Trump trial live updates: Judge could issue fine over gag order violations before first witness back on stand (2024)

Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial is now well underway with the prosecution and defence teams having presented their opening statements on Monday.

Tabloid media mogul David Pecker, who published The National Enquirer and was part of the “catch-and-kill” scheme at the heart of the case, also began giving testimony and will return to the witness stand on Tuesday.

Judge Juan Merchan will also rule today on complaints raised by Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg’s team about numerous instances of Mr Trump allegedly violating the terms of his gag order by posting bitterly about the case and its key participants on his Truth Social platform.

The defendant continued to whine on social media on Monday evening, calling Mr Bragg “an election denier” as he otherwise looked ahead to the Supreme Court’s hearding on his presidential immunity defence against prosecution, which will take place on Thursday.

Elsewhere on the legal front, an agreement has been reached over Mr Trump’s $175m bond to appeal the civil fraud trial ruling against him and witness statements in the classified documents case have been made public.

Alex Woodward is providing live updates from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan throughout the trial.

Key Points

• New York hush money trial: What to expect on day six

• Trump posts grandiose victim narrative videos, calls Bragg ‘election denier’ and stews over immunity on Truth Social

• Defendant lashes out after jurors hear of 2016 ‘election fraud’ scheme in opening statements

• Key takeaways from Monday’s opening statements in Trump’s hush money trial

• Prosecutors can confront Trump about Carroll defamation verdict and fraud ruling if he testifies

Watch live: Trump hush money trial continues as key witness returns

13:03 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the scene in Manhattan as we await the start of day six.

Watch live: Trump hush money trial continues as key witness returns

RFK Jr saps more support from Trump than Biden, new poll finds

12:45 , Joe Sommerlad

Anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr’s long-shot presidential bid appears to be drawing more support from former president Donald Trump than President Joe Biden, according to a new poll.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters, conducted between 12-15 April by NBC News, revealed that Biden is trailing Trump by two percentage points in a hypothetical two-way race, 46 per cent to 44 per cent.

However, when third-party and independent candidates are added to the mix, Biden emerges with a two-point advantage over Trump – 39 per cent to 37 per cent.

The poll found that Kennedy, who is running as an independent, draws 13 per cent, former Harvard professor Cornel West draws 2 per cent and Green Party perennial candidate Jill Stein gets 3 per cent.

Here’s more from Andrew Feinberg.

RFK Jr saps more support from Trump than Biden, new poll finds

Trump set for another $1.25bn Truth Social windfall

12:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s the latest on Trump Media & Technology Group – whose share price has fluctuated wildly since it debuted on the Nasdaq earlier this month – from Amelia Neath.

Donald Trump set for another $1.25bn Truth Social windfall

Watch Trump response as he’s quizzed on Melania whereabouts

12:15 , Joe Sommerlad

I don’t think he appreciates this line of questioning one bit.

Watch Trump response as he’s quizzed on Melania whereabouts at criminal trial

Melania Trump selling Mother’s Day necklaces as Donald's legal fees mount

12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Former US first lady Melania Trump has launched a new customisable Mother’s Day necklace for sale on her personal website as her husband continues to fight numerous legal cases on several fronts and face ever-steeper lawyers’ bills.

Her new necklace, named “Her Love & Gratitude”, retails for a pricey $245, is made from gold vermeil and features a flower pendant with heart-shaped petals and adjustable 16-18 inch chain and can be engraved with names, initials or meaningful dates, according to her website.

“Being a mother is one of the most important roles in life,” she said in a statement on Sunday.

“For this Mother’s Day, I have designed the ‘Her Love & Gratitude’ necklace to express immense gratitude and honour all mothers.”

Yuck.

Here’s more.

Melania Trump selling Mother’s Day necklace for $245 as husband’s legal fees mount

Former White House aide reveals Trump’s disaster opportunism

11:45 , Joe Sommerlad

This from Miles Taylor is somehow both astonishing and in no way surprising.

