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Trump trial: 1st week of testimony ends with testimony from Michael Cohen's former banker

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court before his trial in New York, April 26, 2024.
1:59
Dave Sanders/The New York Times via AP, Pool
Who could testify at Trump’s trial this week?
By Aaron Katersky, Peter Charalambous, Olivia Rubin, Lucien Bruggeman, Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: April 26, 2024, 9:13 PM

Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.

MORE: Who are the 12 jurors in Trump's historic criminal trial

Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.

Top headlines:

  • Banker says he set up LLC, which Cohen used to pay Daniels
  • 'Thank you for handling' McDougal, Pecker says Trump told him
  • 'This story is true,' Pecker recounts being told of Stormy Daniels
  • Pecker describes $150,000 negotiations for McDougal's story
  • Secret Service has plans if Trump is confined for contempt: Sources
Here's how the news is developing.

Pinned
Apr 22, 2024 9:51 AM

What to know about the hush money case

READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.


Pinned
Apr 16, 2024 6:54 PM

Judge scolds Trump for 'muttering' at prospective juror

As jury selection resumed for the afternoon session, Judge Juan Merchan scolded former President Trump over his audible "muttering" while a prospective juror was speaking.

"Your client was audibly muttering something," the judge told Trump's attorneys. "He was speaking in the direction of the juror. I will not tolerate that. I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. I want to make that crystal clear. Take a minute and speak to your client."

The interaction occurred after Trump's defense attorney sought to immediately strike potential jurors for cause based on social media posts that he said contradicted their assertions of fairness.

"There's a number of the jurors that we have social media posts for very much contrary to the answers that they gave," defense attorney Todd Blanche said.

Blanche pointed to a woman who he said has a "series of extraordinarily hostile Facebook posts."

One of the posts read, "So I've been in the middle of the ocean for the last few weeks. What's going on?"

Another post included a video of people celebrating near Manhattan's 96th Street and the words, "Full-on dance party at 96 Street."

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump attends jury selection with his attorneys Todd Blanche (L) and Emil Bove on the second day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court, Apr. 16, 2024, in New York City.
Curtis Means/Pool via Reuters
Former President Donald Trump attends jury selection with his attorneys Todd Blanche (L) and Emil Bove on the second day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court, Apr. 16, 2024, in New York City.
Curtis Means/Pool via Reuters

Judge Merchan seemed baffled. "Show me the bias," the judge said. "I'm trying to understand. How does this call into question what the juror said when that juror was answering questions?"

Blanche insisted the post, a day after the 2020 election, was a celebration of Trump's loss.

"This is ridiculous," prosecutor Josh Steinglass said.

The judge determined "there are enough questions here" to allow the defense to question the woman about her posts.

"I think I went to the car to alternate-side parking or something like that and there were people dancing in the street," the woman said, adding that it reminded her of the pandemic-era cheer for health workers.

"I understand that bias exists," the woman said. "The job of the juror is to understand the facts of the trial."

When the woman left the room, that's when the judge scolded Trump.


Apr 26, 2024 9:13 PM

Trump, leaving court, says prosecutors have 'no case'

Following a brief huddle with his attorney Todd Blanche and legal adviser Boris Epshteyn, former President Trump departed the courtroom at the conclusion of the second week of his criminal trial.

PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump gives a brief statement after leaving the courtroom at the end of the day of his hush money trial at Manhattan criminal court, April 26, 2024, in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Former U.S. President Donald Trump gives a brief statement after leaving the courtroom at the end of the day of his hush money trial at Manhattan criminal court, April 26, 2024, in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

In remarks to reporters, he reiterated that there is "no case."

Court is off on Monday, so the proceedings will resume Tuesday morning.

-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Mike Pappano


Apr 26, 2024 9:03 PM

Banker says he set up LLC, which Cohen used to pay Daniels

Banker Gary Farro testified that he got an urgent message from Michael Cohen on October 13, 2016.

According to Farro, Cohen needed to quickly create a new business named Resolution Consultants LLC.

"My understanding was it was a real estate consulting company," Farro testified.

According to prosecutors, Resolution Consultants LLC was the shell company that Cohen planned to use to pay for the exclusive rights to Karen McDougal's story in which she claimed to have had a yearlong sexual relationship with Trump.

Farro walked through the paperwork used to create the Delaware-based company, including a description, which said it was a consulting firm to offer "strategy, PR and marketing." He collected Cohen's signature and an affirmation that the company would not involve political fundraising.

"[It] would be something the bank wants to know," Farro said on the stand about political contributions, adding that it would trigger an additional review by the bank.

