When asked by former President Donald Trump’s lawyers whether she had made up the story about a sexual affair with the former president, adult film actress Stormy Daniels got an emphatic, one-word answer: “No!” This is Yahoo News’ succinct update on the criminal and civil cases against Trump. Here are the latest developments.
What happened today
Trump lawyer Susan Necheles continued her confrontational cross-examination of Daniels on Thursday, asking her point-blank whether she had made up the story that she had sex with Trump to try to profit financially from it. But Daniels was unfazed and responded to Necheles throughout the exchange. After Daniels finished testifying, prosecutors called two more former Trump employees and a book publisher to assert that Trump was highly involved in almost every detail of his business dealings.
After the jury was dismissed, Judge Juan Merchan denied two motions by Trump’s lawyers, one to loosen the judge’s gag order to allow Trump to publicly respond to Daniels’ testimony, and a second attempt to have the judge declared a mistrial. claiming that Daniels’ responses on the witness stand were prejudicial to his client.
Zoom in
The stormy testimony ends: Continuing his interrogation of Daniels, Necheles sought to portray her as a liar who made up the story about having sex with Trump for financial gain. “You made this all up, right?” New York Times journalists in court reported. “No!” Daniels responded. The two had several heated arguments during which Necheles attempted to show that Daniels’ testimony during the trial was different from previous accounts she had given to the media.
Rebeca Manochio, a junior accountant for the Trump Organization, testified that when Trump was president, she sent checks made out to Trump’s lawyer michael cohen to two Trump aides in Washington, rather than directly to the president in the White House. Those checks, prosecutors allege, were reimbursements for the secret $130,000 payment Trump made to Daniels. Aides then brought Trump the checks for his signature, a deal prosecutors say was made as part of the cover-up.
Tracey Menziessenior vice president of publisher Harper Collins, testified about working with Trump on his book, Think big: make it happen in business and in life. She read quotes from the book to the jury, including: “Get the best people and don’t trust them. Don’t trust them because if you don’t know what you’re doing, they’ll rob you blind.”
Madeline Westerhout, Trump’s former White House executive assistant, testified about bringing Trump checks from his company to sign in the Oval Office. Jurors also saw an email she wrote to Trump lawyer Michael Cohen confirming a February 5, 2017, White House meeting between the two men in which, prosecutors allege, the two men discussed refunding Trump to Cohen.
Two more losses for Trump’s lawyers: With the jury dismissed that day, Merchan heard arguments from Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors about whether he should loosen his gag order to allow Trump to comment publicly on the testimony Daniels has given over the past two days. Trump’s lawyers argued that his comments would be limited and measured, but the judge made clear that he did not believe they would be.
“I can’t take your word for it that ‘no, no, this is going to be low-key,’” Merchan said. “That’s not the record.”
On the issue of granting a defense request for a mistrial because Daniels’ testimony, in which she claimed to have had sex with Trump, was prejudicial against him, Merchan, for a second time, rejected the reasoning presented by Trump’s lawyers.
“The more specificity Ms. Daniels can provide about the encounter, the more the jury will be able to evaluate whether the encounter occurred and, if so, whether they will choose to credit Ms. Daniels’ story,” Merchan said, denying both motions.
What is the next?
Trump’s lawyers will continue their cross-examination of Westerhout on Friday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
