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Tag: Alvin bragg
May 10, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Trump Trial Day 11: Another Good Day For Trump in Court.

The eleventh day of former President Donald J. Trump‘s Manhattan-based hush money trial was abbreviated, ending before 1PM. Defense attorneys for the former President finished their cross-examination of Madeleine Westerhout, a former White House aide. Despite being a witness called by the prosecution, Westerhout — like many of the prosecution’s witnesses — proved relatively damaging to its case under cross-examination by Trump’s defense team.

Following the conclusion of Westerhout’s testimony, jurors heard from a series of custodial witnesses used by the prosecution to enter new evidence into the court record. These witnesses, themselves, held little bearing on the course of the trial.

Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan, meanwhile, denied a defense motion to issue a gag order on Michael Cohen. The disgraced attorney has made frequent public statements on TikTok against former President Trump. Additionally, Cohen has used social media to profit directly from the trial.

WESTERHOUT SINKS CHECK THEORY.

The prosecution has tried to make much out of former President Trump’s attention to detail. Several of the witnesses brought by the District Attorney’s office have primarily served to establish the approval process for payments, statements, and other documents within the Trump Organization, the 2016 Trump campaign, and the Trump White House. The goal is to portray the former President as someone who pays careful attention to detail and would have either had pre-knowledge or inquired about the nature of the payments to disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen.

However, during her cross-examination, Trump‘s former personal assistant in the White House threw cold water on the prosecution’s strategy. While she did testify that the former President was very detail-oriented, she explained that the busy nature of running the country resulted in Trump often signing checks while he was engaged in other tasks, including phone calls or speaking with aides. This recollection appears to cast reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s assertion that Trump was aware of the purpose of the payments to Cohen.

In a separate moment, Westerhout again reinforced the Trump defense team’s assertion that the former President was motivated to protect his family, not the 2016 election. “My understanding was it would be hurtful to his family,” Westerhout said, noting that the Stormy Daniels affair allegations made Trump “very upset.”

PROSECUTORS GRASPING AT STRAWS. 

The prosecution‘s next witness was Daniel Dixon, a lead compliance analyst with AT&T. He testified as a records custodian, specifically regarding cell phone data relating to calls made between Michael Cohen and others. On the stand, Dixon spent most of his testimony establishing the veracity of cell phone call records submitted into evidence by the prosecution. These records allegedly show calls between Cohen and Trump that prosecutors allege revolved around the hush money payments.

Dixon’s questioning by the prosecution was short, though not as short nor as damaging as his cross-examination by former President Trump‘s defense team. Attorney Emil Bove handled the cross, immediately diving into the technical specifications of cell phone SIM cards.

CALL RECORDS REVEAL LITTLE.

Bove asked Dixon if a SIM card “can be pulled out of one phone and put into another?” Dixon responded, “Yes.” He next shifted to the nature of call records, pressing Dixon: “These records don’t reflect the content of these calls?” The AT&T analyst replied, “Correct.”

“You can’t tell from the records themselves who actually spoke?” Bove asked, Dixon again answering, “Correct.”

Casting doubt on the nature of the calls, Bove next asked Dixon: “You’re familiar with the concept of a pocket dial?” The analyst acknowledged that he was familiar with a pocket dial.

The next witness for the prosecution was Jennie Tomalin, a senior analyst with Verizon. Again, the prosecution called the witness primarily to introduce phone call records into evidence. One of the records concerns a call made involving Allen Weisselberg. The prosecution likely intends to bring up these records in later testimony by other individuals.

EVIDENTIARY WIN FOR TRUMP.

Just before the court took a brief break, former President Trump‘s defense attorney Emil Bove objected to a pending evidentiary exhibit by the prosecution. The Manhattan District Attorney‘s office intended to submit into evidence a 1999 interview between Trump and Larry King in which the subject of campaign finance law was discussed.

“There was extensive revisions to campaign finance laws in intervening period both statutory and by the Supreme Court,” Bove argued before Judge Juan Merchan. The defense attorney noted that the former President’s view on campaign finance law dating back to 1999 had little bearing on his views in 2016 or 2017. Prosecutors countered that the specific segment involved Trump’s opinion on the corporate contribution ban, which has been established law since 1907.

After the brief break, Judge Merchan ruled against the prosecution and denied the exhibit entrance into evidence.

MORE CUSTODIAL WITNESSES.

The prosecution next moved to recall Georgia Longstreet to the witness stand. Longstreet is a paralegal with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. While her direct testimony last week and today hasn’t been impactful on the direction of the trial, she — like the phone company analysts — has been used by prosecutors to enter additional evidence into the court record and, subsequently, juror review.

Longstreet testified about the process by which the District Attorney’s office preserved social media posts by former President Trump. Again, her testimony served as a vehicle for the prosecution to continue entering Trump tweets into the court record.

TRUMP’S TWEETS.

Prosecutors focused on a handful of Trump‘s social media posts, primarily from 2017 and 2018. Longstreet was asked to read a 2018 post from Trump regarding disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen shortly after the FBI raided the latter. “If anyone is looking for a good lawyer, I would strongly suggest that you don’t retain the services of Michael Cohen!” the former President wrote on Twitter. Another tweet entered into evidence regarded Paul Manafort — with Trump stating that he felt “very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family.”

Another post entered into evidence as a tweet addressing Cohen‘s monthly retainer and nondisclosure agreement. “Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a nondisclosure agreement, or NDA,” Trump posted on Twitter on May 3, 2018.

TEXTS WITH A TABLOID.

Next, prosecutors began showing Longstreet a series of texts between Stormy Daniels‘s then-publicist, Gina Rodriguez, and former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard. The messages mostly revolved around whether Daniels would talk to the tabloid when she’d talk to the tabloid and if she’d go on the record regarding the alleged affair with Trump.

A series of texts prosecutors reviewed with Longstreet appear to reveal negotiations between Rodriguez and Howard over just how much the National Enquirer would pay Daniels. “I can get 100?” Howard asked Rodriguez. The publicist responded, “Lol,” but followed up with, “Okay, what about 150?” Howard countered, texting back the number “110.” Rodrigues replied to the counter with “125k.” Howard’s next response read, “lol,” though he followed up with “120.” Daniels’s then-publicist replied, “Sold.”

Additional text messages revolved around Rodriguez threatening to sell the story to the Daily Mail as Cohen dragged his feet in paying Daniels.

COHEN’S TIKTOK. 

Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, likewise took advantage of the custodial witness as the prosecution opened the door to discussing and reviewing social media accounts. Blanche asked Longstreet if she’d continued her work reviewing social media posts by individuals involved with the trial. He specifically mentioned posts by disgraced attorney Michael Cohen‘s TikTok, where he raised money off of the trial and continued to disparage former President Trump. Longstreet said that she had not seen the posts.