Eric Trump: Father not responsible for ‘bookkeeping’

11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Trump’s middle son was one of several sympathetic guests on Sean Hannity’s Fox News show last night bemoaning his old man’s plight.

Very hard to disagree with this.

Meanwhile, on the same network, Jesse Watters feared for the defendant’s fitness, cooped up in court as he is, and claimed he was being treated worse than internees at Guantanamo Bay.

Florida classified documents case: Witness asked FBI not to record interview over fear of repercussions

11:15 , Joe Sommerlad

A witness who spoke to federal investigators about Trump was so afraid of repercussions for cooperating with the FBI that he asked agents not to record his voluntary interview.

The FBI officials were speaking to the witness — whose name is redacted in documents — as part of their probe into how documents with classification markings ended up at the former president’s Palm Beach, Florida, home long after the end of his term in office.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Witness in classified Trump documents asked FBI not to record his specific interview

New York hush money trial: What to expect on day six

11:03 , Joe Sommerlad

Dear lord, the great Alex Woodward is already back at court early once again – having presumably pitched his alarm clock violently against a wall – and here brings us a rundown of what we can expect on day six:

“We’ll start today with a hearing on prosecutors’ request that the judge hold Trump in contempt and fine him for at least seven violations of the gag order.

“The latest motion includes seven different violations. Trump likely added to the list with his outbursts outside the courtroom yesterday:

“Last week, Manhattan prosecutors also alerted the judge to Trump’s ‘disturbing’ Truth Social post quoting Fox News personality Jesse Watters that appeared to attack jurors, which appeared on the former president’s platform just one day after the judge warned him against intimidating jurors.

“‘It’s ridiculous, and it has to stop,’ assistant district attorney Christopher Conroy told the judge on Thursday.

“Prosecutors also declined to give a list of witnesses to the defence in advance, fearing that Trump would publicly attack them before they took the stand.

“‘Mr Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses,’ assistant district attorney Joshua Steinglass told Judge Juan Merchan on Thursday. ‘We’re not telling him who the witnesses are.’

“Prosecutors ultimately agreed to give Trump’s attorneys one name, on Sunday afternoon, the day before the trial resumed. That name was former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who will resume testimony later today.

“The gag order hearing is at 9.30am. Jurors are expected back in court to continue hearing testimony at 11am. The court will adjourn in observance of Passover at 2pm.”

Meanwhile, here’s the prosecution’s order to show cause.

New York fraud case: Trump lawyer fumes hearing ‘wasted time and money’ after bond deal reached

10:45 , Joe Sommerlad

After weeks of back-and-forth between Trump’s legal team and the New York Attorney General’s Office over the $175m bond in his civil fraud ruling, the two sides have now agreed to allow the bond to be backed by a California-based company so long as the collateral remains in cash, among other stipulations.

On Monday, attorneys for Trump, including Alina Habba, and lawyers for Letitia James’s office met for a court hearing on the bond dispute, approximately 500 feet from the Manhattan courtroom where opening arguments began in Trump’s first criminal trial.

Following the hearing, Habba fumed that it was “wasted time” and a waste of taxpayer dollars as she accused James of lodging unnecessary complaints about the bond and tried to draw comparisons with his criminal case.

Ariana Baio reports.

Trump reaches deal with New York AG over multi-million dollar civil fraud bond

New York hush money trial: Prosecutors can confront Trump about defamation and fraud if he testifies

10:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Manhattan prosecutors can question Trump about a blockbuster fraud ruling, gag order violations and the E Jean Carroll defamation verdicts if he chooses to testify in his hush money trial.

Before opening arguments on Monday morning, New York justice Juan Merchan largely granted a request from the office of DA Bragg to introduce lines of questioning around prior court rulings if the former president takes the stand to testify in his historic trial.

Under cross-examination, prosecutors can now bring up Trump’s other cases where he was found liable for fraud and defamation.

Alex Woodward reports.

