After one day without taking the stand, Donald Trump restrained himself, allowing the ancient hush money trial to reach its conclusion and allowing a Manhattan judge to start deliberating as soon as next month.
After Robert Costello’s testimony was wrapped up on the witness stand, Trump attorney Todd Blanche announced that the defence had finished defying the prosecution’s month-long investigation into the previous leader.
Justice Juan Merchan of the Manhattan Supreme Court informed jury that they would be down through Memorial Day to prevent a protracted pause between the conclusion of the claims and the discussion.
According to Merchan,” I believe that the best item we can do is to reconvene until Tuesday following.” Afterward, he heard arguments regarding how to train jury before they start the case.
Trump lamented that he could n’t fully express his feelings about his trial because of a gag order prohibiting remarks about trial participants while declining to handle his determination not to speak earlier on Tuesday.
” You’d be very impressed, but I’m gagged”, Trump said. ” So why would I take the chance? We do want to support our Constitution. So at some point, sometimes I may take the chance”.
In April 2023, the presumed GOP nominee for president, Stormy Daniels, pleaded not guilty to 34 matters of falsifying business records, each of which were related to his alleged insurance to Michael Cohen for paying off Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to silence her claims that she had slept with a married Trump in 2006.
The bills, according to the prosecution, were allegedly billed as payment for legal fees and were felony-level crimes because they were used to conceal a plot to rig the election.
20 witnesses for the trial and two for the defense, including a professional from Blanche’s firm, were among the 12 New Yorkers given the second hearing to decide whether to prisoner a U.S. president.
Team Trump called Costello, who drew the often even- tempered court’s outrage Monday for mouthing off in front of judges, to try to undermine Cohen.
The New York City security lawyer, a longtime supporter of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, freely advised Cohen in the springtime of 2018 , after the government began investigating him. He claimed he freely advised Cohen, who told him Trump “knew everything” about the Daniels return.
Lawyers have posited that Costello’s need to reflect Cohen, Trump’s former plumber, was really part of a “pressure strategy” to prevent him from flipping on the tycoon. Cohen, who previously admitted to breaking the campaign finance laws in his previous prison stint, previously testified to jurors that he did n’t believe the attorney and that anything he had promised would return to the boss.
Assistant District Attorney Susan Hoffinger was cross-examined on Tuesday and asked if Cohen had brought that up while attempting to identify him as a customer, which he denied. On the basis that the evidence established that Giuliani and Cohen had known each other for 50 years.
Hoffinger finally pulled up messages between the two males and Costello’s rules partner.
” Michael, I just spoke to Rudy Giuliani and told him I was on your staff. Ruddy expressed excitement and said,” This could not possibly get a better position for the President or you,” read an email Costello sent Cohen shortly after the FBI raided his homes.
” Giuliani thanked me for opening this up channel of communication and asked me to stay in touch.”
Hoffinger inquired about whether the internet” speaks for itself” with Costello.
” No, not really, because there are surrounding conditions about that e-mail, which I will be happy to inform you”, a beet- purple Costello said.
” That’s all right”, Hoffinger said, prompting laughter in the courtroom. ” Come move on to the next one”.
Costello acknowledged that the defense testimony was referencing Trump in another messages that showed him telling Cohen that he had “friends in large places.” Cohen also spotted Costello telling the judge to keep him only around the time he pleaded guilty.
In another change, Costello described Cohen to his law partner as an” a–hole” who was “playing with the most powerful man on the planet”.
In one message, Costello wrote,” Our problem is to get Cohen on the right page without giving the impression that we are following orders from Giuliani or the leader.”
Giuliani was the first to use the phrase “back channel,” according to Costello in a redirect with Trump lawyer Emil Bove, when Cohen was informed that they had to keep his communications secret.
Last year, Costello testified informally before the House of Representatives and claimed Cohen was a liar, but he denied he sought to scare him or press him. He acknowledged that Cohen had not agreed to a fee and that he felt dissatisfied that Cohen had never been compensated for his advice.
When Cohen hired a new attorney and was forced to commit acts for the leader, Hoffinger inquired about whether Costello had lost control of Cohen.
” No! I answered no”! Costello fumed.
Cohen claimed in his testimony that Trump authorized the Daniels return and his billing as part of a plotted in August 2015 to advance Trump’s presidential campaign.
Trump claims Cohen was reimbursed for unlawful job and that any attempts to disprove allegations were made to protect his family and reputation rather than his presidential campaign.
Among those who accompanied Trump to judge Tuesday were past acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, graphic Joe Piscopo and , Donald Trump Jr.  , Outdoor judge, a rider heckled the Trump heir, yelling,” Don Jr., we hate you in New York”.
Trump’s oldest son disparaged Cohen as “arguably the least credible ( witness ) in the history of, I do n’t know, witnesses”, and defended his father’s decision not to testify.
” He did n’t ask me to come here”, Don Jr. said. ” I came here, and I damn sure saw it myself. It’s a carnival in that courtroom”.
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