A third week of debates concludes Friday at the trial of Donald Trump in New York, marked by the marathon testimony of former pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, beneficiary of the hidden payments which are worth these unprecedented criminal proceedings against a former American president.
The week opened on Monday with a new warning shot from judge Juan Merchan, who after having imposed a series of fines on him for verbally attacking witnesses and jurors, threatened him with prison in the event of recidivism.
The other star witness in this trial, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who paid the actress $130,000 in the last days of the campaign for the 2016 presidential election, won narrowly by the Republican candidate, could be called to the stand as early as next week. Michael Cohen, who says he acted at his request, turned against his former boss.
Former US President Donald Trump and his lawyer Susan Necheles (d) return to the Manhattan courtroom after a break, on May 9, 2024 in New York / ANGELA WEISS / POOL/AFP
In the midst of the campaign against outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden, the Republican candidate is on trial for 34 counts of accounting falsification for concealing the reimbursement of sums to the lawyer in the accounts of his holding company, the Trump Organization. He risks conviction and potentially a prison sentence, with still incalculable consequences for the electorate.
Although the facts are less serious than those with which he is accused in the three other criminal proceedings against him, this trial is all the more important as it could be the only one to be held before the November 5 election.
Only Donald Trump’s federal trial in Washington for illicit attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election could still begin before this deadline, provided that the Supreme Court quickly rejects the immunity he claims as a former -president.
Accountant, editor, assistant
Former US President Donald Trump (c) speaks to reporters before entering Manhattan court for his criminal trial in New York on May 10, 2024 / TIMOTHY A. CLARY / POOL/AFP
Like every day, upon his arrival at the Mahattan court on Friday, he denounced a “horrible” trial intended, according to him, to prevent him from campaigning.
Since its opening on April 15, the trial has alternated moments of legal drama and dry, highly technical sequences.
Thus, after the extensive testimony Tuesday and Thursday of Stormy Daniels who recounted in great detail the fleeting sexual relationship she claims to have had with him in 2006, and fought step by step the defense’s attempts to discredit her story.
An affair that Donald Trump, then already married to his current wife Melania, categorically denies.
After Stormy Daniels, an employee of the accounting department of the Trump Organization took the stand on Thursday, an editor questioned about the publication of one of the real estate mogul’s books, then one of his direct assistants at the House Blanche, Madeleine Westerhout.
The latter testified again Friday morning.
Former US President Donald Trump and his lawyer Susan Necheles at the Manhattan courthouse, May 7, 2024 in New York / Win McNamee / POOL/AFP
One of the challenges of the debates is to determine what Donald Trump knew about these behind-the-scenes negotiations to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels.
If he were elected again, once inaugurated in January 2025, he could order the abandonment of the two federal proceedings against him, in Washington but also in Florida (southeast), where he is being prosecuted for withholding documents. classified after his departure from the White House.
