Trump, porn star and ‘conspiracy to cheat’ 2016 election – Prosecutor fired

The money paid by Donald Trump to buy porn star Stormy Daniels’ silence was a violation of the law because he defrauded voters by doing so shortly before the 2016 election, District Attorney Matthew Colangelo argued today, as the trial effectively began criminal trial of the former president.

“This case involves a conspiracy to defraud. “The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to alter the 2016 presidential election,” the prosecutor told jurors. He also promised they would hear Trump work out the details of the plan in recorded conversations.

Attorneys for the Republican former president will also present their case in the only one of potentially four criminal trials facing Trump that will be heard before the Nov. 5 presidential election.

He was paying to hide his past and inappropriate behavior

Colangelo said in his speech that Trump was involved in a conspiracy with his former lawyer Michael Cohen and publisher David Packer to cover up information that was unflattering to the then-presidential candidate and help him defeat his Democratic rival. Hillary Clinton. This included paying women who claimed to have had sexual relations with Trump, such as Stormy Daniels who was paid $130,000 at the time of other revelations about his behavior towards women.

Trump insists on denying all allegations of falsification of professional documents and relationship with Stormy Daniels

At the start of the trial, Judge Juan Mercan ruled that prosecutors can question Trump, if he testifies, about two other cases: one involving the misleading valuation of his assets and another, defamation of author E. Jean Carroll. since she had accused him of rape. Merchan also said prosecutors can show jurors a taped conversation from a video of the TV show in which Trump made lewd comments about women — but jurors won’t see that video.

Wearing a blue tie and dark blue suit, Trump looked at the judge and, at times, spoke to his lawyer. Just behind him sat a Secret Service agent, wearing an earpiece.

Polls predict ‘certain decline’ in Donald Trump’s popularity if convicted – Significant number of independents, even Republicans, among voters who won’t support him

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying professional documents and denies having an affair with Daniels. This case is considered by lawyers to be the least damaging to Trump. A conviction does not prevent him from running for the presidency and taking office, but it could hurt his candidacy. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed half of independent candidates and one in four Republicans would not vote for him if convicted.

Colangelo said Trump hid the payment to Daniels, passing it off as “legal fees” for Cohen through 11 falsified invoices, 12 ledger entries and 11 forged checks. “Those were lies. There was no attorney’s fee agreement, Cohen was not paid for his services. The defendant falsified these business documents because he wanted to conceal his own and others’ criminal conduct,” he said.

American Media publisher ‘conspirator’ – The stories that… were never published

Peker is the first of the witnesses the prosecution intends to call after the opening buyouts, as reported by the New York Times and the CNN television network. According to prosecutors, in August 2015 Pecker met with Trump and Cohen and agreed to act as the campaign’s “eyes and ears,” looking for negative stories about Trump. “Pecker was not acting as a publisher but as a conspirator,” Colangelo said.

Publishing company American Media, which owns the scandal-mongering magazine National Enquirer, admitted in 2018 that it paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for the rights to her story: a months-long affair with Trump in 2006-2007. American Media said it was working “in cooperation” with Trump’s campaign staff and never published the report.

“The evidence will show that the defendant was desperate for this information about Karen McDougal to be released because he was concerned about the impact it would have on the election,” Colangelo said.

The magazine also agreed to pay $30,000 to a bouncer who claimed Trump fathered a child out of wedlock. This story turned out to be false.

Trump claims these payments were his personal business and did not violate election law. He also denies having an affair with McDougal.

In that lawsuit, Trump is accused of misrepresenting on his company’s books as legal expenses the compensation he gave Cohen for money he paid Daniels in 2017. Prosecutors say he did it to hide the fact that the money exceeded the limit of $2,700 that a person was allowed to pay as a contribution to a candidate’s election campaign.

The witnesses may help the prosecution prove Cohen’s payment to Daniels was part of a larger scheme. Prosecutors plan to call at least 20 witnesses, according to Trump’s lawyers.

Before the start of today’s proceedings, Trump called on his supporters to peacefully protest outside courthouses “across the country,” but few were waiting to greet him when he arrived in Manhattan. The former president claimed tight security was responsible for the low turnout, but the streets around the court were open to the public.

“Lower Manhattan around the Courthouse, where I’m headed now, is completely blocked off. How unfair!” he wrote in his post.