NEW YORK (AP) – Judge overseeing Donald Trump’s sentencing hush money trial After admonishing the behavior of defense witnesses on the stand, he forced reporters into a hallway and temporarily closed the courtroom on Monday.
It came minutes after testimony from former federal prosecutor Robert Costello, who publicly denounced the prosecution’s star witness. Michael Cohen.
What you need to know about Trump’s hush money trial:
During his testimony, Costello repeatedly angered Judge Juan M. Marchan by making comments under his breath and continuing to speak after sustained objections. This was a signal to the witnesses to stop speaking. At one point, Costello said, “Wow,” interrupted by his dissent. He also called the entire exercise “ridiculous.”
After addressing the jury, Marchand told Costello: “If you don’t like my verdict, don’t say ‘hmm’… You don’t look at me sideways or roll your eyes.”
Associated Press correspondent Julie Walker reports that the judge in Donald Trump’s hush money case has scheduled closing arguments for May 28th.
Reporters were surprised to be ejected from the courtroom while the historic trial was in progress. They were allowed back in after about five minutes.
Former President Donald Trump addresses reporters after the day’s trial proceedings in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, May 16, 2024 in New York. (Stephen Hirsch/New York Post, via AP, Pool)
Prosecutors called off their case early Monday after days of testimony from Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s staunch lawyer-turned-adversary. The defense sought to paint Mr. Cohen as a serial fabricator waging a revenge campaign aimed at bringing down Mr. Trump.
Costello, a former federal prosecutor in New York, is not involved in the case because he has served as Cohen’s adversary and critic for years, ever since his professional relationship with Cohen broke down in spectacular fashion. ing.
Mr. Costello said the lawyer’s hotel room, office and home were searched and Mr. Cohen remained defiant in the face of a criminal investigation or cooperated with authorities in the hope of securing more lenient treatment. Shortly after he was forced to make a decision, he offered to represent Mr. Cohen.
Costello testified that Cohen told Trump he “knew nothing” about the $130,000 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who is at the center of the case.
“Michael Cohen said over and over again that President Trump knew nothing about these payments and that he did them on his own accord, and he repeated that over and over again,” Costello told jurors.
During hours of cross-examination, Mr. Trump’s lawyers tried to sow doubt in the jurors’ minds about Mr. Cohen’s claims. important testimony It has been suggested that the potential Republican presidential candidate is involved in a hush-money scheme. The defense team highlighted Cohen’s past lies and criminal history, highlighting the dangers of prosecutors relying on a now-disbarred lawyer.
Cohen testified early Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump’s company, but the confessional’s defense team used that to deny Cohen as a key prosecution witness in the former president’s hush money trial. The aim is to undermine the credibility of
Mr. Cohen claimed he paid $50,000 to a technology company to artificially boost Mr. Trump’s standing in a CNBC online poll of famous businessmen. Mr. Cohen said he only gave the company $20,000 in cash in a brown paper bag, but he asked Mr. Trump for a full refund and received the difference.
“So you stole from the Trump Organization?” defense attorney Todd Blanche asked.
“Yes, sir,” Cohen replied. Mr. Cohen never repaid the Trump Organization, he said. Mr. Cohen has never been charged with stealing from Mr. Trump’s company.
Cohen is a key witness, but also a complicated one. On the stand, he admitted to numerous lies in the past, many of which he claimed were to protect Trump.Cohen too served in prison After pleading guilty to various federal charges, including lie to Congress and the banks Engaging in campaign finance violations related to hush money schemes. And he has made millions of dollars with critical books about the former president, often slamming the president with profanity on social media.
But when prompted by Blanche, Cohen stood by his recollection of a conversation he had with Trump about hush money payments to Daniels, which is at the center of the case.
“There’s no doubt in your mind?” Blanche asked whether Cohen specifically remembered having a conversation with Trump about the Daniels issue. Without a doubt, Cohen said.
After the defense had completed its cross-examination, the prosecution had the opportunity to question its star witness again. Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger grilled the defense strategy used to pursue Cohen, saying, “After cross-examination, I think you might feel like you’re on trial here, but you’re actually on trial here.” “Are you receiving it?” he asked.
“No, ma’am,” Cohen replied.
Jurors could begin deliberating whether Trump is guilty as early as next week after more than four weeks of testimony about sex, money, tabloid intrigue and details of Trump’s corporate record-keeping. There is sex. 34 felonies for falsifying business records in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.
The charges stem from internal Trump Organization records where payments to Cohen were marked as legal fees. Prosecutors argue that these were actually reimbursements for payments made to prevent Daniels from going public with claims that she had a sexual relationship with Trump before the 2016 election. There is. President Trump insists there was nothing sexual between the two.
Trump has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have argued there was nothing criminal about his deal with Daniels or the way he paid Cohen.
“There was no crime,” Trump told reporters after arriving at the courthouse on Monday. “We paid the legal fees. Do you know what it’s marked? Legal fees.”
Mr. Trump’s supporters, including several who joined him in court on Monday, immediately seized on Mr. Cohen’s confession on the witness stand. Former Trump administration official Kash Patel told reporters Monday was the first time in the six-week trial that “the crime was finally exposed” that Cohen stole money from the Trump Organization.
“We have a victim too, and that victim is Donald J. Trump,” Patel said.
Cohen, who is known for his temper, remained largely calm on the stand despite sometimes intense questioning from the defense about his wrongdoings and charges in the case.
Once Trump is finished questioning witnesses, prosecutors will have the opportunity to call rebuttal witnesses. Judge Juan M. Marchan cited scheduling issues and said he expected closing arguments to be held on May 28, the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
Trump’s defense team said he had not yet decided whether he would testify. Trump also did not respond to reporters’ angry questions about whether he had been advised by his lawyers not to take his stand. Defense attorneys are generally reluctant to put their clients on the witness stand and expose them to intense questioning by prosecutors. Because it often does more harm than good.
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Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Michelle Price in New York; Meg Kinard of Columbia, South Carolina; and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
