Trump’s lawyer suggests hush money payment was extortion, World News

NEW YORK — A lawyer for Donald Trump on May 2 tried to portray the hush money payment at the center of his criminal trial as extortion, questioning a lawyer involved in the deal about his cash negotiations with other celebrities.

Defense attorney Emil Bove’s questioning of attorney Keith Davidson hinted at a strategy by Trump’s legal team to undermine the credibility of prosecution witnesses in the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president.

Trump is accused of concealing a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

He has pleaded not guilty and denies Daniels’ claim that they had sex.

After Davidson testified that he, as Daniels’ then-lawyer, arranged the $130,000 (S$176,000) payment with Trump’s personal lawyer Michael Cohen, Bove asked about Davidson’s alleged attempts to solicit money from Hulk Hogan in exchange for a sex tape involving the former was involved. professional wrestler.

He also asked Davidson about attempts to exchange embarrassing information for money from celebrities, including actor Charlie Sheen and reality TV star Tila Tequila.

“You were pretty good at going to extremes without committing extortion, right?” Bove asked.

Davidson denied ever committing extortion.

Trump’s lawyers are likely to take a similar approach with other expected witnesses, including Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and Cohen, who has served prison time for his role in the payment scheme.

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Davidson confirmed that Daniels signed a non-disclosure agreement with Trump to keep quiet about a 2006 sexual encounter, but said he would not describe the payment as hush money.

“It was a consideration in a civil settlement agreement,” he said.

He said the strong denial he helped Daniels make when the payment was revealed in 2018 was not a lie because it referred to a “romantic sexual” relationship rather than a one-time sexual encounter.

“You have to go through it word by word, and I think if you did that it would be technically true with an extremely good reading,” Davidson said.

Daniels later denied the statement, saying the signature on it was not hers.

More fines?

Earlier in the day, Judge Juan Merchan indicated he could fine Trump over allegations that he again violated a gag order that bans him from making public comments about jurors, witnesses and families of the judge and prosecutors if those statements are intended to to disrupt the matter. .

Judge Merchan disputed the defense’s claim that Trump did not violate the gag order when he said the Manhattan jury was chosen from a heavily Democratic area.

“I maintain that he did not do that,” Trump attorney Todd Blanche told the judge.

“Well, I don’t agree with that argument,” Judge Merchan responded, without saying if or when he would impose a fine.

Trump later falsely claimed that the gag order would prevent him from taking the witness stand to defend himself.

“I am not allowed to testify because of an unconstitutional gag order,” he told reporters in the hallway outside the courtroom.

The silence order will not prevent Trump from testifying at the trial.

Prosecutors are asking Judge Merchan to fine Trump $4,000 for violating the gag order four times last week.

In one case, Republican Trump said in a TV interview that “that jury was picked so quickly: 95 percent Democrats. The area is largely Democrats.”

“By mentioning the jury at all, he is jeopardizing these proceedings,” prosecutor Christopher Conroy said.

Conroy said Trump also violated the silence order by calling Cohen a liar and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker a “nice guy.”

Pecker testified last week and Cohen is expected to be a crucial witness in the case.

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Blanche said there was “no threat” in what Trump said about Pecker and said that in his comments on social media, Cohen “invited and almost dared” Trump to respond to his comments about the trial.

Judge Merchan declined to review a series of articles about the case that Trump wanted to post online. “When in doubt, stay away,” the judge said, prompting Trump to shake his head and sigh.

Any fine would follow a $9,000 fine imposed by Judge Merchan on Tuesday.

The judge said during that hearing that he could jail Trump if he continues to defy the silence order. Conroy said prosecutors have not yet asked for Trump’s prison sentence.

Trump claims prosecutors are working with Democratic President Joe Biden to undermine his bid to win back the White House and says Judge Merchan faces a conflict of interest because his daughter has done work for Democratic politicians.

Trump faces three other criminal charges, although it is not clear whether any of them will go to trial before the November 5 presidential election.

Two accuse him of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, while another accuses him of mishandling classified documents after leaving office.

He has pleaded not guilty in all three cases.

READ ALSO: Trump fined $12,300 for violating gag order in New York hush money trial