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#KeithDavidson explained an interaction w/ #MichaelCohen re a statement to fmr #CNN anchor Chris Cuomo.
In Feb 2018, the #StormyDaniels story was getting attention in the news.
Davidson testified that Cohen asked him to provide a statement stating that Cohen was the source of the funds.
#Steinglass asks why he drafted it despite knowing that #Trump was or would be the ultimate source of the funds.
Davidson says that at the time of the transaction, Cohen had put up the money.
#Steinglass finished questioning #KeithDavidson in an abrupt conclusion. Before he finished, Steinglass asked Davidson if he had any stake in the outcome of the trial. Davidson said that he did not.
#Trump's lawyer Emil #Bove on #CrossExamination of Davidson, fmr #StormyDaniels & #KarenMcDougal lawyer.
Bove begins by establishing that Davidson has not met Trump.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove tried to create distance between the #HushMoney deals & #Trump.
Prosecution tried to atttibute the deals to Trump, the boss overseeing #MichaelCohen.
Defense is trying to tweak the whole story to frame everything as something orchestrated by #KeithDavidson, Cohen, #StormyDaniels & Daniels’ manager Gina Rodriguez.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove returns to the topic of how #MichaelCohen wanted a job in #Trump's WH & acted despondent, on a call w/ #KeithDavidson, when he did not receive it.
Davidson, asked about that call, says:
“I thought he was going to kill himself."
Bove then introduces the idea that Cohen had hoped for a high-ranking position, even as high as U.S. attorney general.
Objection (obviously)
Sidebar
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Defense wants to portray #MichaelCohen as having a vendetta against #Trump grounded in personal disappointment w/nothing to do any alleged illegal conduct by Trump.
#Bove recalls to #KeithDavidson he said Cohen could be “aggressive,” then said, “And you can be aggressive too, can’t you?”
Davidson: “I suppose”
Bove: “What does the word ‘extortion’ mean to you?”
Defense wants to make Davidson look like a scumbag who extorted the Trump campaign. Davidson is pissed.
#Bove is trying to paint #KeithDavidson as a serial extorter, asking for money in various situations & being mindful not to cross the line into actual extortion.
Bove is digging up unsavory episodes from Davidson's past to cast him as shady — for example, Bove says, a fmr of client of his leaked information that the Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan was in rehab.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove’s cross-examination so far hasn't even been about #Trump, but it is an effort by his legal team to discredit #KeithDavidson & persuade the jury that his previous testimony shouldn't be trusted.
2 more celebs have been named - Tila Tequila, a reality TV star, & Charlie Sheen.
Bove is accusing Davidson of essentially extorting Sheen.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Lots of "I don't recalls" from #KeithDavidson during this cross-examination. #Bove is trying to make him appear dishonest & unethical.
Presumably, Bove is going to suggest that the money to #StormyDaniels may not have been paid to cover up an affair, but because #Trump was being shaken down.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove asked #KeithDavidson if it's fair to say his memory "seems a little fuzzy around some of these issues?"
Davidson replied that he has had over 1500 clients in his career.
Bove told Davidson that he (Bove) was "not here to play lawyer games" & Davidson told Bove that he was "getting truthful answers, sir"
Very hostile & confrontational cross.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#KeithDavidson responded specifically to #Bove’s "lawyer games" comment. He said if Bove didn't want to play such games then he should not use the word "extract" to describe the way Davidson & his clients would get monetary settlements from celebrities.
Bove then asked about the Hulk Hogan sex tape & media outlet Gawker. Bove said Davidson used connections at the website TheDirty, to get stills of the video.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Gawker was sued out of existence by Hogan, in a lawsuit financed by the billionaire #PeterThiel.
#Bove insinuated that an article #NationalEnquirer editor #DylanHoward co-wrote about the Hulk Hogan sex tapes in 2015 was a product of Davidson’s providing that info.
Davidson denied that he gave Howard the tapes.
Bove then revealed that the #FBI had set up a sting related to Davidson’s discussion w/Hogan’s reps.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove insisted that #KeithDavidson was familiar w/ #extortion law after the brush w/ federal agents.
Bove also suggested that Davidson violated California's #ethics code for #lawyers by compensating non-lawyers w/ legal fees.
Lunch break
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Basically yes, all these characters are sleazy scumbag criminals, but that’s who sleazy scumbag criminals typically conduct their sleazy scummy crimes with.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Susan#Necheles, one of #Trump's lawyers, begins by asking for a clarification on the #GagOrder, giving a copy of some news articles to the judge. The articles are by what she calls “legal commentators" including #Trump supporter #JonathanTurley, saying, "These articles are all articles which President Trump would like to post on Truth." She says they involve some witnesses & aspects of the case, but Trump has “concerns" about posting because they reference witnesses.
