Former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan is making headlines as the defense and prosecution present their cases. In one notable development, a witness testified that Trump did not personally direct payments to Michael Cohen related to hush money for Stormy Daniels. Jeffrey McConney, a former controller for the Trump Organization, took the stand and stated that such payments were legal expenses. However, Trump's trial has been marked by several controversies and rulings from Judge Juan Merchan. The judge fined Trump $1,000 for violating his gag order during the trial and warned of potential jail time if he continues to do so. Meanwhile, the defense team has argued that the case is an interference with Trump's constitutional rights.
According to McConney's testimony on May 7, 2024, in the fourth week of the trial, Trump did not personally direct him to set up reimbursement payments to Cohen. Michael Cohen was a lawyer for the Trump Organization and such payments were considered legal expenses. Jeffrey McConney served as the Trump Organization's controller for over two decades.
In another development on May 7, 2024, Judge Merchan held Trump in contempt of court after he made comments about certain individuals related to the trial during a press conference. Trump suggested that he is willing to go to jail to keep talking about his case and complained about the gag order preventing him from discussing these individuals. The judge warned that further violations could result in imprisonment.
The Manhattan criminal trial against Donald Trump, which began on March 28, 2024, accuses him of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal. He has pleaded not guilty.
New York State's court system is releasing transcripts from each day of the trial for public access. The trial is expected to last several more weeks.
