Nonilex
#TrumpTrial 🧵 Thurs, May 2
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.
#criminal #law #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #KarenMcDougal
Nonilex
Side note, while Todd #Blanche was arguing against penalizing #Trump for violating the #GagOrder inside the courtroom, Trump was literally fundraising off it. In a message sent to supporters, Trump wrote that he’s “been FULLY GAGGED” & “stuck in court all day.”
The message included a link to a survey asking whether “you support President Trump more or less after every single witch hunt, raid, indictment, & arrest.“
Nonilex
#KeithDavidson starts off by reminding the jury how bad things had gotten between him & #MichaelCohen. #DylanHoward, the editor of The #NationalEnquirer, had to step in because Davidson believed Cohen was “not telling me the truth” about the delay in receiving a #HushMoney payment for #StormyDaniels’s story.
Prosecution next shows Davidson text to Howard saying he has received the #HushMoney payment: “funds received.”
#criminal #law #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Nonilex
Deleted last toot, appears NYT jumped the gun on that report
Nonilex
Justice #Merchan signals he continues to have little patience for #Trump’s comments about the #jury, saying they were mostly #Democrats.
Pretty sure he’ll be penalized for at least those comments.
The #GagOrder violations hearing is over.
Hopefully Merchan will give a ruling soon on it.
Short break.
#KeithDavidson, #StormyDaniels's lawyer, is back on the stand for more questioning from prosecutors.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #GagOrder #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
Justice #Merchan seems very mindful of #Trump painting himself as a #martyr, & is trying to emphasize Trump’s #FreeSpeech rights as a candidate.
Merchan says he’s not that concerned w/the potential violation where Trump referred to David Pecker as “a nice guy.”
Blanche moved on to #MichaelCohen.
Who has really been relentless & isn’t doing the prosecution any favors.
Blanche shows some of Cohen’s tweets.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #GagOrder #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
After Justice #Merchan pointed out that no one is forcing #Trump to talk to the #press, #Blanche’s response, “I agree with that.”
Merchan continues to express concern about Trump’s rights to free speech, particularly as a political candidate. He says that a whole press area has been set aside for Trump in the hallway so that “your client, as candidate for the presidency, has the opportunity to speak about absolutely anything he wants.”
Nonilex
#Blanche is arguing that #Trump has to respond to reporters who ask him about #witnesses.
Justice #Merchan replies, “It was your client who went down to that holding area & stood in front of the press & started to speak. It wasn’t the press that went to him. He went to the press. He didn’t need to go in that direction.” He adds, “Nobody forced your client” to go talk to reporters in the courthouse hallway when he attacked #MichaelCohen.
Nonilex
#Blanche complains about media coverage in the argument, but #Trump seeks out the media, he gives multiple stmnts outside the courtroom & constantly discusses the trial. He’s running on his #criminal charges.
Justice #Merchan says he doesn’t understand Blanche’s argument comparing Trump’s inability to speak out freely w/journalists' ability to report freely on him everyday. “They’re not defendants in this case," Merchan says forcefully. "They’re not subject to the #GagOrder.”
Nonilex
#Trump atty #Blanche argues the purpose of the #GagOrder is to “protect the integrity of these proceedings” & that none of the 4 statements at issue were disruptive to the trial, & continues to say Trump’s statements are responses to political attacks.
Blanche mentions a comment from President #Biden at the WH Correspondents' Dinner in which the president made an oblique reference to #StormyDaniels, saying that Trump had been experiencing “stormy weather.”
Nonilex
But the judge asks, isn’t it possible to respond to #Biden without actually mentioning #StormyDaniels, a potential #witness?
[also Biden isn’t under a #GagOrder, threatening any #witnesses or facing multiple #criminal charges]
#Trump appeared to get frustrated during this exchange & motioned w/his hands.
#law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
Conroy re #MichaelCohen,:
The judge, in ruling against #Trump after the first hearing, warned that #witnesses could not use the #GagOrder as a “sword,” attacking Trump while knowing that he would be fined for attacking them back. Conroy acknowledges that: “We understand the court's concern about Michael Cohen.” But he wants the violation recognized, as he says Trump is trying to “disrupt” the process & that his statements are “corrosive to this proceeding”
Nonilex
Regarding #Trump’s comments about David #Pecker being nice, prosecutor Conroy argued it was a threat to other witnesses “be nice or else face attacks” not sure that will work. Conroy called Trump’s statements as “air of menace” I agree, but if we’re supposed to infer for a #GagOrder that gets a little tricky.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
Gag order hearing is underway
Moments into the prosecutors' argument, #Trump slapped the arm of his lead lawyer, Todd Blanche, and gestured with his hands. They spoke briefly and then Trump sat back and immediately shut his eyes.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #GagOrder #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#Trump also attacked Justice #Merchan at a rally in Wisconsin last night & said that the #jury in this trial was drawn from a county —Manhattan — which is “a 95% or so Democrat area.”
