After leading jurors through the seamy inner workings of the Donald Trump-allied National Enquirer tabloid, prosecutors in the New York hush-money case against the former president are retracing the money trail that runs through their indictment of Trump for criminal election conspiracy.
The scene outside the Manhattan courthouse on Tuesday.
Sean Piccoli
A banker is due to resume testifying today about a shell company that Michael Cohen, Trump’s personal attorney at the time, set up to funnel $130,000 to adult film performer Stormy Daniels. Cohen, using the “catch and kill” playbook perfected by last week’s key witness, former tabloid publisher David Pecker, shielded his boss from a potential October surprise in 2016 by purchasing the exclusive story rights to Daniels’ claim of an extramarital sexual encounter with Trump. Cohen pleaded guilty in a federal case connected to the scheme and is expected to testify in the Manhattan case.
By reimbursing Cohen through a series of payments billed as legal expenses, Trump violated New York business and federal campaign laws in an illegally coordinated secret effort to keep Daniels out of the news, the Manhattan District Attorney charges. Trump has denied having sex with Daniels and said he was paying Cohen for routine legal work.
Jurors on Friday also heard from Rhona Graff, a former executive assistant to Trump who sometimes appeared on his hit reality show, The Apprentice. Graff testified that she saw Daniels at Trump Tower offices in New York on more than one occasion, and had a “vague recollection” of seeing her there a few days before President-elect Trump’s inauguration in January of 2017. She attributed Daniels’ visits to Trump’s interest in her as a possible Apprentice contestant.
Outside the courthouse this morning, about two dozen people gathered in the park across the street — some to show support for Trump in his rematch against President Joe Biden. One group hoisted a banner with the message, “Finish The Wall” and “Trump 24.” Others leaned against metal barricades hoping for a glimpse of the defendant — although their view was likely to be blocked by an NYPD dump truck strategically parked in front of the narrow side street where Trump enters the courthouse.
The trial was dark on Monday, but there was still news. Cohen’s legal team announced a settlement with One America News Network, a right-wing media ally of Trump. OAN retracted a story that reported on a claim that Cohen had an affair with Daniels.
