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update: The lawyer representing Stormy Daniels in her $130,000 settlement with Michael Cohen (whom prosecutors claim is representing Donald Trump) spoke on the stand today, including Hulk Hogan and Charlie Sheen. , Lindsay Lohan and Tia Tequila were asked about their past dealings in previous cases involving them.
Keith Davidson, cross-examined by Mr. Trump's lawyer Emile Bove, accused Mr. Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) of having sex with his friend's wife in 2012. He acknowledged that he was being investigated by police and the FBI. The tape was eventually published by the now-defunct gossip site Gawker.
Mr. Davidson, a prosecution witness in Mr. Trump's Manhattan hush money trial, was also the target of a law enforcement sting operation in which his conversation with Mr. Bollea was secretly recorded when he met with Mr. Bollea about the video. admitted.
Bobe said Tampa police were concerned about “extortion” based on past statements allegedly made by Davidson, including telling Bollea representatives: gawker He said the revelation was a “blow” and wanted $1 million to keep the tapes secret. Mr. Davidson was not charged, but he denied trying to blackmail anyone and said he offered to sell the sex tape to Mr. Bollea.
During cross-examination, Mr. Davidson repeatedly stated that he could not recall any specific statements he may have made.
“So that experience taught you a lot about extortion law?” Bove asked.
“Maybe, I don't know,” Davidson replied.
Mr. Bove sought to link that experience to Mr. Davidson's efforts in 2016 to help Karen McDougall sell and cover up the story of her extramarital affair with Mr. Trump.
“One of your concerns was staying on the right side of the law when it came to extortion, right?'' Bove asked.
“I think so,” Davidson replied.
In a tense exchange, Bove also discussed TMZ's revelation that actress Lohan is in rehab, a sex tape involving model and actor Tequila, and clients who received settlement payments from the actor's scenes. He also mentioned the Davidson connection.
“Would you say your memory is a little hazy on these matters?” asked Bove. Mr. Davidson responded that he had more than 1,500 customers and that he was being asked to recall events from several years ago. He also declined to discuss the $2 million settlement Sheen paid to his client, citing attorney-client privilege.
Mr Davidson objected, saying Mr Bove had “extracted” money from Sheen. “And don't say 'extract' unless you're here to play legal games,” he shot back to Bove.
During a discussion of the Tequila sex tape, Mr. Bove asked, “Don't you remember that you were serving a 90-day ban at the time of the transaction?”
“I don't remember,” Davidson replied.
On his second day on the stand, Davidson revealed that the statement he prepared for Daniels said, “Rumors that I received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false.'' However, he explained how it was “theoretically true,'' and ended the direct questioning.
January 10, 2018 marks one year since President Donald Trump took office. wall street journal There were two days left until the publication of an exposé headlined, “Trump lawyer uses private company and fake name to pay porn star Stormy Daniels.” journal Daniels has been contacted for comment. The Journal had previously revealed that there was a $150,000 agreement between Trump and the former president. playboy Model Karen McDougall and American Media, Publisher national inquirer.
But Ms. Daniels is bound by a $130,000 non-disclosure agreement with Mr. Cohen that would prevent her from going public with her claims of old sexual encounters with Mr. Trump when Mr. Trump was in office. He believed he had to repay the money and $1 million in damages. A famous real estate mogul who has a newborn child with his second wife.
So Davidson prepared a statement to present to Daniel. He explained the case to Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass: It wasn't hush money. That was a consideration in the civil settlement. ”
In his statement, Daniels also denied any romantic or sexual relationship with Trump. “I think we need to focus on the definition of 'romantic sexual relationship,'” Davidson said. “I don't think anyone would have argued that her interaction with Mr. Trump was romantic.” He said the statement was “a very sophisticated interpretation and technically correct.”
Davidson testified that Cohen, the attorney, became increasingly agitated as secrets surrounding the deal with Daniels came to light, especially as Daniels gave interviews on talk shows. Jimmy Kimmel Live! and scenery to discuss her newfound fame. While Daniels was getting her makeup and hair done at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood for an interview with Kimmel, Davidson was arrested on January 30, 2018, at the hotel's Marilyn Monroe Suite (Kimmel's producers took Daniels to her room). He said he sat down and typed out another denial statement. For Daniels.
Before: Donald Trump was once again held in contempt in a hush money trial in Manhattan this morning.
