Historic and unprecedented criminal trial of former president trump It is set to resume for its third week on Tuesday.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged former President 34 count Falsification of business records in the first degree.
Trump pleaded not guilty.
So far, opening statements have been made by Trump’s defense lawyers and prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
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Former President Trump waits for proceedings to begin in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday, April 22, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, Pool)
Trump’s defense lawyers say the former president is “innocent.”
Prosecutors must try to convince the jury that not only did Trump falsify business records related to the hush money payments, but also that he did so in furtherance of another crime: conspiracy to influence or interfere with the election. .
Prosecutors will try to prove that the alleged conspiracy was to conceal a plot to illegally promote his candidacy in 2016.
“Any two or more persons who by unlawful means conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to any public office and the conspiracy is acted upon by one or more of the parties thereto, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, ” New York Law 17-152 reads.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg speaks during a news conference in New York on March 7, 2024. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Typically, on their own, falsifying business records and conspiring to promote or prevent an election are treated as misdemeanors.
So far, the prosecution has called three witnesses – former American Media Inc. CEO and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Pecker testified about the alleged “catch and kill” practice of buying negative stories about Trump without regard to their validity and burying them to protect his reputation. Prosecutors are trying to convince the jury that Pecker’s actions were intended to influence the 2016 presidential election.
However, Pecker testified that he had worked with Michael Cohen as Trump’s personal attorney.
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On Friday, prosecutors called Ronna Graff to the stand for questioning. Esper is a former executive assistant to Trump and senior vice president of the Trump Organization. He worked at Trump Tower for decades before Trump became president.
Later, he called Gary Farro, who was a senior managing director at First Republic Bank in 2016.
Meanwhile, New York Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the trial, imposed a restraining order on the former president, which prevents him from making statements about court staff and potential witnesses.
Judge Juan Merchan presides over prosecutor Joshua Steinglass and questions David Pecker during the criminal trial of former President Trump on April 23, 2024, in this courtroom sketch. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
Bragg has alleged that Trump violated the order at least 14 times and asked the judge to fine the former president $1,000 per violation. They also want Trump to be charged with contempt of court.
Trump’s lawyers argue that the gag order violates the former president’s First Amendment rights.
The judge is expected to hold a hearing on the gag order and alleged violations on Thursday. Marchen has not yet issued a ruling.
In documents filed last week, prosecutor Christopher Conroy outlined four additional alleged violations that occurred when Trump made statements to the press between his court appearances. Prosecutors pointed to comments Trump made to a local Pennsylvania news station about Cohen, who is expected to testify later in the trial.
“Well, Michael Cohen is a convicted liar, and he has no credibility at all. He was a lawyer, and you trust your lawyers. But Michael Cohen was a convicted liar. He was a liar, not just to me, but to many Was a lawyer for people. And he got in trouble for things outside of what he did for me, largely because of what he did in the context of the campaign, I don’t think anything about the allegations he made What he did was also wrong is that he did some very bad things, I think, in banking or whatever, if that was his personal matter,” Trump said on Monday.
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Conroy called it a “knowingly and knowingly made statement” that violated Merchan’s restraining order. The prosecutor also noted statements Trump made about Pecker.
“He’s been very good. I mean, he’s – David has been very good. A good guy,” Trump said Thursday.
At trial, Conroy told the judge that Trump had been sending Pecker a message instructing him to “be nice” or else Trump would use his platform to “say things like I said about Cohen. ”
This courtroom sketch shows David Pecker being questioned during the criminal trial of former President Trump on April 23, 2024. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
Trump is required to appear every day of his criminal trial.
Because of this, last Thursday, Trump was forced to miss the Supreme Court debate on the issue of presidential immunity and whether he is immune from prosecution on charges arising from special counsel Jack Smith’s 2020 election interference case. Trump pleaded innocent to all charges.
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Trump had requested to attend, but Merchan declined his request.
On Friday, Trump missed the birthday of his wife, former first lady Melania Trump.
Barron Trump stands with his parents, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, on the South Lawn of the White House on August 27, 2020. (AP Newsroom)
Trump wished her a “very happy birthday” from the courthouse Friday morning.
“I want to start by wishing my wife Melania a happy birthday. It would be nice to be with her, but I’m in court for a racketeering lawsuit,” Trump said Friday.
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Meanwhile, Trump has requested to attend the high school graduation of his youngest son, Barron Trump, on May 17. Merchan has not yet decided on whether the former president can attend his son’s celebration. The judge said he would consider the issue later depending on how the trial was going on.
The court does not meet on Wednesdays. The former President is expected to hold a campaign event on Wednesday.
