Here is a reminder of the key players in Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal trial:
Donald Trump, defendant: the Republican nominee for president is the defendant in the case. Prosecutors allege that he orchestrated a $130,000 payment to the adult film star Stormy Daniels when she threatened to go public with allegations of an affair on the eve of the 2016 election, and then conspired with others to cover up the payment.
Michael Cohen, key witness: Cohen was once a lawyer for Trump and one of the former president’s most loyal lieutenants and enforcers. He facilitated the payment to Daniels, funnelling the $130,000 to her through a shell company called Essential Consultants LLC. Trump later arranged to pay him back in monthly payment instalments of $35,000.
Stormy Daniels, key witness: Daniels, an adult film star, says she met Trump in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament. Daniels was 27 at the time and Trump was 60. Just before the 2016 election, Daniels said she was approached by Cohen, Trump’s lawyer at the time, and offered $130,000 not to disclose the alleged affair.
David Pecker, key witness: Pecker was a key Trump ally who served as the CEO of American Media Inc (AMI), the publisher of the National Enquirer. Pecker helped Trump by purchasing the rights to potentially damaging stories and then never publishing them, a practice known as “catch and kill”.
Allen Weisselberg, key figure: Weisselberg is the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. He worked for the company for more than 50 years, and has refused to turn on Trump even as he has been sentenced to prison twice. He played a key role in concealing the purpose of Trump’s payments to Cohen, according to the indictment.
The biggest news out of Donald Trump’s trial on Friday wasn’t anything that was said on the witness stand, but who will be on it this week.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer and attorney, is expected to be called by the prosecution as soon as Monday.
Cohen is at the center of the case: he’s the man Trump repaid for buying the silence of the adult film star Stormy Daniels, an arrangement that Trump allegedly falsified business records to conceal.
The biggest question is whether the jury will find him credible. Numerous witnesses made it clear during testimony just how bullying, aggressive and unlikeable he could be in their interactions with him.
But he’s the witness who can tie everything together. And we may start hearing his story when court resumes on Monday.
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of Donald Trump’s criminal trial over his hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, which enters its fifth week today with proceedings due to start at about 9.30am ET in New York.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and personal fixer, is expected to take the stand as soon as today. As trial wrapped for the week on Friday afternoon, the prosecution said they expected to call two more witnesses – one of whom will be Cohen. Last week, the jury heard testimony from Daniels, who provided a detailed – and embarrassing – account of an alleged sexual liaison with Trump some 20 years ago.
Cohen’s hush-money payment to Daniels is at the very heart of the historic trial in Manhattan criminal court. Prosecutors charge that Cohen wired $130,000 to Daniels’s then attorney just 12 days before the presidential election to keep quiet about her alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with the payments and had pleaded not guilty.
We’re at the courthouse again today. Stay with us.