Trump’s history-making hush-money trial begins ...(Mod Warning)

1 min ago
Hicks says she checked with Trump before making statements to the press


Hope Hicks confirmed during testimony that Trump was focused on press coverage of the campaign.

She checked with Trump before making statements to the press.

1 min ago
Hicks: I traveled with Trump "almost every day" during campaign
Hope Hicks says she traveled with Trump "almost every day" during the campaign.

Recalling who else would travel for the campaign with Trump, Hicks says "the core staff was very limited."

2 min ago
Trump turns head toward Hicks a few times
Donald Trump has turned his head at times toward Hope Hicks, including when she said he deserved credit for campaign messaging.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-03-24/h_e442c35369cc094b887d602d5d74acbe

 

20m ago11.39 EDT
Trump's stern demeanor during Hicks testimony a stark contrast to Pecker


Hugo Lowell

Donald Trump has not smiled once since Hope Hicks took the stand, even when she said in complimentary terms that he was a hard worker and doing lots of things at once.

Trump is looking directly at Hicks as she testifies.

That is somewhat different from when Trump smiled or softened his expression when David Pecker was complimentary of him. It appears the significance of Hicks testimony, given her former proximity to his inner circle, is looming large for him.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...08cb3df581975f#block-663505208f08cb3df581975f

 

He’s not charging the Orange Dingleberry with a federal crime. You’ve been told that dozens of times. You’ve been given links to court orders to show you this. Continuing to repeat this nonsense is insane.

 

min ago
Trump appears increasingly agitated as Hicks testimony continues


As Hope Hicks has continued to testify, Donald Trump has more frequently engaged with his attorneys.

He appears increasingly agitated as he fires off comments to his attorney Emil Bove and Todd Blanche with facial expressions.



1 min ago
Hicks says she contacted Cohen about rumors of another tape
Hope Hicks says she reached out to Michael Cohen to run down a rumor she had heard about another tape "that would be problematic for the campaign."

"There was no such tape, regardless, but he chased that down for me," Hicks says.



2 min ago
Judge sustains Trump team's objection
Judge Juan Merchan sustains the Trump team's objection.

Donald Trump was writing something on a notepad while Emil Bove and Todd Blanche were at the bench. He showed it to Bove when he returned.



4 min ago
Hope Hicks is looking at the jury and prosecutor as she testifies
Hope Hicks is looking at the jury and prosecutor as she testifies today.

She has not looked at Trump.

More on the jury: Jurors appear to be very attentive. They are following the questions.



4 min ago
Attorneys approach judge's bench after objection
There's been an objection, and attorneys are now at the judge's bench.

Donald Trump is leaning over and chatting with his attorney Susan Necheles while lawyers are at side bar.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-03-24/h_e442c35369cc094b887d602d5d74acbe

 

7 min ago
Mitch McConnell and Mitt Romney's statements on tape shown in court


Prosecutors put up Mitch McConnell’s statement on the "Access Hollywood" tape on the screen.

Trump leaned in to look at the statement briefly.

Then, prosecutors showed Mitt Romney's statement. Trump slightly shook his head and did not look toward Romney's statement on the screen.


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9 min ago
Hicks says she recalls Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney releasing statements critical of Trump
Hope Hicks is asked who released statements criticizing Donald Trump after the "Access Hollywood" tape.

She raises former House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Mitt Romney.

Trump bobbed his head when she said the Republican lawmakers' names.



11 min ago
Trump leans back with eyes closed as lawyers pass notes
Donald Trump is leaning back now with his eyes closed. His attorneys Emil Bove and Todd Blanche are passing notes between him.



11 min ago
Hicks on media coverage of tape: "It was intense"
Hope Hicks was just asked about the media coverage surrounding the "Access Hollywood" tape.

Hicks bit her lip and replied, "It was intense."

She said coverage of the tape knocked news of a category 4 hurricane out of the news cycle.

"lt was all Trump all the time for the next 36 hours," Hicks testified.



13 min ago
Prosecutors play Trump's video statement
Prosecutors are now playing the video Trump released that evening for Hope Hicks.

She says she was present as the video was prepared.

Trump is engaged, watching Hicks on the screen and directly on the stand. He did appear to look at the statement on the monitor while it was shown to the jury.



14 min ago
Hicks reads campaign's statement on the tape to the jury
Hicks is reading the initial campaign statement for the jury. It's also displayed on a screen in the courtroom.