Prosecutors can confront Trump about defamation and fraud ruling if he testifies

New York hush money trial: Key takeaways from Monday’s opening statements

09:45 , Joe Sommerlad

It’s the case that many thought might never make it to trial and yet, at 9.30am on Monday 22 April 2024, 12 jurors, six alternates, two teams of attorneys, one former president and the world’s press were in attendance as Judge Juan Merchan called the court to order.

Here are your five key takeaways from a historic day in court, courtesy of Oliver O’Connell.

Key takeaways from opening statements in Trump’s hush money trial

New York hush money trial: Trump lashes out after jurors hear of 2016 ‘election fraud’ scheme in opening statements

09:15 , Joe Sommerlad

Donald Trump unloaded on reporters and news cameras for nine minutes outside a Manhattan criminal courtroom on Monday after jurors heard opening statements and the first witness took the stand to testify in the first-ever criminal trial of an American president.

“It’s very unfair what’s going on and I should be allowed to campaign,” he said as he left the courthouse.

“We did nothing wrong.”

After four days of jury selection last week, the trial on the 15th floor of a New York City criminal courtroom began on Monday with opening statements that outlined this alleged plot to unlawfully influence the election’s outcome.

Here’s Alex Woodward’s report from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

Trump lashes out after prosecutors outline ‘election fraud’ scheme in trial

Truth Social: Trump posts grandiose victim narrative videos, calls Bragg ‘election denier’ and stews on immunity

08:47 , Joe Sommerlad

The former president turned criminal defendant was busy on social media last night, posting a series of preposterous, self-pitying campaign videos about his enemies trying to “tear him down”, at least one of which bordered on the downright irresponsible as he accused the federal government of trying to silence him because he stands up for the electorate.

He also called DA Bragg an “election denier”, just in time for Judge Merchan’s hearing on whether his social media output amounted to violations of his gag order in the hush money trial.

Trump otherwise seemed preoccupied by the Supreme Court’s hearing on his spurious “presidential immunity defence” on Thursday, claiming that, without it, presidents would be vulnerable to extortion and blackmail threats (didn’t he try to extort Volodymyr Zelensky??)

He also took time to reassure the kids that losing TikTok would be Joe Biden’s fault, denounce the protests at Columbia University and wish everyone a happy Passover!

Two years in prison for man who attacked police with Confederate flag on Jan 6

08:15 , AP

A Kentucky man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while carrying a Confederate battle flag was sentenced on Monday to more than two years in prison for pepper spraying two police officers in the face, partially blinding them for hours during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.

Isreal Easterday was 19 years old when he joined a mob of Donald Trump supporters in invading the Capitol. He used pepper spray to assault two Capitol police officers who were separately guarding the East Rotunda Doors.

Chief Judge James Boasberg cited Easterday’s youth as a reason for handing down a prison term — two years and six months — that was over five times lower than the Justice Department’s initial sentencing recommendation.

The judge said Easterday, who was homeschooled by his mother while living on a family farm, “may not have fully appreciated what was going on there” at the Capitol on Jan. 6 or recognized that the Confederate flag is a “symbol of rebellion.”

Continue reading the full article...

Trump campaign funds being decimated by legal fees

06:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s legal fees are taking a chunk out of his campaign funds – with one of the groups that has underwritten many of those costs having spent nearly $3.7m last month.

Figures released by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show this is what the Save America political action committee (PAC) spent in March, amounting to nearly three in every four dollars it raised during the same period.

Martha McHardy takes a look at the numbers:

Trump’s legal fees eat into his campaign funds as millions more drained from coffers

Coming up: Supreme Court to decide whether Trump immune from federal prosecution

04:45 , AP

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments this week with profound legal and political consequences: whether former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in a federal case charging him with plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In addition to establishing a potentially historic ruling about the scope of presidential power, the court’s decision — whenever it comes — will undoubtedly go a long way in determining a trial date for Trump in one of the four criminal prosecutions that the presumptive Republican presidential nominee faces.