Farro said that while the company was established, it was never funded. Prosecutors allege that the deal that prompted the creation of the account -- paying National Enquirer parent AMI for the McDougal story -- fell through at the last minute.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan criminal court, Apr. 26, 2024, in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom during his hush money trial at Manhattan criminal court, Apr. 26, 2024, in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

A few weeks later, Farro received another phone call from Cohen on October 26, 2016.

"He stated he was changing course," Farro said. Prosecutor Becky Mangold asked if Cohen made the call seem urgent.

"Every time Michael Cohen spoke to me, he gave a sense of urgency," Farro said. "This is one of those times."

Farro testified he was busy at the time -- "I was at a golf course, very cliche for a banker" -- but a colleague handled Cohen's request for the paperwork for a new company called Essential Consultants LLC.

In the paperwork, Cohen described it as a "real estate consulting company to collect fees for investment consulting work he does for real estate deals," Farro said.

According to prosecutors, Cohen that day transferred $131,000 from a personal home equity line of credit into an account for Essential Consultants LLC.

The next day, Cohen transferred $130,000 from that account to a lawyer for Stormy Daniels, prosecutors allege.

Farro's testimony is expected to continue when court resumes on Tuesday. The proceedings have adjourned until then.


Apr 26, 2024 8:07 PM

Farro says Cohen became his banking client in 2015

Gary Farro, formerly a senior managing director at First Republic Bank, testified that he first met Michael Cohen when Cohen became a banking client of his in 2015, after one of Farro's colleagues left the bank.

Asked why Cohen was assigned to him, Farro cited his "ability to handle individuals who might be a little challenging."

"Frankly, I didn't find him that difficult," Farro remarked.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump, sitting with attorney Todd Blanche, attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, Apr. 26, 2024.
Dave Sanders/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump, sitting with attorney Todd Blanche, attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, Apr. 26, 2024.
Dave Sanders/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

First Republic Bank had a branch across the street from Trump Tower, where Cohen worked. Farro said Cohen frequently visited the bank and eagerly told him that he worked for Trump.

"He was a lawyer or is a lawyer. I am not sure," Farro said about Cohen, who was disbarred in 2019.

Prosecutors are now walking through First Republic Bank's policies for retaining documents. Prosecutors plan to use Farro as a custodial witness to authenticate records that will be used as evidence.



Apr 26, 2024 7:53 PM

Prosecution calls Gary Farro as next witness

Following the conclusion of Rhona Graff's testimony, prosecutors called Gary Farro as their next witness.

Farro currently works at Flagstar Bank. He said he is testifying voluntarily, though he said he received a subpoena prior to his testimony.


Apr 16, 2024 6:54 PM

Judge scolds Trump for 'muttering' at prospective juror

As jury selection resumed for the afternoon session, Judge Juan Merchan scolded former President Trump over his audible "muttering" while a prospective juror was speaking.

"Your client was audibly muttering something," the judge told Trump's attorneys. "He was speaking in the direction of the juror. I will not tolerate that. I will not have any jurors intimidated in this courtroom. I want to make that crystal clear. Take a minute and speak to your client."

The interaction occurred after Trump's defense attorney sought to immediately strike potential jurors for cause based on social media posts that he said contradicted their assertions of fairness.

"There's a number of the jurors that we have social media posts for very much contrary to the answers that they gave," defense attorney Todd Blanche said.

Blanche pointed to a woman who he said has a "series of extraordinarily hostile Facebook posts."

One of the posts read, "So I've been in the middle of the ocean for the last few weeks. What's going on?"

Another post included a video of people celebrating near Manhattan's 96th Street and the words, "Full-on dance party at 96 Street."

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump attends jury selection with his attorneys Todd Blanche (L) and Emil Bove on the second day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court, Apr. 16, 2024, in New York City.
Curtis Means/Pool via Reuters
Former President Donald Trump attends jury selection with his attorneys Todd Blanche (L) and Emil Bove on the second day of his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court, Apr. 16, 2024, in New York City.
Curtis Means/Pool via Reuters

Judge Merchan seemed baffled. "Show me the bias," the judge said. "I'm trying to understand. How does this call into question what the juror said when that juror was answering questions?"

Blanche insisted the post, a day after the 2020 election, was a celebration of Trump's loss.

"This is ridiculous," prosecutor Josh Steinglass said.

The judge determined "there are enough questions here" to allow the defense to question the woman about her posts.

"I think I went to the car to alternate-side parking or something like that and there were people dancing in the street," the woman said, adding that it reminded her of the pandemic-era cheer for health workers.

"I understand that bias exists," the woman said. "The job of the juror is to understand the facts of the trial."

When the woman left the room, that's when the judge scolded Trump.


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