"This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course – not even close. I apologize if anyone was offended," the statement reads.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-03-24/index.html

 

1 min ago
Here's what Hope Hicks said about the day of the "Access Hollywood" tape release


Hope Hicks, once considered one of Donald Trump’s closest confidantes and most trusted aides, has been testifying about the moment the "Access Hollywood" tape of Trump using crude terms to describe treatment of women was released in October 2016.

• Hicks recalled getting an email from a Washington Post reporter about Trump's now-infamous lewd, hot mic remarks, which threw his campaign into a panic.
• Hicks recalled Trump being upset when he saw the tape, and saying the comments didn't sound like him until he reviewed it directly.
• There was consensus in the campaign that the tape was "damaging" and that this "was a crisis," Hicks testified. She was "eventually" concerned about how the tape could impact female voters' opinions, she added.
• Remember: Prosecutors are trying to prove that the reason Trump's team paid off Stormy Daniels was in large part in order to aid his campaign. Hicks detailing his campaign's concern over the tape could play a key role in that argument.

1 min ago
"Access Hollywood" tape was one of first questions raised during October 2016 debate, Hicks testifies
The October 9, 2016 debate, moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper and ABC News' Martha Raddatz, is now being discussed.

Hope Hicks says the "Access Hollywood" tape was raised during the debate as one of the first questions.

After the debate, Hicks confirms there were reports regarding Donald Trump's behavior with women.

The night after the debate, she says she was contacted by The New York Times. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo stops her from describing the story.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-03-24/index.html

 

From your link-
Summing It All Up

Let’s return to our chart for a moment. Once we incorporate the “unlawful means” needed to reach the § 17-152 object offense, it looks like this:



Clear as mud?

In all seriousness, what this deep dive has hopefully shown is that Bragg’s legal theory is genuinely tangled—though the district attorney’s office is doing its best to clarify matters. The next few weeks will show whether he’s able to walk the jury through it.
.....

As well the Judge's rejection of the argument that 175.152 applies to Sate elections only is wrong. Like Ive said Trump wont get justice in New york and will only be remedied by appealing the final resolution of the State case to Federal Courts.

 

BUT! In the end you can carp about it until you turn blue. TRaitor tRump IS charged, indicted AND being prosecuted. At this point what you have to say about the fairness of it means ...

.... NOTHING!

 

in ago
Hicks says Trump was concerned reports would hurt his standing with voters


Prosecutors are now playing a video from a October 2016 rally in North Carolina where Trump denies these reports.

Asked if Trump was concerned these reports could hurt his standing with voters, Hicks replies, "Yes."

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-03-24/index.html

 

1 min ago
Trump "definitely" considered his Twitter account important to his campaign, Hicks testifies


Hope Hicks is now being asked about Trump's Twitter account. Twitter is now known as X.

Asked whether he considered it an important part of his campaign, she says "definitely."

During the campaign, Trump posted all of his own tweets or a staffer would post things that Trump personally approved.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-05-03-24/index.html

 

SO! You're admitting that tRaitor tRump's legal woes have NOTHING to do with President Biden and President Biden is NOT behind them or involved in anyway.

 

8m ago12.33 EDT

Hope Hicks says she spoke to Michael Cohen on Saturday 8 October. She says she called Cohen to ask him to “take down a rumor I had heard with a contact” she had in the media.

What was that rumor? the prosecution asked. Hicks replied:

That there might be another tape that might be problematic for the campaign.

She explained:

I didn’t want anyone to be blindsided.

She asked Cohen to call this friend of his and ask about the existence of a tape, and then report back as to whether there was a tape and what was on it.

There was no such tape, regardless, but he sort of chased that down for me.

 

2 min ago
Hicks says she first heard of McDougal when she was contacted by the Wall Street Journal


Hope Hicks says she first heard of Karen McDougal on November 4, 2016, when contacted by the the Wall Street Journal.



3 min ago
Prosecutors show Trump's social media posts introduced into evidence earlier
Prosecutors are now showing Donald Trump's tweets they had introduced into evidence previously, including his attack on the late Sen. John McCain and his denial of the allegations involving women.