A quick decision in the Justice Department’s favor could conceivably put the case on track for trial this fall. But if the court takes until late June to resolve the question, then the likelihood rises substantially that the November presidential election will happen without a jury ever being asked to decide whether Trump is criminally responsible for efforts to undo an election he lost in the weeks leading up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead:

Supreme Court to decide whether Trump immune from federal prosecution. What’s next?

Poll: RFK Jr’s presidential bid saps more support from Trump than Biden

03:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr’s long-shot presidential bid appears to be drawing more support from former president Donald Trump than President Joe Biden, according to a new poll.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters, conducted between 12-15 April by NBC News, revealed that Mr Biden is trailing Mr Trump by two percentage points in a hypothetical two-way race, 46 per cent to 44 per cent.

However, when third-party and independent candidates are added to the mix, Mr Biden emerges with a two-point advantage over Mr Trump - 39 per cent to 37 per cent.

Andrew Feinberg reports:

RFK Jr saps more support from Trump than Biden, new poll finds

What Taylor Swift’s home county in Pennsylvania explains about the 2024 election

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Few people generate as many headlines as Taylor Swift. Her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and subsequent appearances at his games, including the Super Bowl, created bad blood among many right-wingers. Meanwhile, Democrats hope that an endorsem*nt of Joe Biden would make him untouchable.

But while the lavender haze of the primaries wears off, only a handful of states remain, including Swift’s home state of Pennsylvania. Particularly, her home county of Berks County explains plenty about the 2024 election. Here’s how Berks County will drop everything now for Trump or speak now for Biden (and bonus points for anyone who finds all the hidden references).

Read on...

What Taylor Swift’s home county in Pennsylvania explains about the 2024 election

Witness in Trump’s classified documents case asked FBI not to record interview

01:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg reports:

A witness who spoke to federal investigators about Donald Trump was so afraid of repercussions for cooperating with the FBI that he asked agents not to record his voluntary interview.

The FBI officials were speaking to the witness — whose name is redacted in documents — as part of their probe into how documents with classification markings ended up at the former president’s Palm Beach, Florida home long after the end of his term in office.

Continue reading...

Witness in classified Trump documents asked FBI not to record his specific interview

Alina Habba fumes civil fraud hearing ‘wasted time and money’ after bond deal reached

Tuesday 23 April 2024 00:00 , Oliver O'Connell

After weeks of back-and-forth between Donald Trump’s legal team and the New York Attorney General’s Office over the $175m bond in his civil fraud ruling, the two sides have now agreed to allow the bond to be backed by a California-based company so long as the collateral remains in cash, among other stipulations.

On Monday, attorneys for Mr Trump, including Alina Habba, and lawyers for Letitia James’s office met for a court hearing on the bond dispute, approximately 500 feet from the Manhattan courtroom where opening arguments began in Mr Trump’s first criminal trial.

Following the hearing, Ms Habba fumed that it was “wasted time” and a waste of taxpayer dollars as she accused Ms James of waging unnecessary complaints about the bond and tried to draw comparisons with his criminal case.

Ariana Baio reports:

Trump reaches deal with New York AG over multi-million dollar civil fraud bond

Key takeaways from opening statements in Trump’s hush money trial

Monday 22 April 2024 23:15 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s the case that many thought might never make it to trial, and yet at 9.30am ET on Monday 22 April, twelve jurors, six alternates, two teams of attorneys, one former president, and the world’s press were in attendance as Judge Juan Merchan called the court to order.

Here’s what you need to know about what happened in court today:

Key takeaways from opening statements in Trump’s hush money trial

Trump gripes about not being able to attend Supreme Court immunity arguments

Monday 22 April 2024 22:58 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is having to face the realities of being on trial for criminal charges — he has to be in court every day it is in session. That includes missing oral arguments in the Supreme Court that will greatly impact his other criminal cases...

The former president wrote on Truth Social this afternoon:

The Supreme Court will address the historic question of Presidential Immunity on Thursday, but unfortunately, I will not be able to attend. The Highly Conflicted Judge in the Manhattan D.A. “case” (Soros-backed Alvin Bragg) has prohibited me from attending. Without Presidential Immunity, the President cannot function, as his Political Opponents will blackmail and extort him with the threat of wrongful prosecution at every turn. We look forward to presenting our case to the Supreme Court.

