s fmr fixer & lawyer, & a crucial #witness.
The prosecution asks that the defense be precluded from asking #StormyDaniels whether she was arrested. Justice #Merchan agrees w/the prosecutors, saying that “anybody can be arrested” & that it “doesn’t prove anything.”
The people call Stormy Daniels back to the stand
#Trump atty #Necheles begins questioning by saying that in 2011, Daniels denied having had sex w/Trump.
The defense is asking for a mistrial & that #Trump be allowed to respond in public (not court) to #StormyDaniels's testimony. To be clear. Trump is asking the court to lift the #legal restrictions of the #GagOrder, so he can publicly attack a witness’s testimony.
Franklin is a #CustodialWitness — here to verify facts that Trump's lawyers have not agreed to — she will testify about 2 books that #Trump wrote, including “Trump: How to Get Rich” & “Trump: Think Like a Billionaire,” both published by Ballantine, a Penguin Random House imprint.
#GhassanAbuSitta, on his way to testify live to the French Senate on his experience working in Gaza during the war, deported from Charles de Gaulle Airport.
charges are falsifying business records to hide #HushMoney payments in lead up to 2016 election to #influence electorate
just one Trump supporter at the courthouse draped in a Trump flag.
#StormyDaniels's lawyer, #KeithDavidson, to return to stand. He negotiated the hush-money payment at the center of the case, & is expected to lay out details of the deal.
#Blanche discusses #MichaelCohen’s Tik-Tok videos, saying, “This is not a man that needs protection from the gag order.”
This is a serious concern for prosecutors. Their #witness, who had said that he would be silent after having attacked #Trump, has not. + Justice #Merchan has already written that he is somewhat sympathetic to the defense’s argument here.
After Justice #Merchan explained #Trump’s freedom to speak as a #witness, he concluded, “please let your attorney know” if you have any more questions. Note that Todd #Blanche, the lead defense #lawyer, nodded along when Trump made the comments in question outside the courtroom yesterday.
#Pecker will be back on the stand when court resumes.
Before leaving, Todd #Blanche, one of Trump's attys, asked Justice #Merchan to direct prosecutors to say who the next #witness would be. One of the prosecutors responded that Susan Necheles, another #Trump lawyer, already knew. Trump leaned over & asked Necheles, “Who is it?” She seems to have responded because he said, “Ah.” Then he got up.
Rebecca #Mangold will question Farro for prosecution. She’s been on the team several yrs, & typically sits w/Chris #Conroy, another prosecutor, behind the main table.
Lots of evidence per the disguised monetary transactions related to the #KarenMcDougal deal. But most of the #jurors are still paying close attention, turning their heads from the prosecutor, Joshua #Steinglass, to the #witness, #Pecker, & back again.
Alright, who’s ready to see #Trump get his just deserts? He fucked up the whole damn world & that’s not an overstatement.
PS #BabySquirrel & I had a lovely weekend. It’s as boy! (He’s developed discernible - stuff)
He is doing quite well! Name: “Ramone” because he’s a sweet little punk rocker.
A #juror was quickly dismissed at the start. She was among the 7 already selected, she said she was very worried that despite the fact the court ruled to keep jurors’ name secret, she would still be exposed & targeted.
Emil Bove, one of Trump's lawyers, says #Trump is simply responding to "political attacks" when he criticizes #MichaelCohen, his fmr atty & #fixer, who's a key trial #witness.
#Merchan makes no immediate ruling on possible violation of the #GagOrder, saying he will wait for a hearing scheduled for April 23.
So yeah, Trump is certain to spend the time before then posting crap that will test the gag order's limits.
The #press is barred from covering aspects of the trial related to the #jury, for understandable #security reasons. At the same time, the judge is taking another 5 days to hold a hearing on whether #Trump has violated the #GagOrder that was placed on him w/ repeated social media posts about a key #witness & #jurors.
This is 1 of many ways in which despite Trump's complaints that he is being treated unfairly, the judge is bending over backwards to be fair to him in this #trial.
State Supreme Court judge blocked #Trump’s attempt to gain access to #NBC’s documentary material related to adult film actress #StormyDaniels.
Manhattan Judge Juan #Merchan said Trump atty’s subpoena was “far too broad” & did not meet the #legal standard to compel #NBCUniversal to turn over docs & other items related to the documentary “Stormy.”
“In the instant matter, the Defendant seeks ‘all’ documents, including but not limited to vague & overbroad requests,” #Merchan wrote in the ruling issued Friday.
#GagOrder Against #Trump Is Expanded to Stop Attacks on Judge’s Family
Donald Trump had in recent days targeted the daughter of Juan #Merchan, the judge overseeing his #criminal trial in Manhattan, in blistering social media posts.
#Merchan: “Such concerns will undoubtedly #interfere w/the fair administration of #justice & constitutes a direct attack on the #RuleOfLaw itself. Again, all citizens, called upon to participate in these proceedings, whether as a #juror, a #witness, or in some other capacity, must now concern themselves not only w/their own personal #safety, but w/the safety & the potential for personal attacks upon their loved ones. That reality cannot be overstated.”
“The People argue in their submission that Defendant's attacks, which include referring to a prosecution #witness last week as ‘death’, are based on ‘transparent falsehoods.’ …The People provide a plethora of compelling arguments in support of their claim that Defendant's conduct is deliberate & intended to #intimidate this Court & impede the orderly administration of this trial.”
Watch the entire #HouseOversight & Accountability Cmte hearing held today including testimony by #LevParnas who testified that the allegations against Biden were ‘spread by the Kremlin’:
Judge #AileenCannon says two #amicus briefs filed by Trump-aligned lawyers "may be of considerable help" to her on Trump's motions to dismiss (biased much??)
1 says NARA referral to DOJ was deficient
1 says Jack Smith appointment was invalid
#Legal analyst Allison Gill agreed, "Might be in preparation for her [#AileenCannon] ruling on unsealing the #witness list & #testimony. #JackSmith said he would appeal to the #11thCircuit if she didn’t overturn her own unsealing order."
Manny Arora is an atty who reps defendant-turned-witness #KennethChesebro.
McAfee seemed unlikely to allow new evidence last wk, it’s gone on long enough & the defense (who are acting like prosecution) ought to have submitted all relevant evidence at the start or at least the initial stages.
Trump asked to block prosecutors from arguing at his upcoming #criminal trial that he tried to influence the 2016 election by paying to silence a porn star.
He also argued to bar #StormyDaniels from testifying as a govt #witness.
If successful, jurors will hear a narrative that hardly resembles the original case alleging Trump violated #ElectionLaws.
But hundreds of text msgs… show that Bradley, a fmr #law ptr & friend of #NathanWade, helped a defense atty to expose the relationship between the 2 prosecutors.
The texts reveal that Bradley, who served for a time as Wade’s divorce atty until the 2 men had a bitter falling-out, assisted the effort to reveal the romance & provide details about it for ≥4 months — countering the impression he left on the #witness stand that he had known next to nothing about the romance.