Moving past the TikTok posts, Blanche pivoted to the context of the communications reviewed by Longstreet. “When Ms. Rodriguez talks about offers from the Daily Mail and the timing of those offers, you have no knowledge of whether she was telling the truth, do you?” Blanche asked Longstreet. She replied, “No.”

“You just read what was written in the exhibit, correct?” Blanche asked the paralegal, continuing: “And that was different … from when Mr. Pecker is asked the reasoning behind text messages, correct?” Longstreet acknowledged that Pecker‘s testimony did contradict what was read from the text messages.

MORE PHONE RECORDS. 

The last witness of the day was another paralegal from District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s office. Prosecutors asked Jaden Jarmel-Schneider about the process of a report he prepared on calls between Michael Cohen and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Again, Jarmel-Schneider was a custodial witness, which allowed the prosecution to introduce phone call records between Cohen and individuals like Dylan Howard, David Pecker, Gina Rodriguez, Keith Schiller, and Allen Weisselberg.

Jarmel-Schneider’s testimony culminated in prosecutors using the custodial witness to introduce a chart summarizing the 34 business records they allege were falsified. Trump’s defense team objected to this exhibit, but Judge Merchan overruled their objection.

Under cross-examination by Emil Bove, Jarmel-Schneider acknowledged that some of the call records and text messages between various individuals were, in fact, deleted. However, the paralegal did take issue with Bove’s assertion that the missing data was “significant.” On re-direct by the prosecution, Jarmel-Schneider claimed the missing data was still in evidence elsewhere.

MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIES ON MONDAY.

The court adjourned early, wrapping up just before 1PM. Prosecutors and Trump‘s defense attorneys remained in the courtroom briefly to discuss some procedural matters ahead of Monday’s trial session, where it has been announced disgraced attorney Michael Cohen will testify.

Additionally, Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan quashed a subpoena filed by Trump’s defense attorneys that would have compelled testimony from Mark Pomerantz, an attorney formerly with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Pomerantz, infamously, is one of the architects of the dubious legal theory being used by Alvin Bragg to prosecute Trump. Judge Merchan, in quashing the subpoena, called the request an “improper fishing expedition.”

National Pulse previously reported that Pomerantz refused to answer questions before a Congressional committee about his involvement in investigating former President Trump and whether he broke any laws in the course of that inquiry.

You can read The National Pulse’s Day Ten trial coverage here, and if you find our work worthwhile, consider joining up as a supporter.

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The eleventh day of former President Donald J. Trump's Manhattan-based hush money trial was abbreviated, ending before 1PM. Defense attorneys for the former President finished their cross-examination of Madeleine Westerhout, a former White House aide. Despite being a witness called by the prosecution, Westerhout — like many of the prosecution's witnesses — proved relatively damaging to its case under cross-examination by Trump's defense team. show more
May 9, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Trump Trial Day 10: Stormy Did It For the Money.

As the Trump hush money trial entered its tenth day of testimony, defense attorneys for former President Donald J. Trump continued their cross-examination of pornographic actress Stormy Daniels. Defense attorney Susan Necheles continued to handle the questioning, picking up where she left off on Tuesday. The former President’s legal team continued drilling down on the motivations behind Daneils’s actions, including her decision to sell her story to the National Enquirer.

In addition to Daniels, the court — with Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan presiding — heard from three additional witnesses: Rebecca Manochio, a former assistant to Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, Tracey Menzies, a publishing executive at Harper Collins, and Madeleine Westerhout — who served as former President Trump’s executive assistant at the White House.

After the lunch break and conclusion of Daniels’s testimony, Trump’s attorneys again moved for a mistrial. They filed two other motions pertaining to potential testimony from another accuser, Karen McDougal, and for changes to the court-issued gag order.

STORMY CONTINUED.

The defense’s cross-examination of Stormy Daniels began with Trump’s attorney Susan Necheles pressing the porn star on her motivations for going public with her story. The adult film actress insisted that she didn’t want money from Trump or his company or campaign. Instead, Daniels told Necheles — using puzzling logic — that she sold the story to ensure the public heard it.

“I was asking to sell my story to publications to get the truth out,” Daniels said under cross-examination by Necheles. This response will likely undermine Daniels’s credibility as she’s also acknowledged signing the nondisclosure agreement with the National Enquirer, meaning her story would not be published. Daniels admitted that other news outlets, including Slate, wanted to publish her allegations, but the left-leaning website was unwilling to pay for the story.

PHANTOM THREATS REDUX. 

Daniels continued to allude to unsubstantiated threats she and her family received. According to the porn actress, she signed the nondisclosure agreement to create a paper trail and protect her family from the unknown and unnamed individuals threatening them. Additionally, Daniels testified that if she had given the story to Slate or another outlet willing to pay, it would have put a target on her and her family’s backs. Not once did Daniels produce any concrete evidence of threats.

Note that she testified on Tuesday to a previously uncirculated claim that she was threatened to stay silent by an unknown man in a Las Vegas parking garage in 2011. She did not report the incident to police or inform her husband or daughter of the threat. Judge Juan Merchan expressed his dismay that Daniels had raised the story in court with no evidence to corroborate it.

DANIELS YELLS AT DAVIDSON.

A great deal of the cross-examination focused on the various ways Daniels has personally profited from her allegations of an affair with former President Trump. In an especially devastating moment for her credibility, Daniels was faced with a recording produced by Trump’s legal team where her former attorney, Keith Davidson, can be heard speaking with disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen, alluding to her motivations.

Davidson tells Cohen that Daniels “wanted this money more than you can ever imagine.” On the phone call, taped on April 4, 2018, Davidson recalls to Cohen: “I remember hearing her on the phone saying, ‘You — f–king Keith Davidson — you better settle this goddamn story.” According to her former attorney, Daniels called him a “p***y” and demanded he get her a good financial settlement in exchange for the story. He also told Cohen that Daniels told him, “We lose all f**king leverage” if Trump loses the 2016 election.

After being confronted with the phone call recording, Daniels denied having ever yelled at Davidson. “No I did not, actually, I never yelled at Keith Davidson,” she told Necheles.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY!

“When Trump was indicted in this case, you celebrated on Twitter by repeatedly tweeting and pushing merchandise you were selling in your store, right?” Necheles pressed the porn star, driving at the financial motivations underpinning her ongoing attacks on Trump.

“I tweeted about him being indicted, yes. People asked how they could support me, so I tweeted the link to my store,” Daniels responded, attempting to dodge the fact she often used news about Trump‘s prosecution to sell merchandise. Showing the jury photos of Daniels’s social media posts, Nicheles asked: “That was you shilling your merchandise, right?”

“That is me doing my job,” the adult film actress responded.

When pressed if she made $100,000 from a documentary about her life and affair with Trump, Daniels became indignant. She refused to answer directly and snapped at Trump’s defense attorney, stating: “You’re trying to trick me into saying something that’s not entirely true.”

Necheles asked Daniels if she had had an affair with one of the cameramen while filming the documentary. Judge Mechan overruled an objection by the prosecution and directed Daniels to answer the question. The pornographic entertainer acknowledged that she did have an affair but claimed she was separated from her husband at the time.