Prosecutors reiterated earlier court arguments that led to a contempt verdict and $9,000 fine against Trump, arguing that the defendant further violated a judge's gag order restricting him from attacking jurors or witnesses.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy cited four instances in which Trump mistreated witnesses and jurors, saying, “Mr. Trump knowingly and willfully violated the legal orders of this court.” told the judge. What Judge Marchand seemed most interested in were President Trump's comments on his April 23 radio show. This area is mostly Democratic. ”
Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, said of Trump's comments: “We strongly believe this is a political trial, and the location of the trial is part of President Trump's beliefs.”
Machan interrupts Brunch and asks, “Did he violate the gag order?” Blanche responded that Trump did not violate the gag order, laying the foundation for that argument. “I do not accept your argument,” Machan said flatly.
Blanche argued that Trump was talking about the political climate that jurors represented, not attacking jurors or individual jurors.
The 30-minute hearing ended without a verdict. Prosecutors are seeking fines for Trump rather than jail time, but have acknowledged that they may seek stronger penalties if Trump continues to violate the gag order.
A judge on Tuesday found Trump in contempt for online posts he made in April targeting jurors and witnesses, specifically Cohen and Daniels, and fined him $9,000. Marchan has warned Trump that he could be jailed if he continues his attacks, and prosecutors have cited instances in which Trump allegedly violated the gag order, including when he met with reporters in a hallway. Four more cases have been detected.
The gag order allowed President Trump to speak freely to Marchand and Bragg, but did not allow jurors, witnesses, other trial participants, or Marchand's own family members, who worked on Democratic campaigns and previously (including the judge's daughter, who has been the subject of criticism since then) is prohibited. Trump's accusations trial linking Marchand to Trump's political rivals.
Blanche argued this morning that Daniels and Cohen, frequent Trump adversaries, do not need the protection of a gag order to ensure they do not intimidate trial witnesses.
At the trial itself, prosecutors have not yet completed their investigation into the Beverly Hills lawyer who represented Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal in a six-figure settlement for their silence against Trump. Keith Davidson, who is likely to be cross-examined by the defense today, testified this morning after spending much of Tuesday in court talking about his distaste for his association with President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen. I returned to the table.
During President Trump's 2016 campaign, Davidson and Cohen secured exclusive rights to both women's claims that they had intimate extramarital affairs with the Republican candidate, in an effort to kill both stories. was negotiating the sale of.
Jurors witnessed text exchanges between Mr Davidson and his contact in court. national inquirer The tabloid's editor-in-chief, Dylan Howard, confirmed that Cohen transferred $130,000 to Davidson in late October 2016, after a long struggle to get payment from Daniels.
“I am hearing that money is being transferred,” Davidson wrote.
“I can't believe it,” Howard replied.
Under cross-examination Tuesday by Joshua Steinglass, one of the few Manhattan assistant district attorneys handling the hush-money case against Trump, Davidson said of Cohen: “He's easily excitable and, in some ways, he's a man of the pants.'' He was the kind of guy who could catch fire.” . Davidson elaborated that Cohen reminded him of Doug, the nervous, talking dog from Pixar's hit animated film. Up — “A dog saying “Squirrel!”” Squirrel! ''' Davidson said.
Cohen has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the $130,000 payment to Daniels and is expected to testify for prosecutors. Mr. Trump's indictment alleged that he violated state and federal law by disguising his hush money reimbursement to Mr. Cohen by forging dozens of check receipts and ledger entries. When the payments were made in 2016, Trump was on his way to the presidential election. He denied having a sexual relationship with Daniels and said he paid Cohen for standard legal services.
Jurors on Tuesday saw a series of text messages between Mr Davidson and Mr Howard.In an email to Howard after the infamous incident: access hollywood The tape was released a month before the election, with Davidson writing, “Trump is crazy.” Howard responded with a white flag emoji, apparently capitulating despite the best efforts of Howard's boss, American Media CEO David Pecker, to suppress bad news about the candidates he supports. It seems to indicate. “I think he supported my opinion,” Davidson testified.
On his way to court this morning, Trump gave another free speech about his presidential campaign and his criminal case, which is now in its third week.
President Trump said, “I'm glad I could someday campaign without getting involved in this ridiculous show trial — I call it the Biden trial.''
