#Trump has a huge posse today, including #KashPatel; #GerryKassar, a #conservative party leader in NY; #BernieKerik, fmr NYPD commissioner who was imprisoned for tax fraud & false statements; #AlanDershowitz, lawyer who defended Trump during his first impeachment, & #BorisEpshteyn, legal adviser who was #indicted in AZ for attempts to keep Trump in power after the 2020 election.
The prosecution asks that the defense be precluded from asking #StormyDaniels whether she was arrested. Justice #Merchan agrees w/the prosecutors, saying that “anybody can be arrested” & that it “doesn’t prove anything.”
The people call Stormy Daniels back to the stand
#Trump atty #Necheles begins questioning by saying that in 2011, Daniels denied having had sex w/Trump.
A new witness, Rebecca #Manochio, has taken the stand. Manochio is a junior bookeeper at the #TrumpOrganization. She is being questioned by Rebecca #Mangold, a prosecutor.
#RhonaGraff says she worked at the #TrumpOrganization for 34yrs. Her understanding was that #Trump owned the company & she worked directly for him.
#Graff says her lawyers are being paid by the #TrumpOrg. This is a running theme w/many witnesses close to Trump - he or his PAC have continued to pay their #legal fees.(#WitnessTampering, #MobTactics)
#MichaelCohen flipped on Trump, partly because the Trump Org stopped paying his legal fees.
The penalty was well over the $250M that the NYAG estimated in the fall of 2022, when she sued TFG, accusing him of inflating his net worth to obtain favorable treatment from banks & insurers.
#EliseStefanik is a motivated #liar who is trying to leverage her position in #Congress to interfere with the lawful civil #trial against the #TrumpOrg. The #AppellateCourt did not "smack down" Judge #Engeron's #gagOrder. They simply ordered an administrative stay while they evaluate the situation; a standard procedure when there's a #dispute. They haven't in any way ruled on the merits. Stefanik knows this, and she knows she has no authority over the matter.
The NYAG prosecutors used Ivanka's testimony to show a devastating series of documents against the Trump Org, where Trump lied about his net worth.
Watch now on #CLTV #IvankaTrump#TrumpOrg
#Now it’s #Ivanka Trump’s turn to face questioning in the #civil#fraud#trial that is publicly probing into the family business. #Trump’s eldest daughter, who has been in his inner circle in both #business & #politics, is due on the stand Wed, after trying unsuccessfully to block her #testimony.
#Ivanka said she hasn't worked at the #TrumpOrganization since Jan. 2017, but she has still received payments from financial interests in different aspects of the company.
#NYAG asked Ivanka about efforts by #Trump in 2011 to get financing for the redevelopment of the #Doral course. As we've heard before, the #TrumpOrg was shopping around before landing on #DeutscheBank as a #lender.
@GottaLaff
There is Trump, injecting more lies into the media. What if he violates the gag order to the crowd of reporters? Does it "count"?
"It was off the record!"
This is just the kind of thing that will take the focus away from Ivanka's testimony tomorrow!
THIS is what I said about this on @nicolesandler #Ivanka#TrumpOrg
#Trump lawyer #AlinaHabba put on her best sad face, and raged against #NY#prosecutors for calling Trump's children to the #witness stand. These "children" are in their 40s, and held prominent, executive positions in the #TrumpOrg. These aren't 7-year-olds being bullied.
@georgetakei
Her request was rejected.
(Her children are rejoicing not having to be with their mother for 2 days.)
Ivanka knows the script. She's last to testify, she'll be batting clean up, she'll put the blame on accountants and lawyers. And Weisselberg, who did the time AND has been paid off.
The day began w/ yesterday’s drama. Trump attys accused #NY Supreme Court Justice Arthur #Engoron's #LawClerk, #AllisonGreefield, of bias, & the asserted she influences the judge.
Yesterday, Engoron warned Trump atty #Kise not to speak about court staff, & noted a pattern of #misogyny in Kise’s behavior toward women in the courtroom.
#EricTrump: "It's very clear that Mar-a-lago is not a club, it's a private residence,...so yes, 100%.”
#NYAG turned to the separation agreement between #AllenWeisselberg & the #TrumpOrganization which was executed after his #conviction for #TaxFraud. The agreement explicitly stated that #Weisselberg agreed not to cooperate in any proceedings against Trump unless compelled to do so by authorities. A #TrumpOrg payment of $2M to Weisselberg was contingent upon his signature. (#WitnessTampering)
I don't think #ivanka is going to betray her daddy in the #TrumpOrg case.
However, she might confirm the case that the Feds already have.
Our job is to exploit the hit to Trump's reputation.
Focus on the real financial hit that's coming.
Describe how it hurts #Trump politically.
Point how he LOST & is a loser.
Stop saying, "But his base loves him & doesn't care..."
Stop talking about him, "leading in the polls"
Talk about his pain now & in the future!
Trump Jr said that all decisions for the #TrumpOrg changed to, "Allen Weisselberg, myself & my brother” (#EricTrump; nobody ever remembers #BarronTrump, even his big bro) after Trump was inaugurated in Jan 2017.
Donald #TrumpJr to testify today in the New York AG's civil fraud trial against the #TrumpOrg & Donald #Trump.
As always, I’ll aggregate coverage from reporting in the courtroom, meaning I won’t be able to reply (will “like” to acknowledge when I can. People invariably ask me q’s which is why I keep saying this)
Tomorrow will be more interesting, when Cohen will be cross-examined. Today we heard more about how the tofurkey was made (how exactly they conducted the process of #FinancialFraud; tofurkey as opposed to sausage)
#MichaelCohen, #Trump’s fmr #fixer, testified in the case that threatens to upend the #TrumpOrg & undermine TFG’s public image as a businessman. It was the 1st time the men had come face to face since 2018, & the reunion was tense: Trump, seated feet away at the defense table, scoffed & shook his head in apparent frustration (& reportedly played w/his phone & even took calls).
Trump continued to #attack#James, #Engoron & the trial itself in posts to his social media platform this morning.
He again suggested that the trial is an attempt to interfere w/ his presidential campaign & complained about the lack of a jury in the trial.
(It is long established that either are issues)
Trump won’t be in court today. He had no legal obligation to attend, & left yesterday, noticeably angry.
Suarez asked why #MarkPomerantz, a fmr prosecutor in the DA's case, said in his book that Mazars sent Bender in to meet w/them w/o his own counsel & told Mazars it was in a precarious legal position. Bender said he was “satisfied” w/his #legal representation & wasn’t aware of that convo between Pomerantz & Mazars.
#McConney testified that he retired earlier this yr & was given a severance of $500k, $125k of which he’s still owed but isn’t contingent on anything other than his “being alive.”
#McConney distanced himself from what #Trump did or didn’t do, saying what happened before #Weisselberg’s signoff was outside his knowledge, but confirmed that the letters were amended to make clear Trump was entitled to FINAL REVIEW.
The AG showed McConney a list of #TrumpOrg properties w/ listed values that he marked up the following year w/ new values. He said for many yrs, he marked up spreadsheets used for backups; other times, he made handwritten notes on the list & sent it back to Mazars.
Trump gripes trial is 'unfair' after judge's #GagOrder
(it was just in regards to the judge’s staff.)
After the trial wrapped up yesterday, Trump aired his #grievances in a post on his social media platform, saying the trial is “unfair” & again suggesting it was an attempt to interfere w/his presidential campaign.
#DonaldTrumpJr & #EricTrump, who signed the representation letr. & the engagement letr. for the 2021 compilation of #Trump’s statements of #financial condition, were a focus of the PM court session.