Trump continued the same line of attack in the courthouse hallway. According to a pool report, he referred to Justice Merchan as conflicted & bragged about yesterday's rallies.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #MobTactics #GagOrder #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
Before the jury is called back in, Justice #Merchan plans to hold a hearing on whether #Trump has again violated the #GagOrder in the case.
Trump went to his social media platform this morning to again saying:
"We cannot let this radical left, corrupt & highly conflicted New York Democrat judge interfere w/the presidential election of 2024 — the most important election in the history of our country. The USA is truly a nation in decline! Remove the unconstitutional gag order."
Nonilex
Davidson’s testimony on Tues ended w/how he had started to doubt #MichaelCohen would pay the $130k.
Before the day ended, Davidson said Cohen forwarded him an email from First Republic Bank vouching for his solvency.
In addition to #StormyDaniels, Davidson represented #KarenMcDougal, a Playboy model who had a year-long affair w/ #Trump. McDougal also received #HushMoney —$150k from the parent company of The #NationalEnquirer.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Nonilex
👀 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]
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
Reminder custodial witnesses like Daus — are tasked w/ verifying & entering records into evidence — because the defense refused to accept anything as basic fact.
In most trials, lawyers agree that certain exhibits should be understood to be true & factual; #Trump’s lawyers consistently refuse to do that, AT ALL, they won’t accept things like this is a table, this is a phone, thus requiring this boring fact verification process.
Nonilex
Daus, who extracted data from #MichaelCohen's cellphones, confirms that Cohen was texting w/ #HopeHicks, who at the time was #Trump’s spox.
A report from Daus shows that one of Cohen’s phones had 39,745 contacts!
A photo of Cohen behind the press secretary's lectern in the #WhiteHouse briefing room is displayed on video screens.
The courtroom is now hearing a recording Cohen secretly made of Trump talking.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
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.
(oosh boring)
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
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.
#criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
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."
#criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#Bove ends his cross-examination of #KeithDavidson.
Re-direct from prosecutor #Steinglass, who reads through a transcript of Davidson's recorded discussion w/ #MichaelCohen.
Davidson is asked to clarify that Michael #Avenatti, who by then was #StormyDaniels’ attorney, was denying a number of developments.
The discussions between Davidson & Cohen, he testified, were about Avenatti efforts, not coaching Stormy's words.
#Trump #criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#Bove noted #KeithDavidson's use the word “leverage” on the tape, suggesting that he was seeking leverage over #Trump. Davidson denied that & said that Bove is “grossly mistaken about the dates” of when this conversation took place.
The recording was not introduced as evidence in the case so the jury & the observers aren’t hearing it. Davidson is listening on a headset, defense is using it to refresh his recollection about the conversation so Bove can question him about it.
Nonilex
#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.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
FYI #Necheles, defended #TrumpOrganization in a #criminal #tax #law #case 2 yrs ago.
#Bove questioned #KeithDavidson if Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler, offered to indemnify #StormyDaniels from liability she incurred relating to the #HushMoney deal.
Davidson said that Flynt offered, but Daniels did not accept.
Bove then questioned Davidson if #MichaelCohen secretly taped people. Davidson acknowledged he believed Cohen taped him at certain times.
Nonilex
Chris #Conroy, the prosecutor, says they need to go through the articles but that it's "odd" that the defense is asking for an advance ruling.
When Conroy says that he thinks the #GagOrder is "very specific," #Trump vigorously shakes his head.
#Merchan says he is not going to pre-judge Trump's postings. "I'm not going to give advance rulings," he says.
"There is no ambiguity, I believe, in the order." He says that if Trump is in doubt, he should "steer clear."
Nonilex
Susan#Necheles, one of #Trump's lawyers, begins by asking for a clarification on the #GagOrder, giving a copy of some news articles to the judge. The articles are by what she calls “legal commentators" including #Trump supporter #JonathanTurley, saying, "These articles are all articles which President Trump would like to post on Truth." She says they involve some witnesses & aspects of the case, but Trump has “concerns" about posting because they reference witnesses.
Nonilex
#KeithDavidson’s testimony exhumes a decade’s worth of #CelebritySleaze.
Payments from…Charlie Sheen to keep women silent. Rumors…Lindsay Lohan was in rehab. A lawsuit by Hulk Hogan…against the gossip website Gawker for publishing a tape of him having sex.
Testimony…at the #TrumpTrial…dove deeply into the #celebrity-obsessed #media environment…that helped fuel #Trump’s rise to political prominence.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/02/nyregion/trump-trial-celebrity-hush-money.html?smid=url-share
Nonilex
Basically yes, all these characters are sleazy scumbag criminals, but that’s who sleazy scumbag criminals typically conduct their sleazy scummy crimes with.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#Bove insisted that #KeithDavidson was familiar w/ #extortion law after the brush w/ federal agents.
