The criminal trial of Donald Trump has commenced, marking the first trial of a former president in history. Opening statements were delivered by prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys, with the first witness, former National Enquirer publisher, taking the stand. Prosecutors alleged that hush money payments to Stormy Daniels were part of a larger conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, while Trump’s defense claimed he was innocent and not involved in falsifying business records.
The prosecution framed the case as illegal payments made to influence the 2016 election, which Trump then tried to cover up by falsifying business records. The defense argued that Trump was innocent and not involved in the creation of the falsified records beyond signing the checks. Both sides presented their theories to the jury, with the defense making a point that there’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election.
During the trial, Judge Juan Merchan held a hearing regarding the district attorney’s motion to sanction Trump for violating the judge’s gag order barring discussion of witnesses. The prosecution alleged that Trump violated the gag order multiple times and requested fines as well as a reminder from the judge about potential imprisonment if the violations continue. Trump’s lawyers argued that his social media posts did not violate the gag order.
The first witness called by prosecutors was former AMI CEO David Pecker, who is expected to testify about his role in the alleged ‘catch and kill’ scheme to control negative stories about Trump before the 2016 election. Prosecutors claim Pecker was a key player in the conspiracy to influence the public narrative about Trump. Pecker’s testimony is anticipated to shed light on the payments made to Karen McDougal for her story alleging an affair with Trump.
While the criminal trial is ongoing, Trump’s legal team is also handling a civil fraud trial where a judgment was made against him for fraudulently inflating his asset values. Trump’s attorneys reached an agreement with the New York attorney general’s office regarding a $175 million bond posted for the civil matter. Trump continued to express his dissatisfaction with the legal proceedings and maintained his innocence in both trials. The next phase of the trial will involve addressing allegations of further violations of the gag order by Trump.
