The latest in Trump's hush money trial:
- Former President Donald Trump is on trial over alleged falsification of business records, which the district attorney says he did to cover up hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the days before the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty and denied Daniels' allegation that they had an affair. The prosecution has presented nine witnesses over two weeks of testimony.
- Judge Juan Merchan today again found that Trump violated his gag order and said he could face jail time if he continues to ignore it.
- What you missed from Day 11 of the trial.
Trump suggests he'll keep speaking out despite gag order warning
In remarks outside the courtroom, Trump indicated that he would continue to speak out despite Judge Merchan's warning today about the gag order.
"Frankly, our Constitution is far more important than jail. ... I’ll do that choice any day," Trump said.
Prosecutor estimates DA's office has about 2 weeks left for its side
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass estimated that the DA's office needs about two more weeks for its side of the trial.
That would mean the prosecution would conclude on May 21. The court is not planning to meet on the 22nd or 24th — raising the potential that the trial stretches beyond the Memorial Day weekend.
Lawyers argue over whether DA's office has made all evidence available to the defense
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said that Trump's defense team has said several times that the DA's office hasn't handed over all of the evidence. Steinglass indicated that they have presented the evidence to them for seven months and handed all of it over by March 18.
“These exhibits have been designated for a very long time …” he said. “I don’t like the impression being left that we are somehow sandbagging the defense.”
Trial wrapping up early today
After Deborah Tarasoff's testimony concluded, the trial is wrapping up a little early today instead of starting a new witness. The jury has been dismissed and lawyers remain in the courtroom.
Trump lawyer focuses cross-examinaton on how far removed Tarasoff was from Trump
During brief cross-examination, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche is exposing the limits of Deborah Tarasoff’s knowledge, getting her to admit she not only doesn’t know the process by which Trump signed the checks, but also didn't interact with Trump.
She also admitted that she was never present for any conversations between Trump or Allen Weisselberg and never received permission to issue checks by Trump himself. Instead, she got directions from Jeffrey McConney and Weisselberg and followed them.
Prosecution is deep in the weeds for testimony today
This afternoon’s testimony has been a slog. But it has been absolutely necessary.
The 34 counts of the indictment allege three variants of false business records: invoices, checks and check stubs, and specific entries in the Detail General Ledger for each of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust and Trump’s personal bank account.
McConney authenticated the invoices and read through what was allegedly false about each of them — that they were pursuant to a retainer agreement and were for legal services; similarly, Tarasoff is authenticating each check and check stub, which she issued, and each detail general ledger entry, which she made, and linking those documents to the corresponding invoices.
Prosecutor shows checks from reimbursement to Michael Cohen
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy is showing the jury one of the check stubs and checks that Michael Cohen was given from the monthly $35,000 payments he received.
It's the first time a check from this part of the alleged scheme has been shown during the trial. The check is in the amount of $70,000 for Cohen for the months of January and February 2017 — $35,000 for each month.
The signatures on the check are Eric Trump, on top, and Allen Weisselberg on the bottom. The descriptions for the payments say they were retainers.
Could Trump really go to jail for gag order violations?
If Trump keeps trying the patience of the judge presiding over his hush money trial, the former president could wind up back in his home New York City borough of Queens — specifically the prison on Rikers Island, experts said today.
Judge Juan Merchan, who found today that Trump once again violated a gag order that bars him from disparaging witnesses or the jury, warned the ex-president could face jail “if necessary” for further violations.
Merchan did not specify which jail. But when asked what would happen if the judge sent Trump to Rikers, Frank Dwyer, the jail’s top spokesperson, said, “The department would find appropriate housing.”
If Trump didn't want to approve a check, he would write 'VOID' and send it back
Deborah Tarasoff said that Allen Weisselberg, Jeffrey McConney, Trump and the legal department were authorized to approve expenses.
But above a certain monetary threshold, she said Weisselberg could not approve an invoice. If it was more than $10,000, it had to be approved by Trump, Don Jr. or Eric Trump, she said.
This matters because each payment installment to Cohen was far in excess of $10,000; each was $35,000.
Tarasoff agreed that the signing of a check was the ultimate approval of an invoice. In other words, if Trump did not want to sign a check, he didn’t have to — and in those situations, Trump would write "VOID" in a black Sharpie and send it back.
DA's office calls Deborah Tarasoff as the next witness
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy called Deborah Tarasoff as the next witness. She is the accounts payable supervisor who worked with Jeffrey McConney at the Trump Organization. She remains a Trump Org. employee, she testified.
According to Just Security, Tarasoff "allegedly prepared the checks used to reimburse Cohen and falsely recorded those checks as 'legal expenses' in the organization’s bookkeeping."
She testified that she started at the Trump Organization in 2000 and has worked there for 24 years. She works on the 26th floor of Trump Tower.