Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial continued on Tuesday before Judge Juan Merchan with further testimony and the cross-examination of the defendant’s estranged former “fixer” Michael Cohen.
Cohen is the attorney who made the $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels at the heart of the case in the hope of buying her silence about a sexual encounter she claims she had with Mr Trump in a Lake Tahoe hotel room in July 2006.
His testimony centred on fraudulent invoices and checks to cover up his reimbursement at the heart of the case. He remained composed as the former president’s defence team began to challenge his version of events and motive for testifying but admitted to wanting to see Mr Trump convicted.
The former president denies the affair and the 34 felony counts brought against him by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg, who accuses him of falsifying business records to hide the payout.
Ms Daniels herself took to the witness stand last week to deliver some highly explicit and embarrassing evidence, appearing unflappable during cross-examination, as the defence worked hard to discredit her.
Alex Woodward and Kelly Rissman are covering the trial from Manhattan Criminal Court.
Whoopi Goldberg hits back at ‘little snowflake’ Trump
Amelia Neath has the story:
Oliver O’Connell15 May 2024 06:15
The many faces of Michael Cohen
Michael Cohen has been described at the trial as Trump’s “fixer,” his former personal lawyer, a campaign “surrogate,” a convicted felon, a “pants-on-fire kind of guy” and a liar.
Now, on the witness stand, Cohen revealed yet another version of himself: a compliant witness.
Kelly Rissman & Alex Woodward15 May 2024 04:15
It wasn’t Melania on Trump’s mind when Stormy Daniels story broke, Cohen testifies
Donald Trump’s former lawyer and one-time fixer, Michael Cohen, testified that the former president expressed greater concern about the impact the Stormy Daniels affair story would have on his 2016 presidential campaign than how it would affect his wife.
“He wasn’t thinking about Melania, this was all about the campaign,” Cohen told the jury on Monday.
Ariana Baio has the story:
ICYMI: ‘Women will hate me. Guys will think it’s cool’
“I thought you had this under control. I thought you took care of this,” Cohen said from the witness stand in the former president’s hush money trial on Monday, recalling Mr Trump’s enraged reaction to the news that the adult film star’s allegations had resurfaced.
“Just take care of it. ‘There’s a lot going on at the campaign at the time.’ Just take care of it,” Mr Trump said, according to Cohen.
Alex Woodward and Kelly Rissman filed this report from the courthouse on Monday:
Oliver O’Connell15 May 2024 02:15
How Trump’s hush money trial turned into an audition stage for VP
All the world’s a stage, and this week the spotlight is on the Manhattan Criminal Court as major Republican players flock to audition for the role of Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate.
On Monday, Senators JD Vance and Tommy Tuberville joined the former president in a show of support at his hush money trial, echoing his rhetoric speaking to reporters outside court in slamming the case against him.
Oliver O’Connell15 May 2024 01:15
Trump supporter rides horse through New York City as criminal trial continues
A Donald Trump supporter was seen riding a horse in downtown New York City as the ex-president’s hush money trial continued on Monday 14 May. The man, wearing a cowboy hat, was spotted weaving between traffic on Water Street and Maiden Lane. He held a large flag with the words “Jesus is my savior. Trump is my president”. On Monday, Mr Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen told jurors that the Republican presidential candidate personally approved a hush money payment to bury a porn star’s story of a sexual encounter before it could derail his 2016 campaign.
Oliver O’Connell15 May 2024 00:15
The marriage of convenience between Trump and Johnson
On Tuesday, Mike Johnson — the pious born-again Christian who uses an app that notifies him when his son watches porn (and vice versa) — appeared in public with Donald Trump, the man who faces a legal trial stemming back to his attempts to allegedly pay an adult film actress hush money.
Oliver O’Connell14 May 2024 23:15
Trump brushes off Kristi Noem’s dog-killing story and calls her ‘terrific’
Katie Hawkinson has the story:
Oliver O’Connell14 May 2024 22:53
Michael Cohen sheds light on strategy to push back payments, trials and consequences
Kelly Rissman and Alex Woodward report from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan:
Oliver O’Connell14 May 2024 22:30
Watch: JD Vance asked why he is there in court with Trump
Oliver O’Connell14 May 2024 22:15