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Former President Trump’s transgression proceedings volition resume Friday aft Judge Juan Merchan, for the 2nd time, denied his defence attorney’s petition for a mistrial pursuing salacious grounds from Stormy Daniels.
Daniels, who claims to person had a intersexual brushwood with Trump successful 2006, took the basal for cross-examination Thursday greeting aft hours of questioning Tuesday that adjacent the justice called "unnecessary" and "irrelevant."
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying concern records successful the archetypal degree. The charges stem from a years-long probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. The charges are related to alleged payments made up of the 2016 statesmanlike predetermination to soundlessness Daniels astir an alleged 2006 extramarital matter with Trump.
But the erstwhile president and presumptive Republican statesmanlike nominee declared, "We are truthful innocent."
TOP 5 MOMENTS OF TRUMP TRIAL AFTER 'SALACIOUS' STORMY DANIELS TESTIMONY
Trump defence lawyer Susan Necheles vs. Stormy Daniels
Susan Necheles, aft cross-examination, said Stormy Daniels’ story astir an alleged intersexual brushwood with the erstwhile president keeps changing due to the fact that the matter ne'er happened.
Necheles pointed to a connection Daniels signed successful 2018 denying an brushwood with Trump ever took place. Daniels said she did not constitute the connection but signed it.
Former President Trump watches arsenic Stormy Daniels is questioned by defence lawyer Susan Necheles (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
Necheles pointed to different connection successful which Daniels denied having a intersexual narration with Trump. In part, the connection said, "I’m denying this matter due to the fact that it ne'er happened."
Daniels maintained that she signed the statements, entered a non-disclosure statement and took a $130,000 payment, which prosecutors allege was illegally marked arsenic ineligible expenses, for protection. But Trump's squad aimed to amusement that Daniels was aft a payday and changed her communicative erstwhile it would pb to profit.
Daniels denied ever requesting wealth from Trump. Facing unit from Necheles, Daniels added, "I ne'er asked for wealth from anyone successful particular. I asked for wealth for telling my story. … I was asking for wealth from publications to merchantability my story, to get the information out."
Former President Trump arrives to tribunal connected the archetypal time of opening arguments successful his proceedings astatine Manhattan Criminal Court (Victor J. Blue/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)
Daniels admitted to selling the communicative for astir $1 million, erstwhile she agreed to constitute her book, "Full Disclosure," for $800,000. But she claimed she did not person each that money.
When asked for circumstantial details astir the alleged intersexual brushwood successful 2006 connected the sidelines of a personage play tourney successful Lake Tahoe, Daniels appeared to archer a antithetic communicative successful tribunal than erstwhile she archetypal spoke astir the incident, oregon successful her book.
"You told In Touch a wholly antithetic story," Necheles said, which Daniels denied, adding determination were conscionable "parts successful the mediate I didn’t remember."
"You made it up," Necheles said.
Former President Trump watches arsenic Stormy Daniels is questioned by defence lawyer Susan Necheles during Trump's transgression trial (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
"No," Daniels replied.
Necheles asked Daniels if she knew oregon understood wherefore Trump was indicted successful Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case. She said she did not, adding helium was "indicted for a batch of things."
Former White House adjutant gets affectional discussing clip successful Trump admin
Madeleine Westerhout, who antecedently served arsenic erstwhile President Trump's idiosyncratic caput successful the White House, was brought to tears Thursday connected the basal arsenic she described her acquisition successful the administration.
The emotion came arsenic Westerhout outlined the erstwhile president's narration with his wife, Melania Trump.
Westerhout said the couple's narration was 1 of communal respect and that they laughed often erstwhile they were successful the Oval Office.
Westerhout said Melania would sometimes text Trump, reminding him that it was past meal clip and asking erstwhile her hubby was coming home.
Former President Trump speaks to the property alongside lawyer Todd Blanche astatine his proceedings for allegedly covering up hush wealth payments (Win McNamee/Pool via REUTERS)
Getting affectional arsenic she reflected connected her clip successful the White House nether Trump, Westerhout said she has "grown truthful much" and said she truly respects Trump and thinks he’s been treated unfairly.