Daniels was also forced to admit she profited from a strip club tour following her going public with her allegations. The tour was promoted with a photo of Daniels with Trump at the aforementioned Lake Tahoe Golf Tournament, where they first met.

I SEE DEAD PEOPLE.

Moving on from her financial motivations, Susan Necheles entered a line of inquiry that must have had the prosecution regretting their decision to put Daniels on the stand. While the adult film industry isn’t known for employing the most mentally sound individuals, Daniels’s side job as a ‘medium‘ between those living in this world and the one beyond may take the cake. Daniels admitted she tried to pitch a paranormal reality show following her newfound fame regarding her home in New Orleans, which she claims is haunted.

“It was a lot of interesting and unexplained activity,” the porn star explained, though she did admit: “A lot of the activity was completely debunked as a giant possum.” In 2022, Daniels described a “non-human thing with tentacles” that frequented her home and would break items. She claimed the ‘haunting’ negatively impacted her mental health.

Necheles pressed Daniels further on whether she claimed she could speak with people’s dead relatives. While the adult entertainer said she did make such claims, she added that it was “all entertainment.”

STORMY STANDS BY THE STORY.

The over six hours of testimony — over two days — by Daniels came to a close with Necheles pressing the porn actress on whether she made the affair allegations up. Trump’s defense team noted the multiple inaccuracies in her story and the fact that its details have changed over time. The National Pulse reported that a previous iteration of her alleged sexual encounter with Trump insinuated that Danials was the aggressor — something she now denies, insinuating she was, in essence, assaulted.

Defending the shifting details, Daniels insisted that she can’t control what quotes end up in magazine interviews or how the reporter framed events. On several occasions, the porn actress was forced to clarify her prior statements when confronted with her inconsistent recollections.

After the defense team finished its cross-examination, the prosecution engaged in a brief redirect. Daniels was again asked about the unsubstantiated threats against her and her family and if this is what motivated her to sign the nondisclosure agreement. Again, Daniels insisted this was the case.

THE BOOK KEEPER AND PUBLISHER. 

Following the marathon testimony of Stormy Daniels, prosecutors moved on to Rebecca Manochio — the former assistant to Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Like with other testimony from former Trump Organization financial staff, the prosecution focused its questioning on the check signing process and which company executives can approve payments.

The goal of this questioning by the Manhattan District Attorney‘s office is to insinuate that former President Trump not only signed the checks but was aware of their purpose. Thus far, they’ve presented no actual evidence that this is the case.

Following a brief cross-examination of Manochio, during which she acknowledged she never directly interacted with Trump, Harper Collins executive Tracey Menzies was called to the stand next. Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold handled the questioning, which consisted entirely of Menzies reading sections of a book co-authored by Trump. The prosecution’s goal appears to have been to underscore certain controversial statements printed in the book regarding loyalty and getting even.

Under cross-examination, Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, asked Menzies if she was part of the team that published Trump’s book. “No, I was not,” she replied. Pushing further, Blanche asked Menzies if she had selected the excerpts read in court. She said she had not.

THE FINAL WITNESS FOR THE DAY.

The tenth day of testimony ended with former President Trump‘s personal assistant at the White House, Madeleine Westerhout, taking the stand. The protection asked Westerhout mostly about check signing procedures, but other topics also arose. When asked about the Access Hollywood tape, Westerhout told the prosecution, “At the time, I recall it rattling RNC leadership.”

“It’s my recollection there were conversations about how to, if it was needed, how it would be possible to replace him as the candidate if it came to that,” Westerhout added.

Westerhout was asked what implements Trump would use to sign documents and checks. She recalled, “He liked to use Sharpies or, I believe, a Pentel felt-tip pen.” She also acknowledged that the former President liked to review and read any document before he signed it. When asked whether Trump and Cohen had a close relationship in the early days of the presidential administration, Westerhout responded: “At that time, yes.”

‘A REALLY GOOD BOSS.’

Trump defense attorney Susan Necheles also handled Westerhout’s cross-examination. When asked why Westerhout later wrote a book about her time in the Trump White House, the former aide replied, “I thought it was real important to share with the American people the man that I got to know.”

She added, “I don’t think he’s treated fairly, and I wanted to tell that story.”

Westerhout told the court that the former President wasn’t nearly as concerned about the Access Hollywood tape as those around him.

“He never once made me feel that I didn’t deserve that job and that I didn’t belong there. Especially in an office filled with older men, he never made me feel like I didn’t belong there. He was a really good boss,” Westerhout told Necheles, adding: “I found him very enjoyable to work for.”

With that, the court adjourned for the day, but not before Judge Juan Merchan considered three new motions by Trump‘s defense team.

JUDGE DENIES MISTRIAL MOTION AGAIN.

Former President Donald Trump‘s defense team again motioned for a mistrial, citing the unsubstantiated, unrelated, and prejudicial testimony from Stormy Daniels. Again, Judge Juan Merchan denied the motion. A second motion to bar testimony from the second Trump accuser, Karen McDougal, a former Playboy Playmate, was vacated as District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecutors announced they would no longer be calling her as a witness. A third motion regarding the extent of the court’s gag order on former President Donald Trump did not receive an immediate ruling.

You can read The National Pulse’s Day Nine trial coverage here, and if you find our work worthwhile, consider joining up as a supporter.

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As the Trump hush money trial entered its tenth day of testimony, defense attorneys for former President Donald J. Trump continued their cross-examination of pornographic actress Stormy Daniels. Defense attorney Susan Necheles continued to handle the questioning, picking up where she left off on Tuesday. The former President's legal team continued drilling down on the motivations behind Daneils's actions, including her decision to sell her story to the National Enquirer. show more
May 9, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Stormy Daniels: ‘I’m Significantly More Crazy Now,’ Admits Being Sexual Aggressor With Trump, Told Story to ‘Make Some Money.’

Stormy Daniels, the pornographic film actress at the center of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s prosecution against former President Donald Trump, is emblematic of the stereotypes attached to her industry. A lengthy biographical sketch published in New York Magazine‘s Intelligencer reveals a woman motivated by a need for constant attention, greed, petty vindictiveness, and — by her own admission — mental illness.

In her own words, Daniels contradicts her recollection of events surrounding her alleged affair with former President Trump. She plays up fictitious threats and carefully assumes the role of someone who faced grave injustice — despite no crime ever being committed against her. The National Pulse has pulled some of the more relevant passages that shed important light on the motivations and dubious credibility of Stormy Daniels.

“I’M SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CRAZY.”

In a 2023 interview, shortly after former President Trump was charged with falsifying business records to cover up alleged “hush money” payments to Daniels just days before the 2016 election, the porn actress acknowledged that her mental health had declined. “I’m significantly more crazy now than I was before,” Daniels said.

