DA's Opening Statement: "This case is about a criminal conspiracy. Donald Trump corrupted the 2016 election"
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The first line of Colangelo's opening was, "This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up - Donald Trump corrupted the 2016 election." He said that it all began when Trump and Michael Cohen met with National Enquirer publisher David Pecker In August 2015 to suppress negative stories about Trump. He said that Trump gave Cohen $130,000 to pay Stormy Daniels to silence her. He covered up the payments by falsifying his business records.
Colangelo said that Trump's claim that the payments to Cohen were for legal services was a lie, and he falsified 34 separate invoices to cover up the fact that it was being done for election purposes. He said that Pecker served as the "eyes and ears" of the Trump campaign, keeping his eye out for stories that could hurt Trump so he could make him aware of them. This is what they called their "catch and kill" strategy. At the same time, Pecker was publishing positive stories about Trump is several different publications and running stories attacking his opponents.
Colangelo then gave several examples of stories they ran such as accusing Ted Cruz's father of being involved in the JFK assassination and Ben Carson of committing medical malpractice.
He then said that they carried out three separate "catch and kills":
1. A doorman for Trump was trying to sell a story that he had information that Trump fathered children with women. He was paid $30,000 and Pecker suppressed the story.
2. Former Playboy model Karen McDougal was shopping her story through her attorney that she had a year-long affair with Trump. Pecker paid her $150,000 and suppressed the story. However, Pecker later became upset about his because Trump wouldn't reimburse him.
3. The Stormy Daniels payment through Michael Cohen for $130,000 to cover up Trump's sexual encounter with the porn star.
Cohen then recorded a conversation with Trump about this and Colangelo said that tape will be played in court. He said Trump is on the tape saying they should pay in cash and label the payment "advisory services." However, Pecker's lawyer advised against taking the payment so it was never made. He said that they would present evidence in the form of a "flurry of text messages" and a "barrage of phone calls" to suppress the story.
Prosecutors say Trump violated his gag order 10 times. The judge is finally set to weigh in.
On Monday, Manhattan prosecutors began trying to persuade a jury that Donald Trump is guilty of 34 felonies in his hush money case. On Tuesday, they’ll try to persuade the judge that he deserves a more immediate penalty: They want him held in contempt.
The prosecutors say Trump has repeatedly violated a gag order that prohibits him from attacking witnesses, jurors and others involved in the case. Justice Juan Merchan has scheduled a Tuesday morning hearing, outside the presence of the jury, to consider the prosecutors’ arguments.
If Merchan agrees that Trump has defied the gag order, he’ll then face the thorny question of what to do about it. His options range from a sternly worded warning to a modest fine to a short stint in jail.
Several former prosecutors said they expect Merchan to be lenient. But they also noted that the situation is fluid, unpredictable, and — it goes without saying — unprecedented.
Judge tells Trump lawyer he's 'losing all credibility with the court'
Source: The Guardian
Things are not going well for Donald Trump as his lawyer, Todd Blanche, continues to make the claim that re-posting doesn’t violate the gag order.
Judge Merchan said:
Mr Blanche you’re losing all credibility, I have to tell you right now … You’re losing all credibility with the court. Is there any other argument you want to make?
Merchan is reserving decision on the prosecution’s contempt request.
