As the trial involving former U.S. President Donald Trump progresses, prosecutors are set to call their final witnesses, including Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, in the New York hush money case.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Donald Trump is expected in court again this Friday following detailed testimony from adult film star Stormy Daniels regarding her alleged 2006 sexual encounter with him. The testimony, which included descriptions of personal items like gold tweezers, came as part of the historic criminal trial against a sitting or former U.S. President. The trial, held in Manhattan’s state criminal court, has seen Daniels recount an intimate encounter with Trump, who was then married, in a Lake Tahoe hotel suite.
Trump, aged 77, has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. These charges relate to attempts to conceal a $130,000 payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels. This payment, made shortly before the 2016 U.S. presidential election, was intended to prevent Daniels from discussing the alleged encounter publicly. Trump has consistently denied the affair and described the legal action as a politically charged attempt to thwart his campaign to reclaim the presidency in the upcoming November 5 election against Democrat Joe Biden.
The final stages of the trial will continue with further cross-examination of Madeline Westerhout, a former White House aide, who testified about financial transactions made by Trump during his presidency. Cohen, who has shifted from being a close confidant of Trump to a critical witness against him, is also expected to testify soon, with his appearance potentially extending over several days.
Prosecutors argue that Trump mislabeled his reimbursement payments to Cohen as legal fees within his real estate company’s records to disguise the true nature of the payment to Daniels. They claim this act was part of a larger scheme to influence the 2016 election outcome by silencing individuals who could have damaged his electoral prospects. The defense has countered these claims, and Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, has repeatedly sought a mistrial, asserting that Daniels’ explicit testimony could bias the jury—a notion the presiding judge, Juan Merchan, has rejected, emphasizing the prosecution’s right to bolster Daniels’ credibility.
As the trial approaches its possible conclusion by May 21, with 16 witnesses having already testified, the prosecution has indicated they might not call all 20 potential witnesses initially listed, including Playboy model Karen McDougal, another woman linked to Trump through similar allegations, which he also denies.