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Trump trial: Trump hit with contempt, witnesses detail Stormy Daniels deal

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings at Manhattan criminal court, Apr. 30, 2024, in New York City.
3:29
Eduardo Munoz/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Trump removes social media after being found in contempt
By Aaron Katersky, Peter Charalambous, Olivia Rubin, Lucien Bruggeman, Julia Reinstein
Last Updated: April 30, 2024, 8:58 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: 4 takeaways from the 1st week of testimony in Trump’s hush money trial

Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records in connection with 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:

  • Davidson walks through genesis of Stormy Daniels deal
  • Trump removes all 9 social posts cited by judge
  • 'We don't win' if people think stories are true, Trump said in 2016
  • Judge warns Trump could be jailed for further violations
  • Judge fines Trump $9,000 for violating limited gag order
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 30, 2024 6:47 PM

Trump removes all 9 social posts cited by judge

All nine of former President Trump's social media posts cited by Judge Juan Merchan in his contempt of court ruling this morning have been removed.

The judge ruled that the nine posts violated the limited gag order prohibiting Trump from targeting potential witnesses and others involved in the case.

The nine posts were deleted during the court's lunch break.


Apr 30, 2024 8:58 PM

Trump, following court, again calls case unfair

Exiting the courtroom following the day's testimony, former President Trump reiterated claims that the case is unfair and that he should be campaigning instead of sitting in court.

"I'm sitting here because that's exactly what they want," Trump said. "They don't want me on the campaign trail. But it's a real -- a real disgrace and the whole world is watching. It's a disgrace to New York."

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing for the day at his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, Apr. 30, 2024.
Eduardo Munoz/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump speaks to the press before departing for the day at his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, Apr. 30, 2024.
Eduardo Munoz/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Trump also railed against the limited gag order in the case, for which the judge this morning fined him $9,000 and ordered him to remove nine social media posts.

"This gag order is not only unique, it's totally unconstitutional," Trump opined, calling Judge Merchan "conflicted."

Asked by a reporter what he meant by "conflicted," Trump brusquely turned to respond.

"You can figure that one out easily," he said.

-ABC News' Mike Pappano


Apr 30, 2024 8:39 PM

Court recessed until Thursday

Following attorney Keith Davidson's testimony about Michael Cohen providing the $130,000 payment for Stormy Daniels' hush money deal, Judge Juan Merchan recessed the proceedings for the day.

With court off on Wednesday, he told the jury to report back at at 10 a.m. ET Thursday, allowing 30 minutes for a gag order hearing scheduled for the same day.


Apr 30, 2024 8:31 PM

Davidson tells how Cohen finally made $130K payment

On Oct. 25, 2016, National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard made a push to restart the Daniels deal after Michael Cohen failed to come up with the agreed-upon $130,000 hush money payment, Stormy Daniels' then-attorney Keith Davidson testified.

"Push for the cash. [David Pecker] and I just told [Cohen] he has to pay the 150K," Howard texted Davidson that day, according to evidence.

"It was an attempt to resurrect this deal that had fallen apart," Davidson testified. "They were encouraging Cohen to deal directly with me and that I should try to get as much as I could up to $150,000."

"The entire matter was frustrating, that it was on again, off again, that there were delays in funding and cancellations," Davidson said about the entire Daniels transaction.

According to Davidson, Cohen continued to push back on the deal despite the encouragement from Howard and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.

PHOTO: Lawyer Keith Davidson, who represented former Playboy model Karen McDougal, is questioned by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass before Justice Juan Merchan during former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York City, Apr. 30, 2024
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Lawyer Keith Davidson, who represented former Playboy model Karen McDougal, is questioned by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass before Justice Juan Merchan during former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York City, Apr. 30, 2024, in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

"When I call Cohen, he says I am not paying anything. AMI is paying," a frustrated Davidson testified.

On Oct. 26, 2016, Davidson said that he resent Cohen the instructions for where to wire the payment.

Asked why he resent the instructions, Davidson cited Cohen's repeated assertion that "he didn't have my wiring instructions despite the fact that they were repeatedly sent to him previously."

"He said, 'We are sending you the money,'" Davidson recounted Cohen saying on Oct. 26, 2016.

"I told him I didn't believe him," Davidson testified.

According to Davidson, Cohen then emailed him the wire transfer confirmation from First Republic Bank to prove that the money was sent.

But Davidson said he still did not believe the money was sent, despite the email.

"It meant nothing to me," Davidson said, adding that Cohen’s email only confirmed he had the money, not that he had sent it.

Earlier testimony from Cohen's banker detailed how Cohen ultimately completed the transfer of funds on Oct. 27, 2016.



Apr 30, 2024 8:22 PM

Davidson suggests he assumed Trump would fund Daniels' payment

When court resumed following the afternoon break, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass continued his direct examination of Stormy Daniels' attorney Keith Davidson.

Davidson testified that while Michael Cohen did not directly say he was negotiating the hush money deal on behalf of Donald Trump, it was implied throughout their negotiations.

"He leaned on his close affiliation with Donald Trump," Davidson said, adding that for Cohen, working for Trump was "part of his identity."

As a result, Davidson suggested he assumed that Donald Trump would ultimately fund the $130,000 payment to Daniels.

"It was my understanding that Mr. Trump was the beneficiary of this contract," Davidson said. He added that the beneficiary of a contract normally pays the contract -- but Judge Merchan struck that portion of his testimony.

Steinglass then attempted to get a clear answer to confirm that Davidson believed Trump would ultimately be responsible for Daniels' payment, but defense lawyer Emil Bove successfully interrupted the testimony through multiple objections and sidebars.

Davidson testified that in October 2016, National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard joked to Davidson about Trump's frugality, which Davidson said he believed was getting in the way of Daniels' contract being completed.

"I reckon that trump impersonator I hired has more cash," Howard said in a text to Davidson that was displayed for the jury.


Apr 30, 2024 6:47 PM

Trump removes all 9 social posts cited by judge

All nine of former President Trump's social media posts cited by Judge Juan Merchan in his contempt of court ruling this morning have been removed.

The judge ruled that the nine posts violated the limited gag order prohibiting Trump from targeting potential witnesses and others involved in the case.

The nine posts were deleted during the court's lunch break.


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