He has been thinking about presidential immunity a lot, spending much of Saturday posting about it too.

Mr Trump also wrote the following this afternoon:

Without Immunity, the Presidency, as we know it, will no longer exist. Many actions for the benefit of our Country will not be taken. This is in no way what the Founders had in mind. Legal Experts and Scholars have stated that the President must have Full Presidential Immunity. A President must be free to make proper decisions. His mind must be clear, and he must not be guided by fear of retribution!

And:

Without Presidential Immunity, a President will not be able to properly function, or make decisions, in the best interest of the United States of America. Presidents will always be concerned, and even paralyzed, by the prospect of wrongful prosecution and retaliation, after they leave office. This could actually lead to extortion and blackmail of a President. The other side would say, “If you don’t do something, just the way we want it, we are going to go after you when you leave office, or perhaps even sooner.” A President has to be free to determine what is right for our Country, with no undue pressure!

Here’s what special counsel Jack Smith has to say about the subject:

Jack Smith urges Supreme Court to reject Trump’s ‘unprecedented’ immunity claim

Monday 22 April 2024 22:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch Trump response as he’s quizzed on Melania whereabouts at criminal trial

Trump’s legal fees eat into his campaign funds

Monday 22 April 2024 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump’s legal fees are taking a chunk out of his campaign funds – with one of the groups that has underwritten many of those costs having spent nearly $3.7m last month.

Figures released by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) show this is what the Save America political action committee (PAC) spent in March, amounting to nearly three in every four dollars it raised during the same period.

Martha McHardy has the details:

Trump’s legal fees eat into his campaign funds as millions more drained from coffers

Inside Trump’s ‘calendar of chaos’

Monday 22 April 2024 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell

In a typical presidential election year, candidates will spend the 11 months leading up to election day shaking hands and kissing babies at rallies as the primaries unfold.

But nothing is typical when it comes to Donald Trump.

Instead, the ex-president will be forced to juggle his campaign for the White House while also defending himself in federal and state courts in four different cases that have hearings and trial dates scattered throughout 2024.

Ariana Baio takes us through Trump’s calendar of chaos:

How Trump’s trial dates and the 2024 election overlap

Analysis: Three reasons Mike Johnson’s job is safe — and one reason it might not be

Monday 22 April 2024 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

And just like that, after months of dragged out negotiations and false starts, the House of Representatives passed legislation to assist Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

The vote showed a stunning about-face for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who as a backbencher opposed aid to Ukraine. Since then, he’s been hailed for standing up to his party — even though he only did so after he’d exhausted all other options. (Readers of Inside Washington may remember I called Johnson a coward a few months ago for refusing to put the Ukraine bill to the floor).

But the vote means Johnson has to consider whether Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the right-wing conspiracy theorist and acolyte of Donald Trump, will carry through with her threats and actually topple him from his job.

Continue reading...

Three reasons Mike Johnson’s job is safe — and one reason it might not be

What is the Trump defence strategy?

Monday 22 April 2024 20:40 , Oliver O'Connell

A member of Donald Trump’s legal team divulged the defence’s plan to “focus on the facts” to show that the former president did nothing wrong, one day before the opening arguments are set to begin in the landmark hush money trial.

Mr Trump is now standing criminal trial — the first president or ex-president ever to do so — over 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election in exchange for her silence over an alleged affair. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Kelly Rissman reports:

Trump team sets out its strategy on eve of opening statements in hush money trial

Watch: Trump again attacks key witness Cohen in defiance of gag order

Monday 22 April 2024 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

With less than 24 hours before Judge Juan Merchan holds a contempt of court hearing and rules on gag order violations by Donald Trump, the former president was at it again in the hallway immediately outside the courtroom, attacking key witness Michael Cohen.

