After a brief hiatus to reengage with his campaign participating in rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin, former President Donald Trump returned to the courtroom for his criminal trial in New York City this morning. The ongoing Manhattan trial has weighed down Trump amid a charged political backdrop, but testimony given today is a welcome sign for the GOP leader after multiple setbacks.
Keith Davidson, the attorney for adult film actress Stormy Daniels, delivered a significant testimony in court on Thursday, challenging the charges placed on Trump by asserting that the $130,000 payment to Daniels was not “hush money” but rather a “consideration” payment. This came under scrutiny by Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass, who questioned Davidson about a 2018 statement he prepared for Daniels. The earlier statement denied any personal relationship with Trump, stating that Daniels’ interactions with the former president were confined to “a few public appearances and nothing more.”
Fox News reported:
“Rumors that I have received hush money from Donald Trump are completely false,” the statement says.“I don’t believe that Stormy ever alleged that any interaction with Trump was ‘romantic,‘” Davidson testified Thursday. But it is his understanding that Daniels had a sexual encounter with Trump.
He also said the payment “wasn’t a payoff.”“It wasn’t a payoff. And it wasn’t hush money. It was consideration,” Davidson said. Davidson added that he would never use “hush money” to describe the money exchange.
He would only refer to it as “consideration.” “Consideration” is a contractual legal term for what someone gives in return for the promise to abide by a contract; in this case, money. The payment was labeled “legal fees” in Trump’s accounting, which prosecutors allege amounted to fraud.
Steinglass asked about the truthfulness of the Daniels’ statement. Davidson replied, “I think it’s technically true.”
He continues that he doesn’t believe anyone alleged of a relationship between Daniels and Trump — it was an interaction.Davidson said he believes a “relationship” to be an ongoing occurrence.
The case around Trump and Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, centers around the $130,000 payment. The payment was made by Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly to prevent Daniels from publicizing an affair she claims occurred with Trump in 2006. The primary legal questions are whether this payment was improperly classified as a legal expense and if it constituted an unreported campaign contribution, thus violating campaign finance laws during the 2016 election.
Cohen has been a key witness since 2018, alleging some of the most incriminating actions associated with Trump. His testimonies have covered topics such as the inflation of the Trump Organization’s real estate portfolio to secure bank loans and alleged, albeit debunked, conspiracies with Russia.
Leading the prosecution is Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who has indicated potential election law violations. Trump has strongly denied any misconduct, characterizing the lawsuit as politically motivated and asserting that there is no link between the payment and his electoral campaign. Trump has slammed Cohen, branding him as unreliable due to his prior conviction on related charges.
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