Hope Hicks is reading the tweets of Trump's denials.


https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-03-24#h_e3fdd9119d94aeff0c1d89bb4aa9937c

 

1 min ago
Hicks says she heard of Stormy Daniels one time before Wall Street Journal story


Hope Hicks says she had heard of Stormy Daniels one other time before Daniels was mentioned in the November 4, 2016, Wall Street Journal story.

Hicks says that security guys on Donald Trump's plane in 2015 were telling a story about a celebrity golf tournament and some of the participants, and Daniels' name came up.

She got the email about the WSJ story on Trump's plane as they were landing in Ohio for a rally, Hicks said.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-03-24#h_e3fdd9119d94aeff0c1d89bb4aa9937c

 

5 min ago
Trump is less engaged with Hicks' testimony


Trump is less engaged with Hope Hicks' testimony now as she gets into the Karen McDougal questions, sitting back in his chair with his eyes closed.



2 min ago
Hicks says she called Cohen because she knew he had relationship with David Pecker
Hope Hicks is testifying that she called Michael Cohen because she knew he had a relationship with David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer.

She also called Pecker's office, she says.

She says she thinks she called Cohen before Pecker, and he prompted her to call Pecker for more information.

"Michael sort of feigned like he didn't know what I was talking about," she says.



4 min ago
Hicks says she forwarded email to Jared Kushner, who knew Rupert Murdoch
Hope Hicks says she forwarded the Wall Street Journal email to Jared Kushner because of his role on the campaign and also because of his relationship with Rupert Murdoch.

Hicks says she hoped to "buy a little extra time."

5 min ago
The jury is being shown email from WSJ reporter about Trump's alleged affair with McDougal and deal with her
Hope Hicks got the email about the Wall Street Journal story on Trump's plane as they were landing in Ohio for a rally, she said.

The email laid out the story about American Media Inc. buying Karen McDougal's story of an affair with Trump.

The WSJ reporter asked if Trump had an affair with McDougal and was he or anyone close to him aware of or involved in the contract between McDougal and AMI.

Hicks says she believed that she mentioned the email to Trump before his rally because she was worried she wouldn't have enough time to respond otherwise.

The email is being displayed for the jury and most jurors are looking at their monitor.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-03-24#h_e3fdd9119d94aeff0c1d89bb4aa9937c

 

Less than 1 min ago
Hicks says she and Trump called Pecker


Hope Hicks testified that when she spoke with Donald Trump they called David Pecker.

"He wanted to hear that from David as well and so I believe I have a recollection of us calling and David repeating that to Mr. Trump and sometime after that conversation Mr. Trump wanted... he didn’t want to use the statement that we had drafted ....he wanted to craft his own statement," Hicks said.




3 min ago
Hicks sent draft responses to Cohen for review
The jury is seeing four draft responses Hope Hicks sent to Michael Cohen to review.

He responded: "instead...say: These accusations are completely untrue and just the latest despicable attempt by the liberal media and the clinton machine to distract the public from the FBI's ongoing criminal investigation into secretary clinton and her closest associates."



2 min ago
Hicks describes call with David Pecker about Karen McDougal deal
Hope Hicks is describing a call with David Pecker, during which he explained the Karen McDougal deal.

"I asked what was going on. Why was I receiving this email and he explained that Karen McDougal was paid for magazine covers and fitness columns and that it was all very legitimate and that was what the contract was for," Hicks said of her call with Pecker.

Hicks said she had "never" had any discussions with Pecker before that date about McDougal.

8 min ago

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-03-24#h_e3fdd9119d94aeff0c1d89bb4aa9937c

 

Oh no!
Trump didn't reach out for her hand like he did for Rhona Graff.

1 min ago
Trump doesn't react as Hicks walks past him to exit courtroom for break


Trump did not react as Hope Hicks walked past him as she exited the courtroom for the lunch brake. Defense attorney Todd Blanche was whispering in his ear.

Trump and lawyers are now leaving the courtroom.

3 min ago
Court is taking a lunch break
The jury is leaving the courtroom, and court is breaking for lunch.

 

12m ago13:02
Here’s a photo of Trump from inside the courtroom this morning.

