After presenting testimony from 20 witnesses and introducing more than 200 pieces of evidence, the prosecutors in the criminal hush money trial involving Donald Trump have concluded their case against the former president.
Over the course of four weeks of testimony, prosecutors have presented a compelling case against Trump, weaving a tale of sex, schemes, and lies that are intricately tied to the 2016 election.
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In 2006, the Manhattan district attorney’s case against the former president commenced. It all started when Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress, claimed that she had engaged in a sexual encounter with Trump at a golf tournament in California. However, Trump vehemently denies these allegations.
Ten years later, when Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and reality-television star, secured the Republican presidential nomination, his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, revealed that he had bought the rights to silence Stormy Daniels. Trump had directed Cohen to do so in order to prevent a potential political disaster just days before the 2016 election.
According to prosecutors, Trump is accused of falsifying business records in 2017. They claim that he repaid Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Daniels and labeled it as a legal expense under a retainer agreement. Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, maintains his innocence and denies any wrongdoing.
During the first week of the trial, Trump explained to reporters that he considered the payment to the lawyer as a legal expense. He emphasized that it was important to label it as such.
Before the jury hears closing statements and begins deliberating, Trump’s attorneys were anticipated to present a concise defense case.
Paying for silence
Prosecutors initiated their case by focusing on David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer. They claim that Pecker was involved in a conspiracy with Trump and Cohen to conceal vital information from voters. It’s worth noting that neither Pecker nor Cohen are facing charges in this particular case.
During a meeting in August 2015, Pecker testified that he was asked how he and his magazines could contribute to the campaign. He agreed to act as the “eyes and ears” for Trump’s presidential campaign, alongside Cohen.
Pecker admitted that besides publishing unfavorable stories about Trump’s adversaries and complimentary stories about Trump himself, he also committed to keeping an eye out for negative stories about Trump concerning women.
Pecker testified that if he heard anything negative about someone or if he heard any stories about women that could potentially harm them, he would inform Michael Cohen. According to Pecker, Cohen would then take action to prevent the stories from being published, suggesting that they could be killed in another magazine or suppressed altogether.
During the 2016 campaign, Pecker admitted to engaging in the practice of purchasing stories with the intention of burying them to benefit Trump. He acknowledged two instances where his company paid for stories to be silenced: one involved a fabricated story about Trump fathering a child out of wedlock, for which they paid $30,000, and the other involved purchasing the rights to former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s claims of a lengthy affair with Trump, for which they paid $150,000. It is important to note that Trump denies these allegations.
According to Pecker’s testimony, he made both payments in order to honor his agreement with Trump and support his campaign. However, when Cohen approached him for assistance in making a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels in October 2016, Pecker expressed reluctance to get involved in exchange for her silence.
Pecker testified that they had already paid $30,000 to the doorman and $150,000 to Karen McDougal. He asserted that he was not a bank and would not be making any additional payments among them.
Corroborating Cohen
The prosecution wrapped up their case by summoning Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer who orchestrated the scheme with Pecker and facilitated the $130,000 payment to Daniels.
Cohen claimed that he carried out his actions under the direct orders of Trump, aiming to suppress any negative stories about him. He emphasized that he kept Trump fully informed throughout the process, ensuring that the president was involved and had given his approval at every stage.
According to Cohen’s testimony, Trump reacted to Daniels’ allegations in October 2016 by expressing his concern, saying, “This is a disaster, total disaster. Women are going to hate me. Guys may think it’s cool, but this is going to be a disaster for the campaign.”
During the trial, Cohen recounted several instances where he had engaged in phone conversations and face-to-face meetings with Trump. They had devised a strategy to acquire Daniels’ narrative for $130,000, just before the election, with the understanding that Trump would reimburse Cohen the subsequent year.
According to Cohen, he initially tried to postpone the payment to Daniels’ lawyer Keith Davidson. Davidson testified that Cohen almost sabotaged the agreement with his constant excuses and delays.
Davidson testified that he believed Cohen was attempting to delay the payment until after the election. However, Cohen ultimately decided to use his own money to make the payment.
During her testimony, Hope Hicks, former White House communications director for Donald Trump, revealed that Trump expressed his preference for the story not to be made public before the election. Hicks also stated that Trump claimed Michael Cohen made the payment “out of the kindness of his own heart,” a statement that she found doubtful considering Cohen’s tendency to seek credit for his actions.
