More on #MichaelCohen signing “on behalf of” #Trump:

#KeithDavidson said Cohen signed the documents instead of “David Dennison”, which was the alias they used for Trump.

Prosecutor #Steinglass showed the doc in court & the signatures from Cohen, #StormyDaniels, & Davidson, but there wasn’t one from Trump.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

#KeithDavidson testimony re the #HushMoney deal:

Prosecutor #Steinglass: Did you send a denial to Stormy to sign?

Davidson: "I don't recall."

Prosecution presents a Jan 2018 statement from #StormyDaniels, in which she denied reports of a relationship w/ Trump, a denial she would later rescind. Later, she would say that while she did not have an affair w/ #Trump, she did have sex w/him.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

#Trump claimed on social media that this stmnt was “JUST FOUND” (it wasn’t)
He was penalized $1k for that as a violation of the #GagOrder.

#KeithDavidson reads #StormyDaniels's denial aloud.

#Steinglass: “How would you characterize the truthfulness of this statement?”
“Did you intend for this statement to be cleverly misleading?”

Davidson: “I don’t understand the question” & added he would “never” use the term “#HushMoney”. He prefers the term “consideration.”

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial

mid-January 2018, #MichaelCohen texted #KeithDavidson that he had tentatively scheduled #StormyDaniels to appear on #Hannity (she never did)

#Steinglass asked why Cohen was pushing for her to appear on the program. Davidson answered that Cohen believed Daniels would further deny the sexual encounter w/ #Trump.

Cohen had a relationship w/ Sean Hannity, a Trump supporter. In 2018 before Cohen’s guilty plea, it was revealed that Hannity was a #legal client of Cohen’s.

#TrumpTrial #law

#KeithDavidson was asked about texts w/ #MichaelCohen referencing the State of the Union address that #Trump was going to deliver - so this was happening as Trump was running the country.

Davidson testified about how handling both #StormyDaniels & #MichaelCohen made his life very complicated.

Prosecutor #Steinglass grilled Davidson on how Daniels's denials were not believable, important to counter arguments by defense.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

#Steinglass presented texts between #MichaelCohen & #KeithDavidson about a statement prepared before #StormyDaniels' #JimmyKimmel appearance in Jan 2018.

The statement said that she was denying an affair w/ #Trump. Asked how truthful that was, Davidson testified that it's technically true because no one had alleged a #relationship between the 2 of them. He said a relationship is an ongoing interaction.
[#situationship?]

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

#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.

#law #TrumpTrial

#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 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

The people called the first #witness & #DavidPecker was sworn in.

#Pecker of The National Enquirer, was part of the #CatchAndKill #conspiracy that #Colangelo described in his opening statement, w/ #Trump & #MichaelCohen.

Prosecutor Joshua #Steinglass questioned Pecker. He began by asking him basic biographical information.

At that point, #Merchan stopped testimony, to ask jurors if they'd like writing materials to take notes. At least 10 raise their hands.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial

Questioning resumed.

#Pecker says of his time at The #NationalEnquirer: "We used checkbook #journalism, & we paid for stories.”

#Steinglass asked him whether he had "final say" over editorial decisions. Pecker said anything >$10k had to be approved by him.

Pecker said in his experience, the only thing that's important "is the cover" of a magazine.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

#Steinglass asked #Pecker to recount his work cell phone number at the time.

That may seem small but it's important — it's a good bet that those numbers will come up when #evidence is presented.

#Trump leaned forward on the defense table as he listened to Pecker's testimony. As Pecker spoke about editor meetings, Trump passed notes to 2 of his lawyers before reportedly “glaring” at Pecker on the stand.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney