Key findings from opening statements in Donald Trump’s historic criminal trial

Monday’s opening statement First criminal trial of a former US president Provided a clear roadmap of how prosecutors will attempt to present the case Donald Trump violated the law and how the defense plans to fight the charges on multiple fronts.

Lawyers present conflicting narratives as jurors get first look at prosecution charging Trump falsifying business records As part of a plan to silence negative stories about him during his 2016 presidential campaign.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is still weeks away from dramatic and embarrassing testimony about his personal life as he campaigns to return to the White House in November.

Trump is accused 34 cases of falsifying business records Trump Organization insiders. But prosecutors made clear they didn’t want jurors to view this as a routine paper case. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo repeatedly told jurors that at the core of the case is a Plan to “corrupt” the 2016 electionsSilencing women who were about to come forward with embarrassing stories that they feared would damage their campaign.

“No politician wants bad press,” Colangelo said. “But the evidence at trial will show that this was not a communications strategy. “This was a planned and long-running conspiracy to influence the 2016 election, help Donald Trump get elected through illegal spending, and silence those who had anything bad to say about his behavior.” Had to say.” And he further said: “This was election fraud, pure and simple.”

The business records fees stem from things like invoices and checks that were considered legal expenses in the Trump Organization’s records when prosecutors say they were actually reimbursements to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for payment of $130,000 To silence the porn actress Stormy Daniels. Daniels was threatening to go public with claims that she had an extramarital sexual relationship with Trump. He says this never happened.

Prosecutors’ characterizations appear designed to counter suggestions from some experts that the case — perhaps the only one to go to trial before the November election — is not as serious as the three other prosecutions he faces. Is. Those cases accuse Trump of trying to overturn the 2020 election he lost to President Joe Biden and illegally withholding classified documents after leaving the White House.

Meanwhile, Trump tried to downplay the charges as he left the courtroom on Monday and told it all A matter of “accounting” and “a very minor matter”.

Trump’s lawyer attacked the case in his opening statement, calling it baseless and saying the former president did nothing illegal.

Advocate, todd blancheProsecutors disputed claims that Trump agreed to pay Daniels to help his campaign, saying Trump was “trying to protect his family, his reputation and his brand.”

Blanch indicated that the defense will argue that, ultimately, the goal of presidential campaigns is to attempt to influence elections.

“It’s called democracy,” Blanche told the jury. ,They put something sinister into this idea, as if it were a crime. They will learn that it is not so.”

Blanch also described the book entries at issue in the case as pro forma actions taken by a Trump Organization employee. “Trump had nothing to do with the allegedly falsified business records, except that he signed checks at the White House while he was running the country,” Blanch said.

All 34 counts of the indictment relate to payments to Daniels. But prosecutors plan to present evidence about bribing another woman, former playboy model Karen McDougall, who claimed to have had sexual relations with Trump, as well as a Trump Tower concierge who claimed to have a story about Trump fathering a child out of wedlock. Trump says it was all a lie.

Prosecutors said they will prove Trump was at the center of it plan to silence women and told jurors they would hear Trump talking about a plan to pay McDougal. Cohen arranges for tabloid editor National Enquirer McDougall was paid $150,000 but the story was not published in a practice called “catch and kill”.

Colangelo told jurors that prosecutors will show them a recording that Cohen secretly made during a meeting with Trump just weeks before the 2016 election. In the recording, which was first made public in 2018, Trump is heard saying: “How much do we have to pay. For this? one fifty?”

Colangelo said, “Trump did not want this information about Karen McDougal to be made public because he was worried about its impact on the election.”

Trump’s initial statement previewed what would be the major defense strategy: Try to discredit Cohen, a Trump loyalist turned critic And the long-awaited star witness for the prosecution. Cohen pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the hush payments in 2018 and served a prison sentence.

Whether the jury believes Cohen, who says he arranged the payments to the women at Trump’s direction, could make or break the case for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.

Trump’s lawyer describes Cohen, highlights his criminal record a serial liar Who turned against Trump after not being given a job in the administration after Trump’s 2016 victory and got himself into legal trouble. Blanch said Cohen’s “entire financial livelihood depends on destroying President Trump,” noting that he hosts a podcast and has written books criticizing his former boss.

“He has a goal and a passion to get Trump,” Blanch said. “I assure you, he cannot be trusted.”

Anticipating defense attacks on Cohen, prosecutors promised to be honest about “mistakes” made by Trump’s former lawyer. But Colangelo said that “Michael Cohen’s testimony can be given credence despite his past”.

The prosecutor said, “I suspect the defense will make every effort to get you to discredit his testimony because it is so damaging.”

former editor ofL’National Enquirer, David Pecker is the first witness for prosecutors who say Trump’s alleged scheme to hide potentially damaging information from voters began with a meeting at Trump Tower in 2015 between then-candidate Pecker and Cohen. Pekar testified before court closed on Monday and his testimony is expected to continue on Tuesday.

Trump’s old friend Pecker said in the meeting, Agreed to help Trump’s campaign by publishing favorable articles About that, defaming your opponents, Investigating unpleasant stories about him and flagging them to Cohen for a “capture and kill” deal. Prosecutors say these include claims made by Daniels, McDougal and former Trump Tower doorman Dino Sjudin. Trump says it was all a lie.

Pekar will probably be asked about all the alleged efforts made by its then owner interrogator, American Media Inc. on behalf of Trump. Federal prosecutors agreed not to prosecute American Media in exchange for cooperation in the campaign finance investigation in 2018 that led to Cohen’s conviction, and the Federal Election Commission fined the company $187,500, calling the McDougal deal a “prohibited type.” “Corporate” said. Contribution.” “

Pecker’s brief appearance on the stand Monday was mostly about his background and other basic facts, although he said the Enquirer practiced “checkbook journalism” (paying for stories) and would not take any action on any story about a famous person. The final decision was his.

The prosecutor referred to Trump as “the defendant” in his opening remarks. Trump’s lawyer took a different stance and referred to him as “President Trump”.

“In honor of his position we will call him President Trump.”said Blanche. At the same time, Trump’s lawyers tried to portray Trump as an everyman, describing him as a husband, father and fellow New Yorker.

“He is, in some ways, larger than life. But he’s also here in this courtroom, doing what any of us would do: defending ourselves,” Blanche said.

Trump sat quietly as he listened to opening statements, occasionally passing notes to his lawyers and whispering in their ears. But outside the courtroom, he continued his pattern of trying to gain political mileage from the case, which would require him to spend his days in the courtroom rather than on the campaign trail.

“That’s why they’re trying to get me out of the way. The check is paid to a lawyer,” Trump said.

(With information from AP)