Trump attacks Biden with claim he is trying to ‘ban TikTok' — which he repeatedly tried and failed to do

Monday 22 April 2024 20:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump is trying to blame President Joe Biden for the bill passed by the House of Representatives on Saturday that wants the Chinese-owned parent of TikTok to sell the app.

The former president is attempting to use the false story as a pitch to young voters who he is hoping won’t remember that he tried to ban or force the sale of TikTok repeatedly when he was president – including announcing a ban to reporters on Air Force One in July 2020.

John Bresnahan of Punchbowl News notes that Mr Trump reversed his position on the app after a recent meeting with GOP mega-donor Jeff Yass, who owns a multi-billion dollar stake in the company.

New Pearl Jam song is about Donald Trump ‘playing the victim’

Monday 22 April 2024 20:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Eddie Vedder has revealed that Pearl Jam’s new song “Wreckage” was inspired by former US president Donald Trump.

“Wreckage” appears on Dark Matter, the Seattle band’s twelfth album, which was released on Friday (19 April).

Singer-songwriter Vedder, 59, told The Times that the song represents an appeal for unity.

Kevin E G Perry has the story:

Eddie Vedder says new Pearl Jam song is about Donald Trump ‘playing the victim’

Watch: Biden campaign and White House ‘well-served by being hands-off’ on Trump trial

Monday 22 April 2024 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Melania Trump selling Mother’s Day necklace for $245

Monday 22 April 2024 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Former US first lady Melania Trump has launched a new customisable Mother’s Day necklace for sale on her personal website as her husband Donald Trump continues to fight numerous legal cases on several fronts and face ever-steeper lawyers’ bills.

Ms Trump’s new necklace, named “Her Love & Gratitude”, retails for a pricey $245, is made from gold vermeil and features a flower pendant with heart-shaped petals and adjustable 16-18 inch chain and can be engraved with names, initials or meaningful dates, according to her website.

Joe Sommerlad has the details...

Melania Trump selling Mother’s Day necklace for $245 as husband’s legal fees mount

This morning in court - in sketches

Monday 22 April 2024 19:09 , Oliver O'Connell

No cameras in court, no problem... Here’s how courtroom sketch artists captured today’s historic trial of former president Donald Trump.

Civil fraud trial: Trump reaches deal with New York AG Letitia James over bond

Monday 22 April 2024 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ariana Baio reports:

After weeks of back-and-forth between Donald Trump’s legal team and the New York Attorney General’s Office over the $175 million bond in his civil fraud ruling, the two sides have agreed to allow the bond to be backed by a California-based company so long as it the collateral remains in cash, among other stipulations.

On Monday, attorneys for Mr Trump and Letitia James’ office met for a hearing on the bond dispute, approximately 500 feet from where opening arguments began in Mr Trump’s first criminal trial.

The dispute centered around the underwriter: Knight Specialty Insurance Company (KSIC) a California-based company that gave Mr Trump an 11th-hour lifeline. The company is part of the Knight Insurance Group, chaired by billionaire Don Hankey.

Ms James’ office raised concerns over the details of the bond, saying the company should be under full control of the collateral put by Mr Trump and that KSIC was not authorized to write business in New York.

Continue reading...

Trump reaches deal with New York AG over multi-million dollar civil fraud bond

‘It was election fraud. Pure and simple’: Trump trial hears 2016 scheme in opening statements

Monday 22 April 2024 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Alex Woodward reports from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan:

In their opening arguments to jurors, Manhattan prosecutors outlined Donald Trump’s alleged criminal conspiracy to influence the 2016 presidential election by paying off publishers to bury compromising stories.

“This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover up,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Matthew Colangelo told jurors on Monday.

“The defendant Donald Trump orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election. Then he covered up that criminal conspiracy by lying in his business records, over and over and over again,” he said.

Continue reading...

