NEW YORK — Lindsay Lohan, Hulk Hogan and Tila Tequila were among the celebrities cited on the sixth day of testimony in former President Trump’s ongoing criminal trial.
The trial took a detour Thursday into a graveyard of celebrity scandals, exhumed by the former president’s lawyer as he tried to diminish the credibility of Keith Davidson, a lawyer who represented two women who received hush money during Trump’s campaign in 2016.
Trump lawyer Emil Bove insinuated that Davidson, who was subpoenaed to testify, tried to go so far as to extort the former president when he negotiated a deal to keep porn star Stormy Daniels quiet about an alleged affair with Trump before the election. that year.
Trump is on trial on 34 counts of falsifying business records about how he allegedly reimbursed his former fixer for making the payment. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denies having had an affair.
Prosecutors called Davidson to the stand and questioned him for two days, explaining his negotiations in detail to jurors. On cross-examination, Bove suggested that the lawyer regularly sought out salacious stories. He mentioned how Davidson was previously investigated for extortion over his relationships with celebrities.
Trump’s lawyer extracted confirmation from Davidson that he was investigated by state and federal authorities for racketeering in connection with the 2012 publication of a clip of wrestler Hulk Hogan’s sex tape on the now-defunct Gawker blog. The lawyer was never charged.
The blog posted an abbreviated version of the grainy black-and-white video that shows the professional wrestler having sex with a friend’s wife. A December 2012 federal sting operation targeting Davidson turned up three DVDs showing the case, according to CNN.
When asked about this, Davidson initially hinted that he wasn’t sure if it could be considered a “sting operation,” but eventually confirmed that the FBI was monitoring his dealings.
Hogan later sued to shut down Gawker, winning $115 million in an invasion of privacy lawsuit against the online site in 2016.
Bove, at trial, also questioned Davidson about how Dylan Howard, editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer, had a byline on a story related to the sex tape.
Davidson was one of Howard’s “main sources,” the tabloid’s former editor testified last week. The lawyer alerted Howard to Daniels’ allegations of an affair with Trump, which ultimately led to the silent payment at the center of the case.
“Did you or did you not provide Howard with information about the tapes,” Bove asked.
“No, I didn’t do that,” Davidson insisted.
Bove also accused the witness of helping someone named “Mrs. Holland” leaked information to TMZ about Lindsey Lohan’s stay in rehab.
The defense attorney appeared to reference a 2010 TMZ report that described Lohan as “belligerent” and abusing alcohol during the period, citing her information to an addiction technician at the clinic named Dawn Holland.
Davidson testified that he did not help “Ms. Holland” leaked the information, but when asked if it helped her get paid for the leak, he said he didn’t remember.
Regarding a number of other celebrity scandals, including reality TV star Tila Tequila and actor Charlie Sheen, Davidson was also unable to recall certain details.
The lawyer admitted to helping broker the Tila Tequila sex tape and said Sheen paid him at one point, but responded vaguely to questions about the details of those incidents.
The cross-examination became increasingly testy, with Bove expressing frustration at the witness’s sometimes vague answers or when he responded to many questions with “I don’t remember.”
“Is it fair to say that your memory is fuzzy on some of these issues?” Bove asked as the exchange heated up.
Davidson said he has represented hundreds of clients and has been asked about old allegations. When Bove asked for truthful answers, he raised his voice.
“You’re getting real answers, sir!” Davidson responded forcefully.
The cross-examination served to undermine Davidson’s testimony for the state, during which the jury saw text messages between him and a top National Enquirer editor drawing links between the nullification of the women’s stories and Trump’s 2016 presidential bid.
The lawyer often paused before answering questions during his two days on the stand and seemed unenthusiastic about being subpoenaed to testify.
Trump sometimes turned his body to face Davidson on the stand, and the former president stared at the monitor in front of him as lawyers played various exhibits, including dozens of text messages Davidson sent or received during the secret negotiations.
In one conversation, as Trump moved closer to becoming the nation’s president-elect on election night in 2016, Davidson wrote to the Enquirer’s editor-in-chief: “What have we done?”
He testified Thursday that the comment was “dark humor” as a “growing sense” that Trump would win the presidential race began to emerge.
“There was an understanding that our efforts may have, in some way – that’s right – that our activities, in some way, may have helped Donald Trump’s presidential campaign,” Davidson said.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