Bove also suggested that Davidson violated California's #ethics code for #lawyers by compensating non-lawyers w/ legal fees.
Lunch break
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
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.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#Bove asked #KeithDavidson if it's fair to say his memory "seems a little fuzzy around some of these issues?"
Davidson replied that he has had over 1500 clients in his career.
Bove told Davidson that he (Bove) was "not here to play lawyer games" & Davidson told Bove that he was "getting truthful answers, sir"
Very hostile & confrontational cross.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
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.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
Objection (obviously)
Sidebar
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
Defense wants to portray #MichaelCohen as having a vendetta against #Trump grounded in personal disappointment w/nothing to do any alleged illegal conduct by Trump.
#Bove recalls to #KeithDavidson he said Cohen could be “aggressive,” then said, “And you can be aggressive too, can’t you?”
Davidson: “I suppose”
Bove: “What does the word ‘extortion’ mean to you?”
Defense wants to make Davidson look like a scumbag who extorted the Trump campaign. Davidson is pissed.
Nonilex
#Bove tried to create distance between the #HushMoney deals & #Trump.
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.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
#Trump's lawyer Emil #Bove on #CrossExamination of Davidson, fmr #StormyDaniels & #KarenMcDougal lawyer.
Bove begins by establishing that Davidson has not met Trump.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#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.
"Wtf," Davidson said.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#KeithDavidson explained an interaction w/ #MichaelCohen re a statement to fmr #CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.
In Feb 2018, the #StormyDaniels story was getting attention in the news.
Davidson testified that Cohen asked him to provide a statement stating that Cohen was the source of the funds.
#Steinglass asks why he drafted it despite knowing that #Trump was or would be the ultimate source of the funds.
Davidson says that at the time of the transaction, Cohen had put up the money.
Nonilex
#KeithDavidson was asked about texts w/ #MichaelCohen referencing the State of the Union address that #Trump was going to deliver - so this was happening as Trump was running the country.
Davidson testified about how handling both #StormyDaniels & #MichaelCohen made his life very complicated.
Prosecutor #Steinglass grilled Davidson on how Daniels's denials were not believable, important to counter arguments by defense.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#Steinglass presented texts between #MichaelCohen & #KeithDavidson about a statement prepared before #StormyDaniels' #JimmyKimmel appearance in Jan 2018.
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?]
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
mid-January 2018, #MichaelCohen texted #KeithDavidson that he had tentatively scheduled #StormyDaniels to appear on #Hannity (she never did)
#Steinglass asked why Cohen was pushing for her to appear on the program. Davidson answered that Cohen believed Daniels would further deny the sexual encounter w/ #Trump.
Cohen had a relationship w/ Sean Hannity, a Trump supporter. In 2018 before Cohen’s guilty plea, it was revealed that Hannity was a #legal client of Cohen’s.
Nonilex
Davidson testifies about many phone calls & texts from #MichaelCohen after WSJ’s article came out.
Rothfeld its author says:
“The statement of denial from #StormyDaniels just shown in court seemed like an obvious non-denial denial when I was reporting on this story at the time for The WSJ. 1st of all, it came from Michael Cohen. How would he have had access to her? Second, she said she didn’t receive #HushMoney from ‘Donald Trump’—we knew it was Cohen who had paid.”
Nonilex
#KeithDavidson testimony re the #HushMoney deal:
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.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#Trump claimed on social media that this stmnt was “JUST FOUND” (it wasn’t)
He was penalized $1k for that as a violation of the #GagOrder.
#KeithDavidson reads #StormyDaniels's denial aloud.
#Steinglass: “How would you characterize the truthfulness of this statement?”
“Did you intend for this statement to be cleverly misleading?”
Davidson: “I don’t understand the question” & added he would “never” use the term “#HushMoney”. He prefers the term “consideration.”
Nonilex
👀👀
#KeithDavidson is asked about a text he sent #DylanHoward (#NationalEnquirer) on election night as the election was about to get called for #Trump.
“What have we done?” Davidson texted.
Howard responded: “Oh my god.”
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.”
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
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."
Defense will love that testimony.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Nonilex
#KeithDavidson is asked to go over the specifics of the #HushMoney contract w/ #StormyDaniels & #MichaelCohen, which was signed “on behalf of” #Trump.
Davidson confirmed that Daniels' contract had a $1M liquidated damages provision, meaning that Daniels would be obligated to pay $1M if she breached the contract.
Davidson added that Cohen was the person who insisted the provision contain an amount so high.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference
Nonilex
More on #MichaelCohen signing “on behalf of” #Trump:
#KeithDavidson said Cohen signed the documents instead of “David Dennison”, which was the alias they used for Trump.
Prosecutor #Steinglass showed the doc in court & the signatures from Cohen, #StormyDaniels, & Davidson, but there wasn’t one from Trump.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
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