Donald Trump’s New York election interference trial continues on Friday with evidence from Douglas Daus, the forensic analyst who found more than 39,000 contacts on the phone of Trump’s disgraced ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen. Among the findings were texts with Trump allies, including Hope Hicks, former White House communications director, and secret recordings from the time of Trump’s 2016 campaign.
George Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg asserts that Trump conspired with Michael Cohen and David Pecker to suppress damaging stories that could impact Trump’s campaign. This alleged conspiracy led to Stormy Daniels being paid $130,000 not to go public with claims of a sexual encounter she supposedly had with Trump. Daniels publicly denied having an affair with the former president before reversing her position.
Douglas Daus, a forensic analyst for Bragg’s office, will be cross-examined on over 39,000 contacts, messages, and secret recordings extracted from a phone belonging to Cohen, a convicted perjurer. However, the recordings are not necessarily helpful to the prosecution. They suggest Cohen, the star witness against Trump, was the driving force behind the settlement, with Trump unclear on the details and unhappy that a deal was being made.
‘THE RIGHT THING TO DO.’
One of the recordings shows Cohen discussing the settlement with Hollywood entertainment lawyer Keith Davidson, who represented Daniels. Cohens tells the lawyer that Trump has complained many times about the settlement. “I can’t even tell you how many times he said to me, you know, ‘I hate the fact that we did it,’” and “my comment to him was ‘but every person you spoke to said it was the right thing to do,’” Cohen says.
Davidson, who has testified the settlement to Daniels was not “hush money,” was questioned on whether he was concerned his efforts to secure a settlement for Daniels ahead of the 2016 election could be regarded as an attempt at “extortion.”
Davidson denied the extortion accusation, though one of Cohen’s recordings shows him complaining that if Trump “loses this election… we all lose all f**king leverage.”