The adult film industry has been accused of routinely taking advantage of women with untreated mental health issues. A 2011 psychiatric study comparing women in the porn industry with the average woman in California found a stark deviation in mental health. One-third of respondents in the adult film industry met the criteria for a depression diagnosis. Just 13 percent of women in California met the same criteria overall. Additionally, women in the porn industry were by and large more likely to have experienced poverty, sexual abuse, and other forms of violence than the average woman in California.

“MAKE SOME MONEY.”

Former President Trump and his allies have long contended that Daniels had engaged in a celebrity extortion plot as she saw an opportunity for a financial windfall with his presidential campaign. Daniels admits as much in her court testimony, confirming to Trump’s defense attorney, Susan Necheles, that she was motivated to “Get the story out and make some money.”

The National Pulse has reported that Daniels’s original attorney, Keith Davidson — who negotiated the alleged hush money payment with disgraced lawyer Michael Cohen — is a well-known entertainment industry shakedown artist. Davidson has represented several unsavory characters who’ve peddled sex tapes and lurid stories of celebrity trysts, all to make a buck. In 2018, Davidson was fighting at least three lawsuits against him over alleged extortion plots.

CHANGING HER STORY. 

Daniels’s recollection of events has changed over time. The newest iteration, as The National Pulse reported on Tuesday, suggests her encounter with the former President was nonconsensual, with Daniels telling the court that Trump was bigger than her and alluding to the power dynamic between the two. However, prior tellings paint a very different picture.

The porn actress claimed in the past that she was the aggressor. New York Magazine notes: “[S]he recounts details about insulting him, or making him change out of his pajamas, or instructing him to bend over so she could spank him… she had thought of her standoff with Trump as a battle of egos between two equals, and she had felt that she had won.”

A VICTIM WITHOUT A CRIME.

One of the most bizarre aspects of Stormy Daniels’s public persona has been her insistence she’s the victim of grave injustice. “Her mind-set is that this is a justice system that hasn’t protected her, and yet she’s here spending her money, her own time, and taking time off work and risking her safety to show up for a legal system that didn’t show up for her,” a friend of the adult film actress told New York Magainze. Daniels has foregone government-provided security and relied instead on her long-time bodyguard, claiming she doesn’t trust the government to protect her — what she needs protection from isn’t clear.

This victim mentality played out during Tuesday’s cross-examination of Daniels by Trump’s defense attorneys. “He prevailed, but I was not found to have lost,” the porn actress insisted when asked why she still has not paid Trump legal fees as part of a judgment against her over several failed lawsuits against the former President.

The closest Daniels has ever come to actually detailing a crime against her was a claim she made on the witness stand Tuesday that she was approached by a man in a parking garage in 2011 and told to stop discussing her story. By her admission, Daniels never told her husband, daughter, or anyone else of the alleged threatening encounter. Nor did she report the threat to police.

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Stormy Daniels, the pornographic film actress at the center of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecution against former President Donald Trump, is emblematic of the stereotypes attached to her industry. A lengthy biographical sketch published in New York Magazine's Intelligencer reveals a woman motivated by a need for constant attention, greed, petty vindictiveness, and — by her own admission — mental illness. show more
May 8, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Lawfare
Media

‘DEVASTATING’ – Even Trump Haters Admit Stormy Daniels Was ‘Disaster’ for Prosecution.

Consensus among analysts, including those working at networks hostile to Donald Trump and avowed ‘Never Trumpers,’ is that Stormy Daniels’s testimony in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s election interference case on Tuesday was “disastrous” for prosecutors.

CNN Chief Legal Analyst Paula Reid, who often peddles false and negative narratives against Trump, conceded the former president’s lawyers had executed a “devastating, eviscerating” cross-examination of Daniels.

“They’ve gotten Stormy Daniels to concede she hates Trump. That she said that she would dance if he went to jail. They have pointed to the fact that she has said she will never pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars that she owes him,” Reid said.

Daniels’s bringing a flimsy defamation case against Trump saw her ordered to pay substantial costs to the former president. Her lawyer at the time, Michael Avenatti, now describes her as “the most opportunistic person I’ve ever met” and accuses her of falsifying records and committing fraud to avoid the debt.

“They’ve effectively undercut her credibility by getting her to talk about conversations she had, that impeaching her with her own book,” Reid added. “I mean, this has been devastating for Stormy Daniels’ credibility.”

‘A BIG DAMN DEAL.’

Similarly, CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig said Daniels’s “responses were disastrous.”

“I mean, ‘Do you hate Donald Trump?’ ‘Yes.’ … That’s a big deal. When the witness hates the person whose liberty is at stake, that’s a big damn deal!” Honig exclaimed. “And she’s putting out tweets, fantasizing about him being in jail. That really undermines the credibility,” the analyst added.

“The fact that she owes him $500,000 by order of a court, owes Donald Trump a half million dollars, and said, ‘I will never pay him. I will defy a court order,’ the defense is gonna say, ‘She’s willing to defy a court order. She’s not willing to respect an order from a judge. Why is she gonna respect this oath she took?'” he added.

‘SALACIOUS DETAILS.’

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump staffer who has since parlayed her betrayal of the former president into a job on The View, also believes Daniels’s testimony hurt the prosecution.

“I want to say this; I’m not an attorney, [but] I know Republican voters and I know the Republican public. I’m a bit stunned that the prosecution leaned so heavily into the salacious details about the sexual encounter,” she said, referring to the fact prosecutors repeatedly went into graphic details of the supposed affair the judge had told them to avoid.

“I think to really lean into that side of it… I don’t know that that’s going to play well with a jury,” she said.

Daniels’s graphic stories about her alleged liaison with Trump proved so prejudicial that defense lawyers moved, albeit unsuccessfully, for a mistrial, with Judge Juan Merchan — a Joe Biden donor — admitting some of her testimony crossed the line.

The trial resumes on Thursday with further cross-examination of Daniels.

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Consensus among analysts, including those working at networks hostile to Donald Trump and avowed 'Never Trumpers,' is that Stormy Daniels's testimony in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's election interference case on Tuesday was "disastrous" for prosecutors. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
National Pulse regulars will have known since at least March 9th how this testimony and the cross was going to go
for exclusive members-only insights
National Pulse regulars will have known since at least March 9th how this testimony and the cross was going to go show more
for exclusive members-only insights
May 7, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Trump Trial Day 9: Stormy Rages.

The ninth day of the Manhattan-based hush money trial of former President Donald J. Trump devolved into a gossip-filled and sordid affair. District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s prosecutors called one of the trial’s most anticipated and controversial witnesses — smut peddler Stormy Daniels. A pornographic entertainer, Daniels alleged she engaged in a brief affair with Trump following a 2006 celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe.

Daniels’s testimony was a tale of two different ‘characters’ in the witness box. Throughout the prosecution’s questioning, Daniels presented herself as relatively charming and engaged in gossip about her alleged affair with Trump. Before the court started its day, Democrat Judge Juan Merchan warned the prosecution not to delve too far into details as it could be seen as prejudicial.

