Donald Trump was accused of trying to “deceive” voters during the 2016 election, while his lawyers labeled a key prosecution witness in his hush money trial the “biggest liar of all time.”
The jury could begin deliberating on Wednesday afternoon UK time, with Mr Trump faces 34 charges of falsifying business documents to cover up a $130,000 (£102,000) payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The former president, accused of trying to conceal an alleged sexual encounter with Daniels, denies all charges and claims he never had sexual relations with the adult film star.
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As the first criminal trial of a U.S. president nears its conclusion, the prosecution and defense offered significantly contrasting styles in their closing arguments.
Todd Blanche, representing the former president, spent much of his time trying to discredit the witnesses presented by the prosecution, primarily Michael Cohen.
Michael Cohen. Reuters Photo
Cohen has testified that he paid Daniels out of his own pocket and worked out a plan with Trump to be reimbursed through payments disguised as legal fees.
“Michael Cohen is the GLOAT,” Blanche said, explaining that this represents the biggest liar of all time.
“He has lied to every single branch of Congress. He has lied to the Department of Justice.”
He added that the jury “cannot trust” Cohen, who has a long history of lying, although the prosecution countered that his dishonesty was a reflection of Trump’s malign influence.
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“You can’t send someone to prison based on Michael Cohen’s words,” Blanche added, words that got her into trouble with Judge Merchan, since the jury only decides guilt or innocence, not the sentence.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass argued that Cohen is a credible witness, but added that it doesn’t matter since others at trial have said the same thing he did.
Instead, Steinglass focused on the paper trail, reviewing the documents in painstaking detail in an attempt to show the jury that Trump was involved all along.
He drew on the testimonies of several witnesses to build a picture that the false registrations were intended to cover up an electoral conspiracy.
“We will never know if this effort to deceive the American voter affected the election, but that is something we do not need to prove,” he said.
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If convicted, Trump faces up to four years in prison, although jail time is unlikely for someone convicted of such crimes for the first time.
A conviction will not stop Trump from trying to take the White House from President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election, nor will it stop him from taking office if he wins.
Opinion polls show the two men are locked in a tight race.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
