Trump NY Criminal Trial: Day 1
Opening Statements & First Witness Called
Former U.S. President Donald Trump trial kicked off yesterday. He is facing trial on 34 counts of falsifying business records, including 11 false invoices for attorney fees, 11 checks issued for those invoices, and 12 business ledger entries. The charges stem from an alleged scheme to prevent damaging stories about Trump's personal life from affecting his 2016 presidential campaign.
While these charges are typically misdemeanors, they can be elevated to felonies if they are in furtherance of another crime, such as tax evasion, election interference, or campaign finance violations.
On opening, the court heard from prosecutors who focused on connecting the business record falsifications to the 2016 election. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo explained that Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, paid adult-film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Trump. Prosecutors contend that Trump reimbursed Cohen with $420,000, which included the Daniels payment, and that the payment was recorded as a legal retainer in company documents. The prosecution argues that these actions were not merely business decisions, but part of a criminal scheme to influence the outcome of the 2016 election by concealing the truth from voters.
The defense, represented by attorney Todd Blanche, argued that Trump had nothing to do with the payments and that the documentation was a routine part of business operations. Blanche emphasized that Trump signed checks in the White House without knowledge of the ledger entries and suggested that the alleged conspiratorial intent was non-existent. The defense also questioned the credibility of Michael Cohen, suggesting his testimony could not be trusted due to his criminal record and personal vendettas against Trump.
David Pecker, former CEO of the company that publishes the National Enquirer tabloid, was called as the first witness. Prosecutors claim that Pecker was part of a "catch-and-kill" scheme to prevent negative stories about Trump from becoming public, which involved paying sources to keep quiet about their stories. Pecker's testimony focused on the publication's practice of "checkbook journalism" and his meetings with Trump and Cohen to discuss suppressing negative stories. This information is crucial to understanding the prosecution's assertion that the payment scheme was intended to conceal information from voters and influence the 2016 election.
The court adjourned early due to the Passover holiday and an alternate juror's emergency dental appointment. The judge, Juan Merchan, planned a contempt hearing for the following day to determine whether Trump had violated a court-issued gag order by posting on social media about witnesses and prosecutors. This additional legal complication could affect the course of the trial.
As the trial proceeds, the focus remains on whether Trump's business records were falsified with the intention of concealing the hush money payments and if those actions were connected to other crimes.