The jurors saw a very different Daniels in the defense’s cross-examination. She appeared angry, combative, childish, and vindictive. Arguably, Daniels came across so poorly that she gravely undermined any damage her morning’s testimony inflicted.

PROSECUTION DEFINES DANIELS. 

The initial round of questioning focused on establishing professional and biographical details about Daniels. She told prosecutors she preferred to go by her pornographic alias rather than her legal name, Stephanie Clifford. Daniels said she began her career in adult entertainment after misunderstanding a friend who told her she was a “dancer.” According to the smut performer, as an exotic dancer, she could make more in two nights of work “than I could shoveling manure eight hours a day.” As if those were the only two career options before her. The themes of quick and easy money, greed, and selfishness pervaded much of Daniels’s testimony.

PROSECUTION CROSSES THE LINE. 

Despite Judge Merchan‘s aforementioned warning to the prosecution, she often strayed into an attempted character assassination of Trump. Daniels testified she met Trump in 2006 at the Lake Tahoe golf tournament. Later, she claimed one of his bodyguards, Keith Schiller, gave her Trump’s contact information after she had declined a dinner invitation. Daniels said her publicist later encouraged her to accept the dinner offer.

What happened next was likely both fictitious and prejudicial. Daniels went into every detail about her meeting with Trump prior to “dinner.” The details she provided can only be described as over the top. It quickly became apparent that the prosecution intended for Daniels’s testimony to smear the reputation of President Trump, rather than asking her to address details of the charges he faces.

For nearly an hour, the court allowed prosecutor Susan Hoffinger to lead Daniels through unverifiable recollections of her alleged conversations with Trump. Finally, even Judge Merchan appeared annoyed with the prosecution and interjected, telling Hoffinger, “The degree of detail we’re going into here is just unnecessary.” After the court took a short break, he added, “When she comes back to the stand, we can move it along more quickly.”

DANIELS GOES OFF THE RAILS.

With Daniels back on the stand, Merchan quickly lost control of the prosecution, witness, and court. Led by Hoffinger, Daniels dove into a personal and graphic description of her alleged liaison with Trump — explicitly against Merchan’s morning orders. Daniels remained engaging, however, with the jury captivated by her story. She often spoke while looking directly at jurors and used hand gestures to further engage with them from the stand.

In a new spin on the affair story, Daniels insinuated she felt there was a power imbalance between her and Trump, also noting that he was a lot bigger than her. While she acknowledged she didn’t feel threatened, the pornographic entertainer insinuated to the prosecution that the encounter wasn’t consensual. Prior public recollections by Daniels never intimated such details.

After another long run of questioning regarding her alleged ongoing contact with Trump following the initial liaison, Daniels told Hoffinger that she was threatened to stay quiet about her affair with Trump by an unknown man in a Las Vegas parking lot in June 2011. She said the incident “scared” her. “He approached me and threatened me not to continue to tell my story,” Daniels told the prosecutor. There has been no evidence offered to suggest this event ever took place. Daniels has admitted she never notified law enforcement or told her husband or daughter about the alleged threat.

It is important to note that in the past, Daniels denied the encounter and affair with Trump entirely. When asked by Hoffinger if going public with her story was to make money, Daniels dubiously replied: “My motivation wasn’t money. It was to get the story out.”

MOTION FOR MISTRIAL. 

After the lunch break, attorneys for Trump moved for an immediate mistrial given Daniels’s testimony and the prosecution blatantly ignoring the guidelines.

“I don’t think anybody, anybody, can listen to what that witness said, think that has anything to do with the charges, and the entire testimony is so prejudicial that you run the very high risk of the jury not being able to focus on the evidence that actually does matter,” Trump’s defense attorney Todd Blanche argued.

Judge Merchan denied the motion. However, he did acknowledge that Daniels’s testimony likely crossed the line. “As a threshold matter, I agree, Mr. Blanche, that there were some things that probably would’ve been better left unsaid,” Merchan said. He additionally chastised the defense for not raising more objections, noting that even he had to step in and cut Daniels off at one point.

“Whether these are new stories or not new stories, the remedy is on cross-examination,” Merchan continued.

The judge did concede that he would be giving the jury limiting instructions regarding Daniels’s claims regarding the June 2011 threat in Las Vegas. While Trump’s legal defense lost the mistrial motion, the objection was necessary to preserve the issue as grounds for appeal.

STORMY GETS CROSSED. 

After a brief period of additional questioning by Hoffringer regarding her interactions with Michael Cohen, Daniels’s testimony before the prosecution ended. Next up was Trump’s defense attorney, Susan Necheles, to conduct the cross-examination. Almost immediately, Daniels’s demeanor completely changed. The smiling and chatty porn star became angry and combative when Necheles began her questioning.

Necheles began the cross-examination by questioning whether Daniels had rehearsed her testimony. A now combative Daniels fired back, “No.” Trump’s defense attorney continued, recalling prior comments made by Daniels: “You agreed you were subjected to grueling prep sessions which included brutal mock cross-examination?”

“It is not rehearsing my testimony,” Daniels responded with a raised and angry voice. Necheles asked Daniels if she had been untruthful in her prior statement. “I was incorrect; I did not know what true court would be like,” she answered.

MOTIVATED BY ‘HATE.’ 

Necheles pressed Daniels about her motivations for speaking out about Trump. “Am I correct that you hate President Trump?” she asked.

“Yes,” Daniels replied.

Pushing further, Necheles asked Daniels if she wanted to see former President Trump put in jail. The pornographic performer responded, “I want him to be held accountable.”

This was a marked change from past statements made by Daniels, including a 2023 interview with Piers Morgan. When asked then if Trump should go to jail, Daniels demurred while referencing unknown crimes he’s allegedly committed against her. “I don’t think that his crimes against me are worthy of incarceration,” Daniels said, while adding: “The other things that he has done — if he is found guilty, then absolutely.”

Moments later, Daniels was asked about her tweets suggesting she wanted to see former President Trump in jail. The pornographic actress laughed about her social media posts. When asked why she found them funny, Daniels quickly covered up for herself, saying it was just the words she had chosen to use in the posts.

VINDICTIVE AND CHILDISH. 

As Necheles pushed forward, she next pressed Daniels on her losing a series of lawsuits against the former President, in which she was later ordered to pay his legal fees. “He prevailed, but I was not found to have lost,” Daniels said of the matter, later admitting she still owes Trump about $560,000 in fees.

“You didn’t take any money out of your pocket and pay it to President Trump, did you?” Necheles asked. Daniels replied, “No.”

“You have money, right?” Trump’s defense attorney followed up. Daniels responded snarkily: “We all have money.”

Remaining on the subject of her debts owed to Trump, Daniels acknowledged her authorship of a 2022 social post in which she claimed she’d rather go to jail than “pay a penny.”