According to Hicks’ testimony, Mr. Trump believed that it was preferable to address the matter at hand rather than have the story emerge prior to the election.
During the trial, the prosecutors openly acknowledged that witnesses such as Cohen might have some credibility issues due to their past actions. They acknowledged that Cohen, who has pleaded guilty to federal crimes and has admitted to lying under oath, comes with some “baggage.” In order to support Cohen’s testimony, the prosecutors presented additional evidence, including emails, phone records, and text messages, to corroborate his account.
In 2018, Cohen made the decision to plead guilty and cooperate with authorities, including flipping on Trump. This decision came after the FBI conducted raids on his office and hotel room. Despite facing pressure from Trump to discourage his cooperation, Cohen remained steadfast in his resolve.
“I deeply regret carrying out actions on his behalf that were unethical and dishonest, such as lying and bullying individuals to achieve certain objectives,” stated Cohen during his testimony. He admitted to repeatedly lying on behalf of Trump as an expression of his unwavering loyalty, even going as far as providing false information during a Congressional hearing, which ultimately led to his imprisonment.
Following the paper trail
During the trial, witnesses such as Stormy Daniels and Hope Hicks delivered compelling testimonies. In addition to their accounts, the prosecution also presented a substantial amount of evidence in the form of documents. These documents serve as the foundation for the 34 criminal charges in this case.
During his testimony, Cohen informed the jurors that he and Allen Weisselberg, then the CFO of the Trump Organization, had a meeting with Trump shortly before his Inauguration. In this meeting, they discussed a strategy for Cohen to receive reimbursement for the Daniels payment. The plan involved twelve payments of $35,000 each, which were designated as legal services.
During the meeting, Cohen testified that Trump not only approved it but also remarked, “This is going to be one heck of a ride in D.C.”
During the trial, Jeffrey McConney, the former Trump Organization Controller, testified that he had a meeting with Weisselberg to verify the repayment plan. He presented handwritten notes as evidence to the jurors, documenting the details of the meeting.
McConney revealed that Cohen sent him the invoices for monthly payments for legal services, as per their retainer agreement. McConney then approved the invoices and forwarded them to Deborah Tarasoff, the supervisor of Trump Organization’s accounts payable.
Tarasoff stated that she handled the invoices and prepared checks, which she then gave to Rebecca Manochio, a junior bookkeeper at the Trump Organization.
According to Manochio, she mailed the checks in a manila folder to the White House. Trump’s executive assistant, Madeleine Westerhout, received the checks and handed them to Trump for his signature. Afterward, they were mailed back to Trump Tower in New York.
Witnesses provided contrasting accounts of how Trump approached signing checks. According to Tarasoff, he would typically review the invoices and occasionally reject checks. On the other hand, Westerhout claimed that Trump frequently signed checks without much deliberation.
The jury was presented with a comprehensive collection of the allegedly falsified documents. This included a total of 11 checks, with nine of them bearing the signature of Trump himself. Additionally, there were 11 invoices from Cohen and 12 vouchers that were generated by the Trump Organization.
Trump’s own words
During the trial, Trump may not testify, but jurors were able to hear from the former president through quotes from his books and statements made during his campaign rallies, as emphasized by the prosecutors.
During the trial, the prosecution presented a video from a campaign rally that took place on October 22, 2016. The video aimed to illustrate Trump’s apprehension regarding the potential negative impact of allegations made by women on his presidential campaign. Prosecutors argue that this concern played a role in Trump’s decision to purchase Daniels’ silence.
“These are all baseless falsehoods, complete fabrications, and it is imperative that we do not allow them to sway the outcome of the most crucial election in our lifetime,” stated Trump firmly. He emphasized the need to address the misinformation, stating, “Even if only 5% of the people believe these lies, and perhaps 10% entertain the possibility, it could be detrimental to our chances of victory.”
During the trial, prosecutors made use of quotes from three of Trump’s books to support their claims regarding his behavior.
According to statements from various sources, it is evident that Trump’s frugality was a prominent aspect of his management style. One particular quote even advises to “always question invoices,” highlighting his hands-on approach to managing expenses. Furthermore, quotes emphasizing loyalty shed light on his alleged “pressure campaign” against certain witnesses, supporting the arguments put forth by prosecutors in the case.
In one of his books, Trump expressed his motto as “always get even.” He firmly believed in responding to those who wronged him by giving them a taste of their own medicine.
