Defense rests in Trump hush money trial without former president’s testimony

Legal professionals for Donald Trump rested their case Tuesday with out calling him to testify within the first legal trial of a former president — and after a protection witness obtained right into a heated backwards and forwards with one of many prosecutors.

Trump had mentioned earlier than the trial in New York Metropolis that he would “completely” testify. “I’m testifying. I inform the reality. I imply, all I can do is inform the reality. And the reality is that there isn’t a case,” he mentioned April 12, although he had since softened his stance. His lawyer Alina Habba, who represented him in his civil trials however not the legal case, instructed Fox Information on Monday that Trump “desires to testify. … He is completely prepared to inform the reality.”

Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. was in court docket for the proceedings and mentioned afterward that his father, who’s charged with falsifying enterprise data associated to a hush cash cost to an grownup movie star, had completed the precise factor by not taking the stand. “Why would you justify this madness? Have a look at the clowns that they placed on there. You don’t topic your self to that nonsense,” he mentioned.

Jurors gained’t hear closing arguments till Could 28 due to conflicts with jurors’ schedules and the Memorial Day vacation.

Robert Costello, a lawyer who has clashed with Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen — and whom the choose overseeing the hush cash case scolded for disrespectful conduct on the witness stand — was the ultimate witness within the trial, which started testimony on April 22.

Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger continued her cross-examination of Costello by asking about his first assembly with Cohen in April 2018, when a panicked Cohen was contemplating hiring him after federal prosecutors had executed search warrants at his house and workplace and seized his telephones. Hoffinger requested whether or not Costello touted his ties to Trump ally Rudy Giuliani throughout the assembly, after they mentioned Costello’s presumably representing Cohen. Costello replied that wasn’t true.

Hoffinger then confirmed him an e mail he despatched Cohen two days after their preliminary assembly. “I’m positive you noticed the information that Rudy is becoming a member of the Trump authorized workforce. I instructed you that my relationship with Rudy could possibly be very very helpful to you,” the e-mail mentioned.

He despatched Cohen one other e mail later that learn: “I spoke with Rudy, very very optimistic, you’re ‘cherished.’ If you wish to name me I offers you the small print.” He additionally instructed Cohen, “Sleep effectively tonight, you’ve associates in excessive locations.”

Requested by Hoffinger whether or not “associates” was a reference to Trump, Costello acknowledged it was. Costello obtained visibly pissed off as Hoffinger did not enable him to elaborate on a few of his solutions. “As you mentioned yesterday, the e-mail speaks for itself, right?” Hoffinger mentioned. “Generally,” Costello responded.

Hoffinger then requested Costello about an e mail through which he gave the impression to be pushing Cohen to not take heed to requires him to cooperate, which Costello denied. She requested him whether or not he thought Cohen was “taking part in” him and Trump, and he mentioned he did not. She then confirmed an e mail Costello despatched to a different lawyer, through which he wrote: “What ought to I say to this a——? He’s taking part in with essentially the most highly effective man on the planet.” 

State Decide Juan Merchan, who’s overseeing the case, dressed down Costello over his facial expressions and snide remarks on the witness stand in Manhattan on Monday. Merchan was so incensed by Costello’s conduct that he requested the jury to go away after which ordered the courtroom cleared of journalists and the general public earlier than he reprimanded Costello.

“I am placing you on discover that your conduct is contemptuous. In the event you attempt to stare me down another time, I’ll take away you from the stand” and strike his testimony from the document, Merchan mentioned.

Costello was one in all two witnesses the protection known as Monday after prosecutors rested their case. The opposite was a paralegal who works for Trump lawyer Todd Blanche, who testified about telephone calls between Costello and Cohen in 2018.

Costello testified that Cohen instructed him that Trump had been unaware of the $130,000 hush cash cost he made to grownup movie actor Stormy Daniels within the closing weeks of the 2016 presidential marketing campaign. Cohen testified throughout his 4 days on the witness stand that he’d lied to Costello as a result of he did not belief him.

Cohen and Costello have taken repeated public jabs at one another within the years since then. “In the event that they wish to go after Donald Trump and so they have stable proof, so be it. However Michael Cohen is way from stable proof,” Costello instructed reporters after he testified earlier than the grand jury within the case final 12 months. “He’s completely unreliable,” Costello mentioned on the time.

On the finish of court docket Monday, Trump lawyer Emil Bove instructed Merchan that the protection had no different witnesses after Costello however that that was topic to vary. Requested earlier than the trial began whether or not he would take the stand in his personal protection, Trump mentioned he “completely” would, however that reply has softened within the weeks since then, with Trump saying he’d testify “if crucial.”

Cohen was the ultimate witness known as by Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg’s workplace and prosecutors’ twentieth witness general. Underneath questioning from Blanche, Cohen acknowledged Monday that he’d swindled Trump and his firm out of $30,000.

Requested whether or not he “stole from the Trump Group,” Cohen mentioned, “Sure, sir.”

On cross-examination, Cohen mentioned he’d completed so as a result of he was “indignant” that Trump had slashed his annual bonus in 2016. “It was virtually like self-help,” he mentioned.

Trump has pleaded not responsible to the 34 counts of falsifying enterprise data associated to the Daniels cost.