The recent developments in Donald Trump’s trial have focused on allegations of affairs and the exchange of confidential information about the wealthy and famous individuals.
However, the central issue in the case revolves around the authenticity of financial records. Prosecutors claim that Mr. Trump manipulated business documents to hide a payment made to Stormy Daniels, a porn star, in order to protect his 2016 presidential campaign. The former president faces 34 felony charges related to reimbursements made to his former lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, who paid off Ms. Daniels to keep quiet about their encounter. If found guilty, Mr. Trump could be sentenced to probation or up to four years in prison.
Key witnesses in the trial have included a banker, a media executive, Ms. Daniels’ lawyer, a C-SPAN archives specialist, and one of Mr. Trump’s assistants. Here are some notable statements that have been made during the proceedings:
‘The boss will take care of it.’
Former National Enquirer publisher, David Pecker, testified about payments made by his publication to suppress damaging stories about Mr. Trump. He mentioned that after American Media Inc. paid a Playboy model for her silence, Mr. Trump did not immediately reimburse him. When Mr. Pecker inquired about payment, Mr. Cohen reassured him by saying, “Don’t worry. I’m your friend. The boss will take care of it.”
‘Everything was urgent with Michael Cohen.’
Although Mr. Cohen has not testified yet, his presence has been felt throughout the trial. The prosecution anticipates that Mr. Cohen will be a crucial witness, but they must establish his credibility despite criticism from other witnesses.
Gary Farro, a banker, described Mr. Cohen as someone for whom “everything was urgent.” Another witness, Keith Davidson, noted that interactions with Mr. Cohen often signaled impending problems. Mr. Davidson referred to Mr. Cohen as “highly excitable, sort of a pants-on-fire kind of guy.”
‘The girl is being cornered by the estrogen mafia.’
During negotiations for Ms. McDougal’s story, Mr. Davidson tried to leverage the possibility of her sharing her story with ABC News instead of The National Enquirer. He referred to certain women as the “estrogen mafia,” who were pushing Ms. McDougal towards ABC by offering her a spot on “Dancing with the Stars” in exchange for her story.
Mr. Davidson later expressed regret for using such language, acknowledging it as a mistake. He believed that Mr. Cohen was delaying the payment until after the election day.
‘Incarceratory sentence’
At the start of the third week of the trial, Justice Juan M. Merchan found Mr. Trump in violation of a gag order multiple times. The order prohibits Mr. Trump from making comments about jurors, court personnel, witnesses, and the judge’s family.
Justice Merchan warned Mr. Trump that further violations could result in a “incarceratory sentence,” indicating the possibility of jail time.
