The first week of Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial has wrapped up, with key witnesses taking the stand and providing crucial testimony. Ronna Graff, Trump’s longtime assistant, recounted her time at the Trump Organization and vaguely remembered seeing Stormy Daniels at Trump Tower. Tabloid executive David Pecker discussed his “catch-and-kill” agreement with Trump and Michael Cohen.
Gary Farro, a managing director at the bank involved in arranging payment to Daniels, was the final witness of the week. Testimony will resume next Tuesday, as court will be in recess on Monday. Pecker’s testimony detailed the arrangement with Trump and Cohen, with defense counsel attempting to justify his actions.
Prosecutors pushed back by highlighting Pecker’s dishonesty with his own lawyers regarding the arrangement with Karen McDougal. Graff, known as Trump’s “gatekeeper,” also testified about her interactions with Daniels and her responsibilities in maintaining Trump’s contacts and calendar.
Farro described receiving a cryptic email and a frantic call from Cohen while on the golf course. Prosecutors revealed that Cohen transferred money from a personal line of credit to set up an LLC for the payment to Daniels. The trial is set to continue with more testimony and evidence that may shed light on the alleged hush money payments orchestrated by Trump and his associates. Stay tuned for updates on this high-profile case.
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