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Donald TrumpDonald Trump was back at the Manhattan Criminal Court for hush money trial on Thursday after a on the campaign trail in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan.
Judge Juan Merchan is considering four more alleged violations of Mr Trump’s gag order today after earlier fining him $9,000 and warning the defendant could face “incarceratory punishment” if he persists in bad-mouthing key participants.
The former president’s legal team says he is responding to attacks on him from former fixer Michael Cohen and Joe Biden.
Wrapping up his testimony today was Keith Davidson, the ex-lawyer for Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal who negotiated the sale of their stories to guarantee their silence.
Mr Davidson’s past involvement in salacious celebrity stories was brought up in cross-examination in an attempt to muddy his standing with the jury.
Just before court adjourned for the day, Michael Avenatti, disgraced former lawyer for Ms Daniels, tweeted from prison accusing Mr Davidson of being a liar.
Separately, in a recording played to the jury, Cohen said that Mr Trump told him “I hate the fact we did it” concerning the hush money plot. Cohen responded that he told him it was the right thing to do.
The Independent’s Alex Woodward is covering the trial at Manhattan Criminal Court.
Michael Cohen: Once Trump’s inside man — no, friends say he’s at risk
In the seven years since professing this unwavering loyalty, the former lawyer and “fixer” has suffered his own very public downfall and criminal conviction, and is now recast as star witness in the Manhattan district attorney’s hush money case against the former president.
Oliver O’Connell3 May 2024 00:30
In pictures: Trump makes post-trial campaign stop at Midtown Manhattan firehouse
Oliver O’Connell3 May 2024 00:00
Man who bragged that he ‘fed’ an officer to the Jan 6 mob gets nearly five years in prison
A Georgia business owner who bragged that he “fed” a police officer to a mob of rioters storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced on Thursday to nearly five years in prison for his repeated attacks on law enforcement during the insurrection.
Jack Wade Whitton struck an officer with a metal crutch and dragged him — head first and face down — into the crowd on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace. Whitton later boasted in a text message that he “fed him to the people.”
Roughly 20 minutes later, Whitton tried to pull a second officer into the crowd, prosecutors say. He also kicked at, threatened and threw a construction pylon at officers trying to hold off the mob of then-President Donald Trump‘s supporters.
“You’re gonna die tonight!” he shouted at police after striking an officer’s riot shield.
Today in court: Bombshell audio captures Trump and Cohen discussing hush money ‘catch and kill’ plot
For the first time in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, jurors heard the former president’s own voice discussing a deal with his former attorney to buy the silence of a former Playboy model who alleged an affair with Mr Trump.
A portion of the recording – secretly recorded by Michael Cohen while Mr Trump was in the middle of his 2016 campaign for the presidency – was played inside a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday, giving the jury a brief but crucial look into how his “fixer” kept his boss up to date with a scheme that is now central to the criminal case against him.
Oliver O’Connell2 May 2024 23:06
Watch: Trump delivers pizza to firefighters in Midtown Manhattan
After a long day of court, Donald Trump stopped by a Midtown Manhattan firehouse to deliver pizza to first responders.
Oliver O’Connell2 May 2024 22:45
Ol’ blue eyes fights back at allegation he sleeps in court
The former president insisted that, while his eyes may be closed on occasion, he is listening “intensely” and taking it “ALL in!” in a self-complimentary social media post on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Mike Bedigan has the story…
Oliver O’Connell2 May 2024 22:30
Full story: Stormy Daniels’ disgraced ex-attorney Michael Avenatti fires back at Trump trial testimony from prison cell
Mr Davidson is the attorney who negotiated Ms Daniels’ $130,000 payment from Mr Cohen which is at the centre of the trial.
Oliver O’Connell2 May 2024 21:55
Transcript of Cohen and Trump recorded conversation
Here’s a rough transcript of the recording played earlier in court of the conversation between Michael Cohen and Donald Trump:
MC: “I need to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend, David, you know, so that, I’m going to do that right away … And I’ve spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up.”
DT: “So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?”
MC: “[inaudible] funding. Yes. Uh, and it’s all the stuff.”
DT: “Yea, I was thinking about that.”
MC: “Because – here, you never know where that company – you never know what he’s –”
DT: “Maybe he gets hit by a truck.”
MC: “Well, I’ll have to pay something.”
Alex Woodward2 May 2024 21:34
Court adjourns
Court has adjourned for the day with Judge Merchan excusing the jury.
Tomorrow proceedings will end earlier at 3.45pm as one juror has an important appointment.
Oliver O’Connell2 May 2024 21:30
