Prosecutors say it’s entirely possible they could rest their case by the end of next week. Here are the takeaways from day 15 of the Trump hush money trial:
Cohen is on deck: Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen is expected to take the stand Monday and testify to his role in negotiating the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels on Trump’s behalf, as well as how he was reimbursed through retainer payments in 2017 that are at the heart of the charges against Trump. However, his testimony comes with baggage. Cohen himself was federally charged with campaign finance violations, tax crimes and lying to Congress in previous testimony. He’s changed his story as he turned from loyal Trump defender to a chief antagonist after pleading guilty to the federal charges in 2018. Cohen’s credibility with the jury may make or break Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case, so it will be high stakes for the prosecution when Cohen is sworn in.
Judge to Cohen: Please stop talking: Trump attorney Todd Blanche urged Judge Juan Merchan to order Cohen to stop talking about the trial and Trump. Trump is not allowed to talk about Cohen because of the gag order in place. But, Blanche said, Cohen is nevertheless allowed to attack him. Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass responded that prosecutors have repeatedly instructed Cohen and all of the other witnesses in the case not to speak publicly about it. “The fact of the matter is, we have no control over what they do,” he conceded. Merchan has already said he cannot gag witnesses in the case. But he sympathized with Blanche’s position and said that he would “direct the people to communicate to Mr. Cohen that the judge is asking him to refrain from making any more statements” about this case or Trump.
Trump is all smiles at testimony of former White House aide: Trump exchanged smiles with his former White House assistant Madeleine Westerhout, who wrapped up her testimony Friday that began one day prior. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at Trump who smiled back at her and mouthed something as she left the courtroom. Westerhout testified that she remembered Trump was upset after the Daniels story came out in 2018. She testified that Trump signed scores of documents a day while multitasking on the phone or in meetings, and she said she’d seen him signing checks without reviewing them.
Prosecutors introduce key text and call records into evidence: After Westerhout left the stand, prosecutors spent the rest of the day calling custodial witnesses to introduce cell phone records into evidence. It made for a dry day of testimony, but it also provided key evidence that prosecutors plan to use to convince the jury that Trump is guilty of falsifying business records.
Prosecution may rest next week: Steinglass said that prosecutors expect to call two more witnesses, and then rest. “And I think it’s entirely possible we will rest by the end of next week,” he added. When the prosecution rests, it will be Trump’s turn. It’s not clear how long he will put on a case in defense – a question that is likely to rest largely on whether or not Trump himself takes the stand.
Read all the takeaways here.