Trump jurors hear 2016 scheme: ‘It was election fraud. Pure and simple’

Watch: Trump is ‘annoyed, resigned, maybe angry’ according to Rachel Maddow

Monday 22 April 2024 18:31 , Oliver O'Connell

RFK Jr sapping more support from Trump than Biden, poll finds

Monday 22 April 2024 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Andrew Feinberg reports:

Anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr’s long-shot presidential bid appears to be drawing more support from former president Donald Trump than President Joe Biden, according to a new poll.

The survey of 1,000 registered voters, conducted between 12-15 April by NBC News, revealed that Mr Biden is trailing Mr Trump by two percentage points in a hypothetical two-way race, 46 per cent to 44 per cent.

However, when third-party and independent candidates are added to the mix, Mr Biden emerges with a two-point advantage over Mr Trump - 39 per cent to 37 per cent.

Continue reading...

RFK Jr saps more support from Trump than Biden, new poll finds

Trump delivers usual list of grievances outside courtroom

Monday 22 April 2024 18:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump spoke at the media as he left the courtroom and delivered the latest remix of his usual list of grievances, heavily weighted toward the civil fraud trial (in which there was a development today regarding the appeal bond)

He also argued that he should be out on the campaign trail, making an odd claim that “people” came up to him in court to say they couldn’t believe he was indicted in this case.

The former president appears to want to frame this as some kind of bookkeeping error of which he was completely unaware. He also made a point of saying that they didn’t claim the payment to Cohen as a tax deduction, which appears to be evidence of more of an attempt to not leave a paper trail...

Mr Trump yet again baselessly accused President Joe Biden of orchestrating all of the civil and criminal cases against him. That is not true.

Meanwhile, in another court...

Monday 22 April 2024 17:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump has reached a deal with New York Attorney General Letitia James over his multi-million dollar civil fraud bond.

Ariana Baio reports:

After weeks of back-and-forth between Donald Trump’s legal team and the New York Attorney General’s Office over the $175m bond in his civil fraud ruling, the two sides have agreed to allow the bond to be backed by a California-based company so long as it the collateral remains in cash, among other stipulations.

On Monday, attorneys for Mr Trump and Letitia James’ office met for a hearing on the bond dispute, approximately 500 feet from where opening arguments began in Mr Trump’s first criminal trial.

The dispute centered around the underwriter: Knight Specialty Insurance Company (KSIC) a California-based company that gave Mr Trump an 11th-hour lifeline. The company is part of the Knight Insurance Group, chaired by billionaire Don Hankey.

Ms James’ office raised concerns over the details of the bond, saying the company should be under full control of the collateral put by Mr Trump and that KSIC was not authorized to write business in New York.

KSCI disagreed, claiming in a filing that they could because it was backed in a Charles Schwab account pledged to them.

After a relatively brief hearing on Monday, lawyers for Mr Trump and Ms James’ office came to an agreement that would keep the $175m in collateral in cash, have KSCI maintain control of it and KSCI will designate an agent to accept legal services on their behalf in New York.

Alina Habba: Trump trials are ‘disgrace to the American judicial system'

Monday 22 April 2024 17:35 , Oliver O'Connell

In the hallway outside the courtroom, Trump legal spokesperson Alina Habba called Trump’s trials a “disgrace to the American judicial system”.

She didn’t take questions and was flanked by Trump lawyers Christopher Kise and Clifford Robert.

“The fact that we have two courts not one, criminal and civil, being used against one man because they cannot beat him in the polls is a disgrace to the American judicial system. You should not have two teams of lawyers here today. You should not even be here today, because you didn’t know is the epitome of a witch hunt,” she said.

And that’s it for today as court recesses

Monday 22 April 2024 17:29 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Merchan: “Jurors, we’re going to call it a day.”

Court will resume at 11am tomorrow for three hours.

The early break is for a juror’s dentist appointment and to observe the Passover holiday.

In addition at 9.30am there will be a hearing on Trump’s gag order violations. If that is not over by 11am they will pause and pick it up again later, Alex Woodward reports from court.

