Prosecutor Steinglass: But you told Michael Cohen about it, so that the campaign would squash it?
Pecker: Yes
Steinglass: Later Dylan Howard asked you to reach out to Stormy Daniels?
Pecker: We called Cohen on Signal. Dylan told Michael, You didn't wire the money
Steinglass: But you told Michael Cohen about it, so that the campaign would squash it?
Pecker: Yes
Steinglass: Later Dylan Howard asked you to reach out to Stormy Daniels?
Pecker: We called Cohen on Signal. Dylan told Michael, You didn't wire the money
Pecker: Michael suggested that we buy the story.
Prosecutor Steinglass: Mr. Bove showed you a single line from the FBI notes, that Mr. Trump did not express any gratitude toward you?
Pecker: The agent got it wrong. I was thanked.
Steinglass: Then notes of 2nd meeting reflect you were thanked for dealing w Karen & doorman story?
Pecker: Yes.
Steinglass: Did u give these answ's [reads -
Note: Judge Kaplan didn't allow this in Carroll trial
Klasfeld:
Bove sugg Pecker didn't mention Trump thanking him for "doorman situatn," but Steinglass says notes reflect that he did.
Q: Was it the truth then?
A: Yes
Q: Is it the truth now?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you believe that you have ever been inconsistent on this point?
A: No.
Prosecutor Steinglass: You have an SDNY cooperation agreement, right?
Pecker: Yes
Steinglass: Did they every tell you to say anything but the truth?
Pecker: No.
Steinglass: Did any ADA tell you to not be truthful?
Pecker: No.
Steinglass: Thank you [ends re-direct
Trump's lawyer Bove: You know a private attorney can hold fundraisers for candidates without being part of the campaign?
Pecker: Yes.
Bove: Karen McDougal was a legitimate celebrity at the time?
Pecker (silent, then) No.
Bove: She was on the cover
Pecker: in 1999
You didn't take notes during those interviews? No, I did not.
It was the FBI that took those notes? Yes.
Steinglass trying to get the pt across that it's the FBI's notes, not Pecker's recollection, that contains an error.
Bove for re-cross.
McDougal didn’t want to publish her Trump story? Yes
She wanted to promote her image? Yes
She was a legitimate celebrity at that time?...Pecker looks dubious, and there’s a long pause, which prompts chuckles in the press overflow courtroom.
Trump lawyer Emil Bove is a more skilled cross examiner than Trump has had in any of the three prior trials I've witnessed. But he just miscalculated badly.
Team Trump wants to establish that the McDougal agreement had value beyond suppressing her story. So Bove pressed Pecker to admit she was a celebrity or a brand in her own right
DA's next witness is former Trump executive assistant (and incidental Apprentice star) Rhona Graff.
Graff's title eventually became "assistant to the President" and then Trump Org senior vice-president.
Press:
Prosecutor: How many years did you work for the Trump Organization?
Graff: 34 years. From the 90s until 2021. I worked for Mr. Trump, 26th floor.
Prosecutor: Are you here pursuant to a subpoena?
Graff: Yes.
Prosecutor: Do you have lawyers here?
Graff: Yes. Brittany... Sorry, I can't remember her last name
👉🏼Prosecutor: Who is paying for your lawyers?
Graff: The Trump Org
Prosecutor: We are going to introduce the exhibits on the thumb drive, with redactions. Do they include the contacts of Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels?
Graff: Yes.
Prosecutor: And of Madeleine Westerhout?
Graff: Yes. She was Mr. Trump's White House assistant
And now Graff is testifying to two damning electronic details: Karen McDougal's entry in Trump's contacts, which includes two physical addresses, a cell phone number, and an email address, and an entry for a person named "Stormy," with only a mobile phone number.
But Graff also has a "vague recollection" of seeing Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower waiting in their reception area, at some point before Trump ran for president and says she knew Stormy was an adult film star.
Prosecutor: What is this contact?
[On screen it has
Full name: Stormy
Last name: Stormy
then redaction and four digits]
Prosecutor: Did you see her at Trump Tower before 2015?
Graff: Yes.
Prosecutor: Did you know she was an adult film actress?
Graff: Yes
Prosecutor: Does this show that Mr. Trump was working in Trump Tower on January 17 and 18, 2017?
Graff: Yes.
