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.
#Bove returns to the topic of how #MichaelCohen wanted a job in #Trump's WH & acted despondent, on a call w/ #KeithDavidson, when he did not receive it.
Davidson, asked about that call, says:
“I thought he was going to kill himself."
Bove then introduces the idea that Cohen had hoped for a high-ranking position, even as high as U.S. attorney general.
👀 On the recording, #MichaelCohen is talking to #Trump, it sounds like #HopeHicks in the background. Cohen is explaining they had just gotten served by The NYT to unseal records from Trump’s first divorce, from Ivana Trump.
At the end of the tape, Cohen tells Trump,
“I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David.”
The [#NationalEnquirer’s David #Pecker]
Gawker was sued out of existence by Hogan, in a lawsuit financed by the billionaire #PeterThiel.
#Bove insinuated that an article #NationalEnquirer editor #DylanHoward co-wrote about the Hulk Hogan sex tapes in 2015 was a product of Davidson’s providing that info.
Davidson denied that he gave Howard the tapes.
Bove then revealed that the #FBI had set up a sting related to Davidson’s discussion w/Hogan’s reps.
On the call, #MichaelCohen said, "What about me? And I can’t — I can't even tell you how many times he said to me, you know, 'I hate the fact that we did it'...& my comment to him was 'but every person you spoke to said it was the right thing to do.'"
After hearing that portion, the prosecutor asked Davidson who was the "he" referred to in the phone call.
"Mr. Trump," Davidson said, “I attributed that to be a quote from Mr. #Trump."
Per NBC: Daus was in Iraq 2009-2011 doing forensic data analysis; & is now a supervising computer forensic analyst in the DA’s office.
Daus, is expected to assist in verifying records.
DA #AlvinBragg is watching his employee explain the path between a device coming into the office, either through a search warrant or consent, & the actual extraction & preservation of data.
#KeithDavidson said he thought #MichaelCohen was recording him because they were “structured conversations” & seemed “self-serving." + Cohen spoke on those calls differently than usual.
After that, defense played a taped, private conversation between #StormyDaniels' lawyer & Cohen in which Davidson talked about people having “settler’s remorse,” a reference to Daniels.
#Bove briefly questioned #KeithDavidson again in a recross-examination. He ended it by emphasizing that Davidson had never been in a room w/ #Trump until this week.
"You never spoke to or never were in same room until Tuesday?," Bove asks Davidson.
Davidson said that was correct.
Douglas Daus a senior forensic analyst & audio visual specialist is called as a fact witness.
Prosecution tried to atttibute the deals to Trump, the boss overseeing #MichaelCohen.
Defense is trying to tweak the whole story to frame everything as something orchestrated by #KeithDavidson, Cohen, #StormyDaniels & Daniels’ manager Gina Rodriguez.
Prosecutors play a portion of a conversation w/ #KeithDavidson that #MichaelCohen secretly taped.
“Nobody’s thinking about Michael,” Cohen says, referring to himself in the 3rd person.
In the recording Cohen said #Trump hated “the fact that we did it.” Davidson clarifies this in response to the #HushMoney payment to #StormyDaniels — a key piece of evidence, that would seem to corroborate Trump’s knowledge of & involvement in the deal.
Davidson describes his text as “gallows humor,” but explains that “there was an understanding” that their “activities may have in some way assisted the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.”
Basically yes, all these characters are sleazy scumbag criminals, but that’s who sleazy scumbag criminals typically conduct their sleazy scummy crimes with.
#MichaelCohen texted #Keith Davidson that #StormyDaniels "just denied the letter...claiming it's not her signature...she said she did it in front of you."
Davidson said, "She did. Impossible — she posted it on her own Twitter page."
"They showed her signature & she claimed it was not hers on Kimmel," Cohen said.
#Bove is trying to paint #KeithDavidson as a serial extorter, asking for money in various situations & being mindful not to cross the line into actual extortion.
Bove is digging up unsavory episodes from Davidson's past to cast him as shady — for example, Bove says, a fmr of client of his leaked information that the Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan was in rehab.
#Steinglass finished questioning #KeithDavidson in an abrupt conclusion. Before he finished, Steinglass asked Davidson if he had any stake in the outcome of the trial. Davidson said that he did not.
#Bove’s cross-examination so far hasn't even been about #Trump, but it is an effort by his legal team to discredit #KeithDavidson & persuade the jury that his previous testimony shouldn't be trusted.
2 more celebs have been named - Tila Tequila, a reality TV star, & Charlie Sheen.
Bove is accusing Davidson of essentially extorting Sheen.
The statement said that she was denying an affair w/ #Trump. Asked how truthful that was, Davidson testified that it's technically true because no one had alleged a #relationship between the 2 of them. He said a relationship is an ongoing interaction.
[#situationship?]
Lots of "I don't recalls" from #KeithDavidson during this cross-examination. #Bove is trying to make him appear dishonest & unethical.
Presumably, Bove is going to suggest that the money to #StormyDaniels may not have been paid to cover up an affair, but because #Trump was being shaken down.
Prosecutor #Steinglass: Did you send a denial to Stormy to sign?
Davidson: "I don't recall."
Prosecution presents a Jan 2018 statement from #StormyDaniels, in which she denied reports of a relationship w/ Trump, a denial she would later rescind. Later, she would say that while she did not have an affair w/ #Trump, she did have sex w/him.
As results came in on election night, #DylanHoward called #MichaelCohen, who invited him to celebrate at the Hilton in Times Square. He went w/one of his #NationalEnquirer reporters.
Davidson on Cohen:
"He said something to the effect of, Jesus Christ, can you f---ing believe I'm not going to Washington... I've saved that guy's a-- so many times you don't even know."
#KeithDavidson responded specifically to #Bove’s "lawyer games" comment. He said if Bove didn't want to play such games then he should not use the word "extract" to describe the way Davidson & his clients would get monetary settlements from celebrities.
Bove then asked about the Hulk Hogan sex tape & media outlet Gawker. Bove said Davidson used connections at the website TheDirty, to get stills of the video.