Before the jury was sent out, Pecker said he is no longer speaking with Howard, who he believes has a spinal condition and lives in Australia and thus can’t travel

With the jury out of the room, Trump attorney Emil Bove now tells the judge that they “objected to some testimony from Mr Pecker about the whereabouts of Mr Howard”.

“It was hearsay, he does not have firsthand knowledge and it’s also not relevant,” he said.

Merchan notes the objection.

Monday 22 April 2024 17:25 , Alex Woodward

Trump is leaning forward on the defence table, watching Pecker’s testimony.

His face is slightly scrunched in what could be described as a “listening” face.

Pecker affirms that he is testifying under subpoena, and his attorney is in court with him.

He was asked to remember a series of phone numbers, including a mobile phone from the time he was at AMI.

He couldn’t remember the last four digits exactly, so he blurted out the whole seven digits. “You gave us more than the last four,” Steinglass says, chuckling.

ADA Steinglass is asking about Dylan Howard, The National Enquirer’s former editor-in-chief.

“Is it fair to say Dylan Howard ran the network of sources” for AMI’s brands, Steinglass asks.

Pecker says yes. He also confirms that Howard ran “juicy” stories by him

Pecker has a relatively soft, low voice, which has been interrupted a couple of times by massive bursts of laughter that made reporters in the overflow laugh.

Also, Pecker confirmed he had two email addresses while at AMI, one for sensitive messages that he didn’t want his assistant to see

Monday 22 April 2024 17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Pecker explains his past job as President, Chairman, and CEO of AMI.

In addition to The National Enquirer, AMI also published other celebrity tabloids including Star, Life & Style, and The Globe.

Pecker says he had the final say on what got published with regard to the celebrity tabloid side of the business.

Alex Woodward reports:

Pecker describes AMI’s “checkbook journalism.”

“I gave a number to the editors that they could not spend more than $10,000 to investigate, produce or publish a story,” he said.

Anything above that would have to be “vetted” for approval.

Profile: David Pecker - first witness for the prosecution

Monday 22 April 2024 17:11 , Oliver O'Connell

David Pecker, 72, is the former CEO of AMI and publisher of The National Enquirer who agreed to assist Mr Trump and Cohen in carrying out a catch-and-kill scheme ahead of the 2016 presidential election in order to influence Mr Trump’s chances of winning the presidency.

A longtime ally of Mr Trump, Mr Pecker assisted in facilitating payments from AMI to a former Trump Tower doorman and to a second woman who allegedly had an affair with Mr Trump to maintain their silence on negative stories.

Mr Pecker was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for information about Mr Cohen.

Court resumes, David Pecker called to stand

Monday 22 April 2024 17:07 , Oliver O'Connell

Court has resumed after a short break.

AMI founder and the publisher of The National Enquirer David Pecker has been called to the stand and sworn in.

With court ending early today at 12.30pm for a juror dentist appointment and to observe the Passover holiday, we likely won’t get in to much detail.

Alex Woodward reports from court:

Pecker, with a gray mustache and cascading puff of grey and white hair, is wearing a dark grey suit. He’s smiled as he took a seat.

Trump previously admitted he repaid Cohen for Daniels settlement

Monday 22 April 2024 16:56 , Oliver O'Connell

MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin notes that Donald Trump has previously admitted he repaid Michael Cohen for the Stormy Daniels settlement.

But in his opening statement, Mr Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche argued that the payment to Cohen couldn’t possibly be for that purpose...

Monday 22 April 2024 16:48 , Alex Woodward

Stormy Daniels “doesn’t have any idea” or “know anything” about the invoices, checks and ledger notes in the indictment, according to Blanche.

“Her testimony, while salacious, does not matter,” he says.

Judge sustains two objections from prosecutors

Monday 22 April 2024 16:46 , Oliver O'Connell

Judge Juan Merchan has sustained two objections from the prosecution team during the defence’s opening statement.

Lawyers were called up to the bench twice.

Objections are rare in opening statements but can occur when things drift into argument.

Speaking on CNN, legal expert Elie Honig noted this may also be an attempt to establish discipline early on in proceedings and not let things slide.