Prosecutor: And does this show him flying to DC on January 19, 2017?
Graff: Yes.
Prosecutor: Nothing further.
Trump lawyer Susan Necheles: Did you like President Trump?
Graff: He was fair. Stimulating work.
Necheles: Did you only speak about business?
Graff: 99%. But he would ask about my family, very thoughtful of him.
Necheles: Did he invite you to the inauguration?
Yes
[Me: What a guy. All heart. Wouldn't hurt a fly, amirite?]
@GottaLaff Even before he ran for president, when he was a reality tv host, I would have laughed at anyone who said he had rock star status. It was the kind of show that your uncle would watch.
Trump's lawyer Necheles: You mentioned Stormy Daniels. Did President Trump see people for the Apprentice show at Trump Tower?
Graff: Yes.
Necheles: The Apprentice was popular?
Prosecutor: Objection
👉🏼Justice Merchan: Sustained.
Trump's lawyer Necheles: President Trump would ask you about colorful people for Celebrity Apprentice?
Graff: That was smart.
Necheles: Controversial people?
Prosecutor: Objection!
Justice Merchan: Sustained.
Prosecutor: May we approach?
[Sidebar]
Graff says Trump's office was right next to hers. And she says that she has a "vague" memory of Trump saying that Stormy Daniels is someone who might be an interesting addition to his reality TV show, the Apprentice. It was "office chatter," she said.
Graff says that on the occasion she saw Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower, she "assumed" that Daniels was there to discuss being cast on The Apprentice.
37/ Press:
Trump's lawyer Necheles: You heard him having discussions with possible guests?
Graff: Sometimes.
Necheles: Did you hear President Trump say Stormy Daniels could be an interesting guest?
Graff: I recall that. It was part of the office chatter.
And often he was multitasking when he did so? It depends, but it would happen, yes.
Press:
Trump's lawyer Necheles: She was there to be cast?
Graff: I assumed that.
Necheles: This FedEx label, it was to mail checks down to the White House?
Graff: I was not involved in that.
Necheles: And here he sent an article to Allen Weisselberg. Normal?
Graff: Yes
Trump's lawyer Necheles: You don't want to be here, do you?
Graff: That is correct.
Necheles: No one from the Trump Organization has told you how to testify?
Prosecutor: Objection.
👉🏼Justice Merchan: Sustained.
Necheles: Nothing further
[Sidebar]
Graff also had a "vague recollection" of seeing Stormy at Trump Tower waiting in their reception area, at some point before Trump ran for pres & says she knew Stormy was an adult film star.
Team Trump tried to get Rhona to testify that she remembers Trump talking up Stormy as a potential Celebrity Apprentice contestant yet she had only a "vague recollection" of Stormy being discussed--and only through "office chatter."
In other words, while Graff acknowledged she was not pleased to be here, she also did not support a line of defense Trump's team hoped she would: that Stormy was in his electronic Rolodex solely for TV, and not personal, reasons.
Gary Farro, who was a senior managing director at First Republic Bank back in 2016
That's the bank Michael Cohen used to obtain a $130,000 home equity loan, which Cohen then funneled to Stormy Daniels' lawyer through a shell company, per prosecutors.
Prosecutor: People call Gary Farro. Where do you work?
Farro: Flagstar Bank.
Prosecutor: Are you here voluntarily?
Farro: Yes. I mean, I got a subpoena after. I started at First Union then Wachovia then to First Republic in 2008 after Wells Fargo
Farro said he was assigned to Michael Cohen because of his skill sets with "individuals who may be a little challenging," a comment that sparked some chuckles in the courtroom.
Press:
Prosecutor: Who did he tell you he worked for?
Farro: Former President Donald Trump.
Prosecutor: What was his profession?
Farro: He's a lawyer. Or was, not sure
Prosecutor: How many accounts did Michael Cohen have before you took on his account?
Farro: 4 or five.
Mangold displays a First Republic bank email dated Oct. 11, 2016. It's from Farro's assistant. "Michael Cohen just called for you, I let him know you were out of the office" He asked for you to give him a call, the email continues.
2 days later, Farro's assistant sent another email saying "Please return Michael Cohen's call when you are available regarding an important matter."
Farro called Cohen, who said he wanted to open a new LLC acct. He said it was an account for real estate.