Prosecution decides not to telephone Playboy exemplary Karen McDougal
After Stormy Daniels' testimony, prosecutors said they would nary longer telephone Playboy exemplary Karen McDougal arsenic a witnesser successful the trial.
McDougal besides allegedly received a outgo to support soundless astir an alleged matter with Trump. She sold her communicative to the National Enquirer, which ne'er published it, successful speech for $150,000. McDougal's payout is not portion of the transgression charges.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass defended the determination not to telephone McDougal, saying prosecutors did not "change their minds" astir calling her. Instead, prosecutors ne'er formally decided if they would usage her arsenic a witnesser during trial.
Judge denies petition for gag bid modification, mistrial aft Stormy Daniels testimony
Judge Juan Merchan denied Trump defence attorneys’ petition for a mistrial and a modification of a gag bid Thursday, arguing the erstwhile president should beryllium capable to support himself against Stormy Daniels’ salacious and "prejudicial" testimony.
Trump defence lawyer Todd Blanche archetypal requested a mistrial Tuesday aft Daniels’ archetypal time connected the basal but was denied. Merchan did, however, admit Daniels was a hard witnesser to power and said overmuch of her testimony was "unnecessary" and "irrelevant" to the charges.
Trump attorneys connected Thursday again requested a mistrial.
New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan listens arsenic erstwhile President Trump watches Stormy Daniels being questioned. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
Blanche said the prosecution asked Daniels "a full big of questions" that ne'er should person been asked, pointing to questions astir the porn actress’s puerility and her alleged enactment with Trump. Blanche argued they were "things that are irrelevant to the facts of this case."
Blanche reminded that the lawsuit is not astir enactment and again stressed that Daniels’ grounds was "extraordinarily prejudicial for the assemblage to hear."
"It is truthful dangerous, truthful prejudicial, it borders connected a occupation from the beginning," Blanche said, adding that Daniels' grounds and communicative astir the alleged intersexual brushwood kept changing.
But Merchan denied the petition and reminded Blanche that, during his opening argument, helium denied Trump had a intersexual brushwood with Stormy Daniels.
"Your denial puts the assemblage successful a presumption to determine who to believe," Merchan said, adding the defence could person objected galore times during Daniels' grounds "but didn't."
With respect to 1 explicit detail, Merchan said helium agreed that "shouldn’t person travel retired … but for the beingness of me, I don’t cognize wherefore Ms. Necheles didn’t object."
Merchan told Blanche helium made decisions to onslaught things from the grounds to "protect" Trump and said helium disagrees with immoderate changing communicative portion adding that the details "add a consciousness of credibility."
Blanche besides requested a modification to the gag order, arguing Daniels made mendacious statements astir Trump, and the erstwhile president should beryllium allowed to support himself present that her grounds is complete.
The justice denied that request.
Trump declares: ‘We are truthful innocent’
"So, what happened today? I don't deliberation we person to bash immoderate adept explaining. I'm not allowed to anyhow due to the fact that this justice is simply a corrupt judge. This judge, what helium did and what his ruling was, is simply a disgrace," Trump said aft tribunal adjourned, adding Merchan is "totally conflicted."
Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican statesmanlike nominee, said he's "got to get backmost connected the run trail."
Penguin Random House enforcement Sally Franklin gives grounds earlier Justice Juan Merchan. (Reuters/Jane Rosenberg)
"I'm not expected to beryllium here," Trump said. "We are truthful innocent. There's ne'er been thing similar it.
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"I'm innocent, and I'm being held successful this tribunal with a corrupt justice who's wholly conflicted."
The erstwhile president said it is "a disgrace to the metropolis of New York, to the authorities of New York and to the country."
Brooke Singman is simply a governmental analogous and newsman for Fox News Digital, Fox News Channel and FOX Business.
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