Trump trial set to start opening statements, first witness testimony
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump appears on as his felony trial over fees that he falsified enterprise data to hide cash paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, at Manhattan state courtroom in New York Metropolis, U.S., April 22, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
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Prosecutors and protection legal professionals within the New York hush cash trial of Donald Trump are set Monday to ship opening statements and begin calling witnesses to testify.
The prosecution is anticipated to name David Pecker, the previous CEO of Nationwide Enquirer writer American Media, as its first witness, a supply with direct information instructed NBC Information.
Pecker was deeply concerned in alleged efforts forward of the 2016 presidential election to “catch and kill” detrimental details about Trump, the Republican nominee in that contest.
Pecker allegedly warned Trump’s then-attorney Michael Cohen in late 2016 about porn star Stormy Daniels’ declare that she had intercourse with Trump years earlier whereas he was married. Cohen paid $130,000 to Daniels lower than two weeks earlier than the election, which Trump went on to win.
Former U.S. president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan Prison Courtroom to attend his trial for allegedly overlaying up hush cash funds linked to extramarital affairs in New York, on April 22, 2024.
Angela Weiss | Through Reuters
American Media earlier in 2016 additionally allegedly paid $150,000 to former Playboy mannequin Karen McDougal, who additionally says she had an extramarital affair with Trump.
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying enterprise data with a purpose to conceal his reimbursement to Cohen for paying off Daniels. Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg accuses Trump of doing so to affect the 2016 election.
Trump in a post Monday morning on Fact Social defended these funds to Cohen as he railed in opposition to the DA.
Bragg “says that the cost of cash to a lawyer, for authorized providers rendered, shouldn’t be referred to in a Ledger as LEGAL EXPENSE,” Trump wrote. “What different time period could be extra acceptable???”
Trump in that publish additionally complained that he’s unable to marketing campaign for president this week as a result of he’s required to attend his trial, which is anticipated to final round six weeks.
“It’s also the proper Crooked Joe Biden NARRATIVE – To be STUCK in a courtroom, and never be allowed to marketing campaign for President of the US!” he posted.
The opening statements and witness testimony will likely be delivered to a jury of 12 members and 6 alternates, who have been seated final week for the historic trial in Manhattan Supreme Courtroom.
Dozens of potential jurors shortly disqualified themselves from the method by declaring they might not be honest and neutral in deciding on the costs in opposition to the previous president and present presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Others have been excused from service after legal professionals discovered previous social media posts criticizing Trump.
The previous president’s attorneys made a few dozen separate makes an attempt to delay or dismiss the trial within the weeks main as much as it.
This included a request Friday afternoon {that a} Manhattan appeals courtroom pause the case, during which they argued that Trump can’t obtain a good jury in New York Metropolis, the place polls present he’s deeply unpopular.
Decide Juan Merchan had seated a full jury that very same day, and the appeals courtroom swiftly rejected the last-minute effort.