Prosecutor: Read this email.
Farro: It's from my assistant Lizzy Rappaport. It say to call Michael Cohen regarding an important matter. I did call him - he wanted to open a new LLC account, immediately, with no address on the checks.
In a bank record, Cohen gave an elaborate description for what Resolution Consultants LLC does.
The description does not appear to include anything close to acquiring the rights to Karen McDougal's story from a tabloid empire before the 2016 election.
On Oct. 26, 2016, Farro's assistant sent an email to him: "Please return Michael Cohen's call at [REDACTED]."
Farro says the bank did all the work to establish the account but it never went live b/c Cohen didn't fund it. So the account was technically never opened.
Cohen initially didn't explain why he didn't fund the account. Cohen called later that month, on Oct. 26, to say he changed course and no longer wanted to open the Resolutions LLC account.
Prosecutor: Now for Essential Consultants LLC.
Farro: He called me but I was on a golf course. I know it's cliche, a banker on a golf course. I told him to go into the branch.
Prosecutor: I'm at a natural stopping point.
Judge Merchan: Can you approach?
[Sidebar
Mangold announces that she's at a natural stopping point.
"We'll call it a week," Justice Merchan tells the jurors.
Merchan gives them the usual instructions before they leave: Don't talk to people about the case. Don't Google the case. Don't do independent research, etc.
@GottaLaff
Thanks for another week of organizing and sharing posts from the hellsite! I’m sure there will be nothing breaking this weekend! Friends of mine are in the process of moving from here to England and watching the process is exhausting!
Hope you get a peaceful weekend, some offers on the house and fun times with Mr Laffy and Hammy. Boops to all!
Edit: corrected “eeek” to “week” but maybe I was right the first time 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks so much for these threads on #trumptrial Your work is invaluable in keeping me & so many others informed. I might add I think you are instrumental in saving democracy.
@GottaLaff
Your humility is admirable but don't sell yourself short. It may be a tiny effect overall, but every bit helps. A follower is better equipped to pursuade an uninformed fence sitter by virtue of your up to date dissemination of info. And every vote counts. @bronakins
@dbc3@GottaLaff@bronakins I monitor your feed while also keeping open a tab from NYT & honestly what you aggregate is more thorough, generally put up faster. As for "only my followers see" that's not actually true on Mastodon. I know this because I regularly get comments and shares from people who clearly don't follow me, & they come so fast I know it's not because they saw it thanks to a follower. You're providing an immense service and I thank you for it.
@JamesWNeal Thank you! I know that I reach beyond followers, but my point was, in the scheme of things, I reach very few. Only some are online at any given time, and even though the toots live on and get shared, it’s minimal compared to who I wish I could reach. The NYT has millions. I have a couple of thousand. @dbc3@bronakins
But at the end of the day if you can say to yourself "I did what I could" that is what matters. I wish I could help every child in Gaza, Syria, Burma, S. Sudan, Afghanistan. I wish I could save all their lives & help their parents get jobs. I can't. But I CAN help some of the ones settled here as refugees. I can fix donated/discarded bicycles for them, help them get benefits, etc. Some kid who calls me Uncle or Grandpa may become a civil rights attorney! @JamesWNeal@bronakins
@GottaLaff
G. Laff, thanks for taking the time to do this. Greatly appreciated. I'm following along. I'm running out of reasonable excuses to tell Bronco the Wonder Dog as to why we can't go out and chase squirrels and bark at clouds.
@GottaLaff For Laffy: Thank you! Your coverage rocks. I was reading the NYT live updates (signed up for their free 7day digital trial), and your toots were sooooo much more informative!
Completely agree. The New York Times has left the news reporting business and is now a public opinion shaping organization. Everything they do seems designed to influence, not inform.
Interesting that Trump is fanatical about not using email or being on the record electronically, but his Rolodex still might turn out to be a significant part of the case against him. It's hard to be analog…
@GottaLaff NFL Graff has always had a gift for straddling the line, but she's absolute scum also, which you see whenever she's asked to assess other women.
@GottaLaff NFL: It's baffling how anyone could watch that show and not see how Trump is stupid, immoral, crude, and subject to manipulation. A big part of the strategy to winning was figuring out how to deal with a stupid loose cannon as the arbiter.
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