The porn star defended her defiance of the court-ordered financial judgment. “My motivation was because I was telling the truth,” Daniels contended.

Necheles next addressed a social media post in which Daniels wrote, “I’ll never give that orange turd a dime.” Trump’s defense attorney observed that Daniels often calls the former President names on social media. Becoming almost childish, Daniels claimed she only called Trump names “Because he made fun of me first.”

DANIELS DENIES ILLEGALLY HIDING MONEY.

Returning to the subject of the money Daniels owes Trump, Necheles asked the porn star and exotic dancer why she failed to report her husband’s finances on the forms she had to submit to the court following its judgment against her. “I won’t fill out information that endangers my family or my daughter,” Daniels replied defiantly.

“Isn’t it true that you’ve been hiding your assets because you don’t want to pay the judgment against you?” Necheles asked Daniels next, and she replied, “No.” Daniels went on to deny having set up a trust in her daughter’s name to hide income, an accusation leveled earlier today by Daniels’s former attorney, Michael Avenatti.

Before the court adjourned for the day, Daniels acknowledged that she had made a lot of money selling her story. When pressed if the most money came in when she discussed “sex,” the porn star at first denied that was the case but eventually acknowledged that she did get more attention when she brought up sordid details.

The trial will resume on Thursday with Trump’s defense team continuing its cross-examination of Stormy Daniels.

You can read The National Pulse’s Day Eight trial coverage here, and if you find our work worthwhile, consider joining up as a supporter.

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The ninth day of the Manhattan-based hush money trial of former President Donald J. Trump devolved into a gossip-filled and sordid affair. District Attorney Alvin Bragg's prosecutors called one of the trial's most anticipated and controversial witnesses — smut peddler Stormy Daniels. A pornographic entertainer, Daniels alleged she engaged in a brief affair with Trump following a 2006 celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Extraordinary, isn’t it? The difference between our coverage and that of the corporate media
for exclusive members-only insights
Extraordinary, isn’t it? The difference between our coverage and that of the corporate media show more
for exclusive members-only insights
May 7, 2024
William Upton
Breaking
Lawfare

BREAKING: Trump Moves For Mistrial as Even The Leftist Judge Agrees Stormy Daniels Testimony Crossed A Line.

Attorneys for former President Donald J. Trump moved for an immediate mistrial in the Manhattan-based hush money trial following testimony from adult film performer Stormy Daniels. Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan denied their motion after brief consideration.

Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, argued the testimony by Daniels was intended by the prosecution to tar his client. Blanche said the testimony prejudiced the jury against Trump, making a fair trial impossible.

“I don’t think anybody, anybody, can listen to what that witness said, think that has anything to do with the charges, and the entire testimony is so prejudicial that you run the very high risk of the jury not being able to focus on the evidence that actually does matter,” he argued.

Judge Merchan denied the motion. However, he did acknowledge that Daniels’s testimony likely crossed the line. Merchan had warned the prosecution this morning that they were not allowed to let Daniels engage in detailed discussions of her alleged affair or sexual acts.

“As a threshold matter, I agree Mr. Blanche, that there were some things that probably would’ve been better left unsaid,” Merchan said. He additionally chastised the defense for not raising more objections, noting that even he had to step in and cut Daniels off at one point. “Whether these are new stories or not new stories, the remedy is on cross-examination,” Merchan continued.

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Attorneys for former President Donald J. Trump moved for an immediate mistrial in the Manhattan-based hush money trial following testimony from adult film performer Stormy Daniels. Democrat-aligned Judge Juan Merchan denied their motion after brief consideration. show more
May 7, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
Lawfare

REPORT: Soros-Linked Dems Pay Over $500K to Judge Merchan’s Daughter’s Firm.

Alex Soros, the son and chosen successor of billionaire plutocrat George Soros, met with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and various Arizona Democrats after Whitmer’s political action committee (PAC) and the Arizona Democratic Party contracted Authentic Campaigns as a vendor, according to investigative reporter Laura Loomer. Loren Merchan, the daughter of New York judge Juan Merchan, overseeing Donald Trump’s prosecution by Democrat District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg, is the president and a partner of Authentic Campaigns.

Alex Soros, who has visited Joe Biden’s White House at least 20 times, reportedly held the meetings amid Trump’s trial under Merchan. Loren Merchan’s firm has also worked for Vice President Kamala Harris and Russia hoaxer Adam Schiff. She is further linked to the Democrat Democrat Attorney’s General Association (DAGA).

Authentic Campaigns has been paid $412,000 by Whitmer PAC ‘Fight Like Hell’ and almost $160,000 by the Arizona Democratic Party.

Juan Merchan, a Biden donor, has faced calls to recuse himself over his familial links to the Democratic government. However, he has refused, and imposed a gag order banning Trump from discussing his family members.

Soros, the current partner of ex-Clinton aide Huma Abedin, met with Democrats including Whitmer and Senator Mark Kelly, and Cindy McCain, who served Joe Biden as a United Nations (UN) envoy.

“It’s obvious to everyone that there is coordination between the Democrat’s lawfare campaign against Trump, and the Soros family,” Loomer commented.

George Soros funded Alvin Bragg’s campaign for DA via the Color of Change group, which bankrolls many progressive prosecutors.

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Alex Soros, the son and chosen successor of billionaire plutocrat George Soros, met with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and various Arizona Democrats after Whitmer's political action committee (PAC) and the Arizona Democratic Party contracted Authentic Campaigns as a vendor, according to investigative reporter Laura Loomer. Loren Merchan, the daughter of New York judge Juan Merchan, overseeing Donald Trump's prosecution by Democrat District Attorney (DA) Alvin Bragg, is the president and a partner of Authentic Campaigns. show more
May 6, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Trump Trial Day 8: Judge Could Jail Ex-Prez for OLD Posts, as Prosecution Reels From Hope Hicks’s Demolition of Michael Cohen.

Former Trump campaign aide Hope Hicks had some choice things to say about Michael Cohen last week, which bear consideration. During defense attorney Emil Bove’s cross-examination, Hicks took aim at Cohen’s credibility. She told Bove that the disgraced attorney “used to like to call himself Mr. Fix It, but it was only because he first broke it.”

When Bove, who is one of former President Donald J. Trump‘s attorneys in the hush money trial, asked Hicks about Cohen’s role in the 2016 campaign, she threw additional cold water on the prosecution’s assertions. “No, he would try to insert himself at certain moments, but he wasn’t supposed to be on the campaign in any official capacity,” Hicks responded. She added: “There were things he did in a voluntary capacity because of his interest.”

Asked if Cohen was prone to going rogue, Hicks said, “Yes.”

MERCHAN HOLDS TRUMP IN CONTEMPT… AGAIN. 

Day eight of former President Donald Trump‘s Manhattan-based hush money trial ended about 30 minutes earlier than scheduled. Judge Juan Merchan gave no reason for the court’s adjournment.

