Former President Trump faces ongoing criminal charges for allegedly falsifying business records and conspiracy to promote or prevent election. The trial has been marked by multiple gag order violations and threats of jail time from the judge.
The unprecedented criminal trial of former President Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for 2024, resumed Tuesday morning. The trial stems from a years-long investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, which accuses Trump of falsifying business records related to alleged payments made to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels about an alleged 2006 extramarital affair with Trump before the 2016 presidential election.
The trial's proceedings on Monday were dominated by discussions of Trump's repeated violations of the court-imposed gag order and the judge's threats of jail time for future violations. Judge Juan Merchan has already fined Trump $10,000 for previous gag order breaches and has warned that he will consider a jail sentence if Trump continues to violate the order.
Trump and his defense attorneys have argued that the gag order violates Trump's First Amendment rights and those of his supporters. However, the judge has maintained that the order is necessary to ensure a fair trial and prevent witness tampering.
In addition to the gag order issue, the prosecution called its tenth witness, Jeff McConney, who served as senior vice president controller at the Trump Organization until his retirement last year. McConney testified that he was directed by then-Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg to give ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen $35,000 per month.
During cross-examination by Trump's defense attorney Emil Bove, McConney stated that Trump did not personally task him with carrying out any payments in 2017. McConney confirmed that Cohen was a lawyer and that payments to lawyers by the Trump Organization were considered legal expenses.
The prosecution also called Deborah Tarasoff, a Trump Organization accounts payable supervisor, who testified that she allegedly helped arrange hush money payments to Cohen. Tarasoff labeled the payments as "legal expenses" or "retainer" at the time they were made.
Tarasoff added that only Trump could sign checks from his personal account and that if he did not wish to sign a check, he would not do so. She also testified that she had no decision-making authority and only followed instructions.
The prosecution has indicated that it will need two to three more weeks to present its case against Trump, a development that the former president characterized as an attempt to keep him off the campaign trail.
After court on Monday, Trump addressed Merchan's threat of jail time, stating that he would be willing to make the "sacrifice" of a prison sentence in order to defend free speech.