Former US President Donald Trump at Manhattan criminal court in New York, US, on Friday, May 3, 2024. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of an alleged scheme to silence claims of extramarital sexual encounters during his 2016 presidential campaign. Photographer: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg

 

Question and correct me where I'm wrong:
Trump's ledger (or memo on the check) reads "legal fees".
Does everyone agree the check was made out to a Trump lawyer who took custody and control of it? Deposited it with other funds, maybe some from Trump? Maybe then wrote a new check to Stormy?
I don't think you have the crime alleged here. Could be wrong. Trump said check went to lawyer and I think it did. For the sake of argument, the lawyer was to then use the funds from the check to do something illegal for the client. You charge that crime, not saying there was a false record as the record is correct: money recorded as going to a lawyer and it did so.

 

8 min ago
Analysis: What CNN on-air analysts are saying about Hope Hicks’ testimony thus far

From CNN's Allison Morrow

Hope Hicks, once part of the Trump inner circle, is testifying for the prosecution on the hectic time at his campaign after the "Access Hollywood" tape was released in October 2016.

Here's what CNN analysts have had to say about her strength as a witness in the case.

Elie Honig, CNN senior legal analyst:
"Hope Hicks was the ultimate insider...If and when she says something that's helpful for the prosecution's case, it's going to hit extra hard in favor of the prosecution because you can't say this is a person who has a gripe or a beef with Donald Trump."

Alyssa Farah Griffin, former Trump administration staffer:
"I've actually been skeptical that Hope Hicks makes a lot of sense for the prosecution …Yes, Hope is a consummate Insider. She was very close to Donald Trump, especially in the first campaign. But this is a woman who is not partisan…She is fiercely loyal to Donald Trump even after January 6."

Diane Kiesel, retired judge of the New York Supreme Court:
"Hope Hicks seems to be a likable witness … It will be very interesting to see how the defense handles her on cross-examination. A woman who walks into a courtroom and says ‘I’m really nervous to be here’ — I don't know that they want to go after her very harshly. That could backfire."

Laura Coates, CNN chief legal analyst:
"This is a very significant witness. She hasn't spoken to him in two years. He's not paying for her attorney. She's there because of a subpoena …This is not somebody the jury's going to say, 'Well, I guess there was $130,000 being paid out that he knew nothing about.' What I'm waiting to hear from her though is, what came after the campaign? Why was there the concern still to pay and cover up or falsify a record? That's the key."


https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-03-24#h_e3fdd9119d94aeff0c1d89bb4aa9937c

 

Sleepin' Beauty Von SchlitzInPantz, he's been sleeping everyday multiple times. And he wants to be POTUS, seriously.

 

Cohen had already made the payment to Daniels. Took out against the equity in his house to do so.

The ledger read Retainer...not just legal fees.

For it to be a retainer there has to be a retainer agreement...there is none.
For it to be a retainer it has to be separated from other money Cohen received....as you point out, it was not.

A Retainer is a very special kind of payment. It is not treated as income until the lawyer does something to earn it. It is payment for FUTURE services.

 

Shootin' from the hip here, but I'm pretty sure Cohen paid Stormy first, before the election, and Trump paid him back, listing his payment as "legal fees".
One problem I see immediately is that paying a lawyer back, or even compensating the lawyer, for an illegal act cannot be considered "legal fees". There also is testimony to back that concept, like Cohen saying that's what happened, and Pecker, and............
My personal belief is that Trump's defense will be that Pecker, Cohen, and anyone else did all these things on their own, without Trump's input.
We'll see if that's the case and if it holds up.
Hope that helps!

Edit: Additionally, the prosecution wants to show that Trump knew these actions were not above board to show intent. IMO, they seem to have a lot of the "boxes" checked......

 

Just a few thoughts on your comment:

Since writing a check to your lawyer for legal fees isn't a crime, assuming they actually were for legal fees, there is nothing to charge.

What is being charged is recording the payment as "legal fees" when it was for something else. That is the misdemeanor. What elevates it to a felony is the prosecutor's contention that the payment was for an illegal act. And note that the elevation to felony does not require a conviction for that illegal act. In fact, the illegal act doesn't even have to be successful, just illegal. That is why there is all the testimony being presented by the prosecution regarding the "catch and kill" scheme.
The falsifying business records evidence is straightforward and indefensible. The records speak for themselves. The prosecutor needs to convince the jury that there was an attempt to influence the outcome of the election. How ? By making these payments to fund the "catch and kill" schemes.

Once you show that, every "legal fees" book entry becomes a felony.

 

No, Cohen took a second on his home to pay Daniels. Trump promised to reimburse him, but dragged his heels for months (aas was his custom).