Trump’s defense tries to discredit Keith Davidson – DW – 05/03/2024

The defense of former US President Donald Trump tried to discredit the prosecutor’s witness during his criminal trial in New York this Thursday (05/02/2024), the lawyer who allegedly bought the silence of former porn actress Stormy Daniels The agreement was negotiated for. Their practices were “extortionate”.

The 77-year-old tycoon, now the Republican nominee for the November 5, 2024 presidential election, is accused of falsifying business documents to hide a $130,000 payment to Daniels days before the 2016 election that he made to support Democrat Hillary Won against Clinton. ,

Trump, who has always denied having an affair with the former actress, started the day with a new hearing for contempt.

Prosecutors urged Judge Juan Merchan to fine him for once again violating his order that bars him from referring to witnesses, jurors and court personnel on social networks.

The judge, who had already imposed a $9,000 sanction for contempt, did not make a decision.

Daniels’ former lawyer Keith Davidson then took the witness stand and the trial continued. After the prosecutor’s turn, Trump’s defense tried to corner him.

The payment to Daniels, which the veteran is alleged to have hid as legal expenses for his then-lawyer Michael Cohen, who paid the money out of his own pocket, is at the center of the trial that sees a former president charged for the first time in history . From Godi country.

On Friday, April 26, another witness from the prosecutor’s office, David Pecker, former president of the publishing company of the National Enquirer tabloid newspaper, described how these payments were made in a practice that the American press calls “catch and kill”. . That is, buying information so that it is not published if it is harmful to the interested party.

The beneficiaries of this practice were reportedly Daniels and model Karen McDougall, who may have received $150,000 not to disclose their alleged relationship with the giant so that it would not interfere with his 2016 election campaign.

Davidson was a negotiator for Daniels and McDougal, and Trump’s attorney, Emil Bove, was quick to attack him.

Trump’s defense said he “extorted money” from celebrities.

“When you were negotiating on behalf of McDougall and Daniels, was one of your concerns about being on the right side of the law with regard to extortion?”

“I think so,” Davidson replied. “I did everything possible to ensure that my activities were legal.”

Bove asked Davidson about his involvement in other matters in which he “extorted money” from celebrities to hide something, citing a deal involving “Platoon” star Charlie Sheen.

The Los Angeles attorney objected to the use of the word “extortion” during a testimony, although he acknowledged that he had been investigated by federal and state authorities for alleged extortion when he represented clients who had prior There was a sex tape of a professional wrestler. Hulk Hogan, but he was never charged.

Davidson said during Thursday’s proceedings that Trump’s former lawyer “wanted her (Daniels) to deny the story to protect his client” and had threatened to “wreak legal hell” on the former actress.

Immersed in the process in the middle of his presidential campaign, Trump took advantage of the fact that he did not have a hearing to hold a rally in Wisconsin on May 1, where he accused President Joe Biden of his legal problems and the ills associated with it. Was accused of. Give trouble to the country.

For two weeks, Trump has attended hours of testimony, sometimes on technicalities, appearing angry at the judge who has asked him to be present every day.

The victims, as they say, of a “witch hunt” because of the different legal fronts they opened – three for alleged maneuvers to ignore the 2020 elections and another for taking classified documents after leaving the White House. One, the Republican magnate, assured that this lawsuit is “election interference”.

MG (AFP, AP)