Chris #Conroy, the prosecutor, says they need to go through the articles but that it's "odd" that the defense is asking for an advance ruling.
When Conroy says that he thinks the #GagOrder is "very specific," #Trump vigorously shakes his head.
#Merchan says he is not going to pre-judge Trump's postings. "I'm not going to give advance rulings," he says.
"There is no ambiguity, I believe, in the order." He says that if Trump is in doubt, he should "steer clear."
FYI #Necheles, defended #TrumpOrganization in a #criminal #tax #law #case 2 yrs ago.
#Bove questioned #KeithDavidson if Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler, offered to indemnify #StormyDaniels from liability she incurred relating to the #HushMoney deal.
Davidson said that Flynt offered, but Daniels did not accept.
Bove then questioned Davidson if #MichaelCohen secretly taped people. Davidson acknowledged he believed Cohen taped him at certain times.
#KeithDavidson said he thought #MichaelCohen was recording him because they were “structured conversations” & seemed “self-serving." + Cohen spoke on those calls differently than usual.
After that, defense played a taped, private conversation between #StormyDaniels' lawyer & Cohen in which Davidson talked about people having “settler’s remorse,” a reference to Daniels.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove noted #KeithDavidson's use the word “leverage” on the tape, suggesting that he was seeking leverage over #Trump. Davidson denied that & said that Bove is “grossly mistaken about the dates” of when this conversation took place.
The recording was not introduced as evidence in the case so the jury & the observers aren’t hearing it. Davidson is listening on a headset, defense is using it to refresh his recollection about the conversation so Bove can question him about it.
#Bove ends his cross-examination of #KeithDavidson.
Re-direct from prosecutor #Steinglass, who reads through a transcript of Davidson's recorded discussion w/ #MichaelCohen.
Davidson is asked to clarify that Michael #Avenatti, who by then was #StormyDaniels’ attorney, was denying a number of developments.
The discussions between Davidson & Cohen, he testified, were about Avenatti efforts, not coaching Stormy's words.
#Trump #criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Prosecutors play a portion of a conversation w/ #KeithDavidson that #MichaelCohen secretly taped.
“Nobody’s thinking about Michael,” Cohen says, referring to himself in the 3rd person.
In the recording Cohen said #Trump hated “the fact that we did it.” Davidson clarifies this in response to the #HushMoney payment to #StormyDaniels — a key piece of evidence, that would seem to corroborate Trump’s knowledge of & involvement in the deal.
#criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
On the call, #MichaelCohen said, "What about me? And I can’t — I can't even tell you how many times he said to me, you know, 'I hate the fact that we did it'...& my comment to him was 'but every person you spoke to said it was the right thing to do.'"
After hearing that portion, the prosecutor asked Davidson who was the "he" referred to in the phone call.
"Mr. Trump," Davidson said, “I attributed that to be a quote from Mr. #Trump."
#criminal #law #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove briefly questioned #KeithDavidson again in a recross-examination. He ended it by emphasizing that Davidson had never been in a room w/ #Trump until this week.
"You never spoke to or never were in same room until Tuesday?," Bove asks Davidson.
Davidson said that was correct.
Douglas Daus a senior forensic analyst & audio visual specialist is called as a fact witness.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Per NBC: Daus was in Iraq 2009-2011 doing forensic data analysis; & is now a supervising computer forensic analyst in the DA’s office.
Daus, is expected to assist in verifying records.
DA #AlvinBragg is watching his employee explain the path between a device coming into the office, either through a search warrant or consent, & the actual extraction & preservation of data.
(oosh boring)
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Reminder custodial witnesses like Daus — are tasked w/ verifying & entering records into evidence — because the defense refused to accept anything as basic fact.
In most trials, lawyers agree that certain exhibits should be understood to be true & factual; #Trump’s lawyers consistently refuse to do that, AT ALL, they won’t accept things like this is a table, this is a phone, thus requiring this boring fact verification process.
Daus, who extracted data from #MichaelCohen's cellphones, confirms that Cohen was texting w/ #HopeHicks, who at the time was #Trump’s spox.
A report from Daus shows that one of Cohen’s phones had 39,745 contacts!
A photo of Cohen behind the press secretary's lectern in the #WhiteHouse briefing room is displayed on video screens.
The courtroom is now hearing a recording Cohen secretly made of Trump talking.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
👀 On the recording, #MichaelCohen is talking to #Trump, it sounds like #HopeHicks in the background. Cohen is explaining they had just gotten served by The NYT to unseal records from Trump’s first divorce, from Ivana Trump.
At the end of the tape, Cohen tells Trump,
“I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David.”
[The #NationalEnquirer’s David #Pecker]
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
👀 #MichaelCohen says he talked to #AllenWeisselberg, who was the #TrumpOrganization's CFO. Cohen references “the financing,” & #Trump interjects, “What financing?”
