Judge Juan Merchan instructed the prosecution to forewarn Michael Cohen, a potential witness, not to make any more divisive remarks on social media.The prosecution has hinted that it may soon rest its case as the fourth week of Donald Trump’s criminal hush-money trial in New York comes to an end.
However, the prosecution proceeded to call witnesses on Friday in an attempt to support its contention that former US President Donald Trump purposefully fabricated financial records in an attempt to sway the results of the 2016 election.The disputed documents include a purported payment of hush money to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who came out with claims that she had an affair with Trump.
Although Trump has denied having sex with Daniels, Michael Cohen, his former attorney, gave Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her quiet in 2016.
The prosecution claims that the term “legal expenses” was used to hide the actual purpose of the checks, which were intended to compensate Cohen for the payment. As a consequence, Trump is charged with 34 felonies for fabricating company papers.
On the other hand, Trump’s defense team has refuted any wrongdoing and said that the former president was only trying to save his family from shame. Additionally, it has attempted to declare the case a mistrial.
Five major conclusions may be drawn from the criminal trial’s fifteenth day, which is the first in history to include a US president:An assistant to Trump reappears in the witness box
Madeleine Westerhout, who had testified a day earlier on how Trump handled his affairs while in the White House, was the first witness to take the stand on Friday.
Westerhout, a former White House assistant who worked as Trump’s personal assistant, revealed that the former president would frequently receive envelopes from New York with checks that he needed to sign.