The court’s morning session began with another hearing on alleged violations of the gag order placed on former President Trump by Democrat-aligned Judge Merchan. Once again, the former President was found in contempt of the order and fined $1,000 for the new violation. “I find you in criminal contempt for the 10th time,” the judge said. He added: “Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sanction.”

“Mr. Trump, it’s important you understand that the last thing I want to do is put you in jail. You are the former president of the United States and possibly the next president as well,” Judge Merchan continued. He added, “The magnitude of this decision is not lost on me, but at the end of the day, I have a job to do.”

But even Democrat legal strategists admitted Merchan’s behavior didn’t stack up, with the judge seemingly rebuking Trump for statements that have been long-deleted.

THE ACCOUNTANT ON THE STAND. 

Following the testimony of Hope Hicks, the prosecution next brought Jeff McConney, the former controller — essentially the top accountant — for the Trump Organization. McConney has testified twice before in legal proceedings involving Donald Trump —before Judge Juan Merchan in the 2022 Trump Organization tax fraud trial and in last fall’s civil fraud trial against Trump brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Former Biden Justice Department attorney Matthew Colangelo handled the questioning for the prosecution.

The early part of McConney’s testimony was focused on establishing his role and chain of command within the Trump Organization. The former controller told Colangelo that he oversaw the company’s accounting department and Deb Tarasoff, the accounts payable supervisor. Tarasoff would be the next prosecution witness brought before the court adjourned for the day.

WHO CUTS THE CHECKS?

Early on, the prosecution focused on check signing authority. According to McConney, prior to 2017 — when Trump was inaugurated as President — Donald Trump had the signing authority. Once he became President, however, a trust account was formed with Donald Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, and Allen Weisselberg having signing authority.

Much of the morning focused on Colangelo and McConney walking through accounting practices, tax applicability to employee reimbursements, and the general ledger for Donald Trump’s personal account. While this was not the most riveting testimony, much of the prosecution‘s case hinges on the contention that the former President directed Michael Cohen‘s actions and understood the nature of the payments made to Cohen from the personal account.

COLANGELO BORES THE COURT. 

As the trial neared lunchtime, Colangelo finally began to focus on Michael Cohen — though McConney’s testimony was less than helpful to the prosecution’s case. When asked if he knew Cohen, McConney responded: “He said he was a lawyer.”

The prosecutor followed up, asking, “Did he work in the legal department?” McConney drew audible laughs from the courtroom with his response. “I guess so,” he said.

Next, Colangelo probed McConney on checks cut to Cohen, with the former controller saying that Allen Weisselberg had told him that they needed to get some money to the disgraced lawyer. “We added everything up, and came up with the amount we would have to pay him,” McConney said.

He testified that $35,000 was to be wired to Cohen monthly from Donald Trump‘s account. After reviewing Cohen’s invoices and the payment process for over an hour, McConney testified that he could not recall any further payments after December 2017. The prosecution ended its questioning after entering into evidence the invoices and financial disclosures relating to the payments to Cohen that allegedly covered the money he sent to Keith Davidson.

COHEN ACTED AS A VENDOR.

Emil Bove again handled the cross-examination for Trump‘s defense team. He kicked off the cross, asking McConney how often he spoke with Trump. The former Trump Organization controller said it wasn’t often. The defense attorney moved on to Cohen‘s employment status, asking McConney if Cohen used a Trump Organization account. McConney responded that Cohen did not and instead used a personal Gmail account. McConney explained that this meant Cohen was acting, essentially, as an outside vendor and not a Trump employee.

When Bove asked if McConney knew the nature of Cohen’s legal work or if the disgraced attorney was doing any personal work for Trump in 2017, McConney said: “I do not know.” Following up, when asked about his conversation with Weisselberg, McConney testified that he didn’t know what Cohen was seeking reimbursement for.

TRUMP DIDN’T ORDER PAYMENTS.

Moving on, Bove began chipping away at the core of the prosecution‘s case. Bragg’s team has spent a great deal of time insinuating that the payments made to Cohen were somehow illegal. Bove asked McConney, “These payments were also disclosed to the IRS, correct?” The former controller responded, “Yes.”

Bove, presenting McConney with an IRS 1099 form, asked: “There’s no place on this form to break out payments for legal services versus expenses incurred right?” McConney again responded, “Yes.”

Shifting to Cohen, the defense attorney asked McConney, “And it’s Michael Cohen’s job to figure out how to account for these payments on his personal taxes correct?” McConney once again responded, “Yes.” When asked if he knew whether Cohen had included the payments in his tax filings, McConney replied that he did not know.

In the most important moment, Bove asked McConney: “President Trump did not ask you to do any of the things you described?”

“He did not,” the former controller replied.

STILL NO EVIDENCE. 

A brief redirect by Colangelo may have further undermined the prosecution. McConney testified that he merely did as directed by Weisselberg. However, the former controller also said he was never privy to, nor knew of, any conversations between Weisselberg and Trump regarding payments to Cohen.

Despite the prosecution continuing to insinuate that Trump knew the nature of and directed the payments to Cohen, not a single witness that it has brought has been able to establish this assertion. In fact, several of the witnesses, so far, have actually undermined the claim — adding to the Trump defense team’s argument that he thought the payments were, in fact, for legal services and was unaware of Cohen’s agreement with Keith Davidson.

The next witness brought by the prosecution was Deb Tarasoff. Again, despite the prosecution’s efforts, Tarasoff said that Weisselberg was the man who called most of the shots and had the most contact with Cohen. The remainder of her testimony was a rehash of the invoice and check signing process heard in McConney’s morning testimony. After the prosecution finished and the defense engaged in a brief cross-examination, the court adjourned.

You can read The National Pulse’s Day Seven trial coverage here, and if you find our work worthwhile, consider joining up as a supporter.

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Former Trump campaign aide Hope Hicks had some choice things to say about Michael Cohen last week, which bear consideration. During defense attorney Emil Bove's cross-examination, Hicks took aim at Cohen's credibility. She told Bove that the disgraced attorney "used to like to call himself Mr. Fix It, but it was only because he first broke it." show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
I know it’s a lot to read, but these round-ups by Will Upton are well worth it
for exclusive members-only insights
I know it’s a lot to read, but these round-ups by Will Upton are well worth it show more
for exclusive members-only insights
May 6, 2024
William Upton
Corruption
Lawfare

REVEALED: Attorney Prosecuting Trump in Manhattan Took THOUSANDS in DNC Cash.

Matthew Colangelo, one of the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ)’s top attorneys, who forewent a white-shoe law firm career to instead work for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, received at least $12,000 by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for “consulting” services in 2018. The former Biden government attorney delivered opening remarks in former President Donald J. Trump‘s Manhattan-based hush money trial and has handled a portion of the questioning during witness testimony.