The call related to the #HushMoney deal made w/ #KarenMcDougal.
#Jurors are hearing Trump in the OvalOffice discussing a hush-money payment.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
Tape Transcript:
“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," #MichaelCohen said. "And I've spoken to #AllenWeisselberg about how to set the whole thing up."
"So, what do we got to pay for this? 150?" #Trump asked.
"...funding. Yes. Um, & it's all the stuff," Cohen said.
"Yea, I was thinking about that," Trump said.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
"All the stuff. Because — here, you never know where that company — you never know what he’s...," #MichaelCohen said.
"Maybe he gets hit by a truck," Trump said.
#Trump then asked about financing & Cohen said, "Well, I'll have to pay something."
"Pay with cash," Trump said.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
The prosecution has finished, & #Bove, the #Trump defense lawyer, is now cross-examining the forensic analyst custodial witness, Douglas Daus.
Bove asked about his credentials then about the chain of custody of #MichaelCohen’s phones. He is implying that perhaps the data on the phones — including the recording of Trump the jury just heard — might be compromised.
#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#Bove is implying that the DA’s office was sloppy in their data extraction & the devices could have been manipulated, asking questions about chain of custody & if the intake process was secure.
Daus was excused, but will be back to testify more tomorrow.
Court adjourned for the day.
Funny from NYT’s Maggie Haberman:
#Trump left the courtroom, squinting strangely at Lawrence O’Donnell, the MSNBC host, as he did.
#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial
#TrumpTrial 🧵 Thurs, May 2
charges are falsifying business records to hide #HushMoney payments in lead up to 2016 election to #influence electorate
just one Trump supporter at the courthouse draped in a Trump flag.
#StormyDaniels's lawyer, #KeithDavidson, to return to stand. He negotiated the hush-money payment at the center of the case, & is expected to lay out details of the deal.
#criminal #law #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #KarenMcDougal
I can’t get over #Trump saying watching students & police clash
“WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO WATCH”
Yesterday Trump said talking about the #protests:
"[#Biden] said he ran because of #Charlottesville.… Well, if the people that know Charlottesville, when you extend that statement, it’s a big hoax. Charlottesville is peanuts compared to what you’re looking at now."
#WhiteChristianNationalism #Israel #Gaza #Palestinians #FreedomOfAssembly #FirstAmendment #law #VoteBlue #BidenHarris2024
#POTUS #Biden is set to give a speech on May 7 at a ceremony commemorating the Holocaust.
#DouglasEmhoff, husband of VP #KamalaHarris, said at an event in New York on Wednesday that, "We’re in favor of the right to #protest. But when that crosses into #violence — when that crosse into calls for genocide, calls for Jews to be murdered, that’s completely unacceptable & must be stopped.”
#Israel #Gaza #Palestinians #FreedomOfAssembly #FirstAmendment #law
#Biden’s stance is more nuanced, more difficult to explain to a mass audience. He supports #peaceful #protests consistent w/ the #FirstAmendment, but not #demonstrations that result in vandalism, trespassing & other #crimes.
Like the #protesters, Biden believes that #Israel has inflicted too much carnage in #Gaza. Unlike some of them, he defends Israel’s sovereignty & recoils at the notion of Jews losing a homeland.
A #Biden adviser said: "Donald #Trump has repeatedly fanned the flames & encouraged #CivilInrest as a political strategy, & it has repeatedly failed to be effective."
The campus #protests pose a dilemma for Biden as the pace of the general election campaign quickens. Trump’s stance is simple enough for a bumper sticker: “People have to respect #law & order in this country,” he wrote in a post on Tues.
[unless they’re his supporters aiding his #coup, beating police, & looking to hang his VP]
Speaking at a campaign event in #Wisconsin on Wed, #Trump derided the #protesters as “raging lunatics & Hamas sympathizers," & called on #Biden to “speak out” — accusing him of being “definitely against #Israel.”
Trump also took aim at #Columbia’s president, Minouche Shafik….
“The person that heads it up — a woman — she waited so long. She was so weak. She was so afraid. She was so bad.”
#misogyny #MaleSupremacy #Gaza #Palestinians #FreedomOfAssembly #FirstAmendment #law
#TrumpTrial 🧵
Testimony started w/a bang last week as David #Pecker, the fmr publisher of The #NationalEnquirer, said that he had entered into a secret plot w/ #Trump & #MichaelCohen to #CatchAndKill negative stories about Trump as he ran for president in 2016.
#GaryFarro, the 3rd to testify, started off w/dry details about banking transactions. But #Farro is leading us to the #HushMoney payment
#criminal #law
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/30/nyregion/trump-hush-money-trial?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
