Witnesses Testimony
David Pecker
- Testified about a meeting in August 2015 where there were discussions of negative stories about then-candidate Trump’s opponents.
- Discussed a “catch and contain” strategy to suppress negative stories about Trump, where American Media Inc. (AMI) would purchase the rights to such stories and not publish them.
- His testimony was questioned in relation to prior statements, particularly regarding the presence of Hope Hicks at the August 2015 meeting.
Hope Hicks
- Testified about her role in the Trump campaign and her communications with reporters, particularly regarding negative stories about Trump.
- Her emails and text messages were presented as evidence.
- Her testimony touched upon the “Access Hollywood” tape and the campaign’s response to it.
Keith Davidson
- Was questioned about his communications with AMI and others regarding potential negative stories about Trump.
- His text messages were presented as evidence.
Stormy Daniels
- Testified about her allegations of a relationship with Trump and efforts to suppress her story.
- Her testimony was questioned in relation to her book, documentary, and potential financial motivations.
Tracey Menzies
- Testified about her role as a court reporter and the process of certifying deposition transcripts.
- She authenticated deposition transcripts related to the case.
Jeff McConney
- Testified about his role in The Trump Organization’s accounting practices.
- His handwritten notes and other documents were presented as evidence.
Deborah Tarasoff
- Testified about her role in The Trump Organization’s accounting practices.
- She was questioned about invoices and payments related to the case.
Georgia Longstreet
- Testified about her role in reviewing social media posts and authenticating social media posts attributed to Trump.
Jeffrey Rochelle-Smith
- Testified as a summary witness, presenting charts and summaries of phone records and other data related to the case.
Robert Smith
- It is implied he was expected to testify about campaign finance regulations but the admissibility of his testimony was challenged by the defense.
Daily Summary of Court Proceedings
April 22, 2024:
-The court began with instructions for the jury, emphasizing their role as fact finders and explaining guidelines for note-taking. Later, the court heard testimony from a witness, likely connected to American Media Inc (AMI), focusing on the publication process of celebrity magazines, including the National Enquirer. Proceedings concluded with a discussion about potential evidence related to pro-Trump and anti-opponent headlines published by the National Enquirer.
April 23, 2024:
- The day began with the judge addressing the jury about potential exposure to external information, referencing a segment by Mr. Watters that discussed the jurors. A witness, likely David Pecker, testified about his knowledge of events occurring between June and August 2015, particularly referencing an email received on June 2, 2015. The day ended with the judge planning to review legal decisions related to admissible evidence.
April 25, 2024:
- The prosecution presented evidence, including a signed agreement related to Karen McDougal dated August 5, 2016. Discussions ensued about the admissibility of text messages, with the judge ultimately excluding them. The court also reviewed the statement of admitted facts related to an agreement from August 10, 2016.
April 26, 2024:
- The court resumed with the cross-examination of David Pecker. This included examining Pecker’s prior testimony and reviewing specific documents, such as an interview transcript from July 26, 2018, and a Non-Prosecution Agreement dated September 20, 2018. The day ended with the court planning to review redaction proposals for certain documents over the weekend.
May 2, 2024:
- The day began with Keith Davidson continuing his direct examination. Discussions centered on text message exchanges from January 30, 2018, regarding a published news article. Later, the court heard testimony from a digital forensics expert, D. Daus, covering the extraction and analysis of data from cell phones. This included reviewing specific files like Cellebrite Reports, calendar invites, and voice recordings.
May 3, 2024:
- Legal arguments ensued regarding the admissibility of an article and a picture, possibly related to the Access Hollywood tape. The prosecution aimed to establish the publication date of the tape, while the defense raised concerns about the inclusion of the picture.
- The court ruled in favor of the prosecution, allowing the date but excluding the picture.
May 6, 2024:
- The day involved the continued direct examination of Allen Weisselberg.
- The testimony focused on financial matters, including cash flow analyses of various Trump Organization entities.
May 7, 2024:
- No specific events from court proceedings were recorded for this day.
May 9, 2024:
- The court heard testimony from Rhona Graff, an executive assistant to Donald Trump, focusing on her role in scheduling and her knowledge of Trump’s activities. The judge also addressed a previous motion for a mistrial, indicating a review of legal decisions and transcripts to ensure fairness in the proceedings.
May 10, 2024:
- The court examined call detail records, specifically those of Donald Trump from October 26, 2016. The prosecution, through witness testimony, established the context for these records, highlighting their origin, format, and relevance to the case. Additional discussions explored the interpretation of timestamps and time zones within the call data.
May 14, 2024:
- The court continued with the testimony of Michael Cohen, interrupted by discussions about proposed redactions to a document. Later, the prosecution presented text message exchanges from January 10, 2018, involving Keith Davidson and Stormy Daniels.
May 16, 2024:
- The court addressed procedural matters, aiming to schedule summations and jury instructions efficiently while minimizing delays.
May 21, 2024:
- The court announced that the defense had rested. Due to time constraints, the court decided to adjourn until the following Tuesday to accommodate summations and jury instructions.
May 28, 2024:
- Court proceedings for this day focused on finalizing administrative and procedural aspects before summations began. This included confirming the availability of the jury for potential late sessions.