The National Pulse reported last week that Colangelo has been linked to partisan lawfare campaigns against conservative political groups and Republican lawmakers as far back as 2011. House Republicans are currently investigating Colangelo over his past work and possible ongoing communications with the Biden Justice Department that could conflict with his prosecution of Trump.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) data indicates the DNC paid Colangelo in two $6,000 installments on January 31, 2018. The distributions were reported as fees for “Political Consulting.” At the time of the payments, Colangelo had yet to join the Justice Department and was serving as the deputy assistant attorney general for social justice under then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Colangelo, interestingly, succeeded Alvin Bragg in the role with the New York AG‘s office when Bragg was promoted to chief deputy attorney general.

After Schneiderman was forced to resign as New York’s Attorney General following sexual assault allegations, Colangelo continued to serve under his successor, Barbara Underwood. It was with Underwood and her successor, Letitia James, that Colangelo began working on several investigations into then-President Donald Trump. On the day Joe Biden was sworn in as President, Colangelo moved to the U.S. Department of Justice as acting associate attorney general.

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Matthew Colangelo, one of the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ)'s top attorneys, who forewent a white-shoe law firm career to instead work for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, received at least $12,000 by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for "consulting" services in 2018. The former Biden government attorney delivered opening remarks in former President Donald J. Trump's Manhattan-based hush money trial and has handled a portion of the questioning during witness testimony. show more
May 3, 2024
William Upton
Lawfare

Trump Trial Day 7: Hope Hicks Takes The Stand, Casts Doubt On Bragg’s Election Claims.

Hope Hicks, a former aide to and campaign press secretary for former President Donald J. Trump, took the stand on day seven of Trump’s Manhattan-based ‘hush money’ trial. Former Biden Department of Justice attorney Matthew Colangelo — who has a long history of engaging in partisan lawfare against conservatives — handled questioning for the prosecution.

Throughout the day, the prosecution probed Hicks on her relationship with various individuals in Trump‘s orbit, including business associates and campaign staff. Later, District Attorney Alvin Bragg‘s team moved on to the Trump campaign’s response to the Access Hollywood tape before then addressing the alleged Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal affairs.

HICKS AND THE 2016 CAMPAIGN.

The prosecution spent most of the morning establishing Hicks’s relationship with the former President, his family, and other members of his inner circle. Colangelo’s questioning focused heavily on the former press secretary’s role in the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. The prosecutor was especially interested in Hicks’s knowledge of and interactions with Michael Cohen, David Pecker, Rhona Graff, and ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.

Hicks told Colangelo that former President Trump was “very involved” in the day-to-day of his 2016 presidential campaign. Colangelo next pressed her on Michael Cohen and Allen Weisselberg’s roles in the campaign and the Trump Organization. Regarding Cohen, Hicks said she wasn’t sure. “I know he was involved in a couple of the licenses deals for some of the hotel projects and maybe some of the entertainment pieces as well, like Miss Universe pageant,” the former Trump aide responded.

Colangelo next asked Hicks about Allen Weisselberg and what campaign role he played. According to Hicks, the former Trump Organization CFO mainly just assisted with the personal financial disclosure that Trump had to file ahead of the election. When asked about Trump’s relationship with Weisselberg, Hicks acknowledged, “He was a trusted person there.”

Hicks went on to testify that David Pecker and Donald Trump were indeed friends. She noted that she joined the former President for his phone calls with the tabloid newsman. When asked if she was present for the 2015 meeting between Trump and Pecker at Trump Tower, she said, “I don’t have a recollection of that.” Pecker testified last week that Hicks had been in and out of that meeting.

THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE.

Just before the lunch break, Colangelo moved on to Hicks’s role regarding the 2016 Trump campaign’s response to the Access Hollywood tape. The infamous video, in which the former President engages in “locker room talk,” appears to be part of the prosecution’s strategy to paint Trump as someone who participates in crude and lascivious behavior.

Hicks recalled the tape being very upsetting to Trump. “He said that didn’t sound like something he would say,” she testified, adding that the former President wanted to see the actual video. She continued, stating the campaign viewed the tape as “damaging” and a “crisis.”

Colangelo pressed Hicks further on Trump’s response after viewing the tape. She responded that the former President “didn’t want to offend anybody.” However, Hicks added, “I think he felt like it was pretty standard stuff for two guys chatting with each other.”

After the tape had become public, Hicks said there were rumors of another video “that would be problematic for the campaign.” Hicks told Colangelo that she asked Michael Cohen to look into the matter. “There was no such tape, regardless, but he chased that down for me,” she said.

THE STORMY DANIELS STORY.

Following lunch, Colangelo moved on to the Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal affair accusations. At this stage, the prosecution hoped to elicit testimony suggesting Trump was concerned about how accusations would impact his campaign just days before the 2016 election. However, that is not what happened.

Hicks said the November 4, 2016, Wall Street Journal story was the first time she became aware of Karen McDougal. She acknowledged that she had heard Story Daniels’s name once before, stating that several security guards on Trump’s plane mentioned her name in 2015 while discussing attendees at a celebrity gold tournament.

After the story broke, Hicks said she reached out to Michael Cohen. “Michael sort of feigned like he didn’t know what I was talking about,” she said.

Addressing the campaign response to the Daniels and McDougal stories, Hicks said former President Trump “wanted to know the context, and he wanted to make sure that there was a denial of any kind of relationship.” She added that Trump wanted to make it “absolutely, unequivocally” clear that he never had a relationship with Daniels.

‘TRUMP MORE CONCERNED ABOUT MELANIA.’

In the most damning moment of the day for District Attorney Bragg‘s prosecution, Hicks unequivocally stated that Trump was solely concerned about how the Stormy Daniels story would impact his family — especially his wife, Melania. “He was concerned about the story. He was concerned about how it would be viewed by his wife, and he wanted me to make sure that the newspapers weren’t delivered to his residence that morning,” Hicks said.

Hicks’s statement directly undermines the prosecution’s assertion that the financial payments to Daniels and McDougal were meant to prevent negative press that would impact his campaign. However, she acknowledged that the story concerned those within the presidential campaign’s inner circle. “Everything we talked about in the context of this time period and this time frame was about whether or not there was an impact on the campaign,” Hicks told Colangelo.

Next, Trump‘s defense attorney, Emil Bove, began his cross-examination. He asked Hicks about the former President’s relationship with his wife. “President Trump really values Mrs. Trump’s opinion, and she doesn’t weigh in all the time, but when she does, it’s really meaningful to him and, you know, he really really respects what she has to say,” she responded. At this point, Hicks became very emotional and began to cry on the stand. Following a break, Bove briefly continued his cross-examination before the court adjourned for the day.

You can read The National Pulse’s Day Six trial coverage here, and if you find our work worthwhile, consider joining up as a supporter.

 

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Hope Hicks, a former aide to and campaign press secretary for former President Donald J. Trump, took the stand on day seven of Trump's Manhattan-based 'hush money' trial. Former Biden Department of Justice attorney Matthew Colangelo — who has a long history of engaging in partisan lawfare against conservatives — handled questioning for the prosecution. show more