In the ongoing hush-money case involving former President Donald Trump, attorney Ben Meiselas outlined a potential argument that prosecutors could use. Meiselas believes that Trump would not have paid his former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, if Cohen had acted against Trump’s wishes. The trial, led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, centers around allegations that Trump falsified business records related to payments made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to keep an alleged affair secret before the 2016 election. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, is facing 34 charges in the case.
While the trial has progressed, Cohen has not yet testified, but it is expected that he will take the stand before the trial concludes. Meiselas suggested that a straightforward argument for prosecutors would be questioning why Trump paid Cohen if he had gone rogue and acted without authorization. Meiselas pointed out that if someone is acting against a person’s wishes, it doesn’t make sense for that person to reward them with additional payments. This argument could help prosecutors establish their case against Trump.
Former White House adviser Hope Hicks recently testified in the trial, discussing Trump’s alleged attempts to cover up affairs with Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal before the 2016 election. Hicks recalled the concerns within Trump’s team regarding the Access Hollywood tape in which Trump was heard making offensive comments about women. Despite dismissing the comments as “locker room talk,” Hicks mentioned that Trump did not want his family to be hurt or embarrassed by the allegations. She stated that the personal nature of the accusations from McDougal and Daniels affected Trump deeply.
In a separate development, Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for violations of a gag order related to speaking about witnesses and jurors in the trial. The trial, which is expected to last for six weeks, will continue to draw attention as more testimony is heard and evidence is presented. Trump has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges against him in the case. As the legal proceedings unfold, both sides will present their arguments as they seek to establish the truth and reach a resolution in the hush-money case.
