The hush money trial involving former President Donald Trump continued today as Gary Farro, the banker associated with Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen, resumed his testimony. The court awaits a possible ruling on Trump’s alleged violation of a gag order, with implications for his conduct outside the courtroom.
The trial, now in its third week, has centered around the $130,000 payment made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, which prosecutors argue was to silence her alleged affair with Trump. This payment has led to Trump facing 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Gary Farro, who was Cohen’s contact at First Republic Bank, has previously detailed his involvement in setting up bank accounts for shell companies utilized for the hush money transactions. Alex Woodward said that “We’ll be hearing more from Michael Cohen’s former banker Gary Farro, who left us on a cliffhanger on Friday as he explained how Cohen had a ‘sense of urgency’ in creating a shell company LLC in the fall of 2016 – which we now know was used to send hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.”
The case, which has seen its fair share of theatrics, is not just unfolding in the courtroom but also in the digital sphere. Michael Cohen, known for his pivotal role in the case, has reportedly taken to TikTok to discuss the trial and his former boss, despite the risk to his credibility as a witness.
As the trial progresses, Judge Juan Merchan is expected to rule on whether Trump should be held in contempt for violating a gag order. The order was imposed to prevent public comments that could sway the opinions of witnesses, jurors, and court staff.
In the backdrop of legal proceedings, there’s political intrigue, with Trump reportedly meeting with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to make amends after a contentious primary.
The trial’s narrative has also brought scrutiny to the practices of the National Enquirer, and its former publisher David Pecker testified last week regarding efforts to suppress negative stories about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Relevant articles:
– Trump trial live updates: Banker who helped Michael Cohen pay Stormy Daniels hush money to resume testimony , NBC News, 04/30/2024
– Trump trial live coverage: Hush money testimony set to resume as ex-president awaits gag order contempt ruling, The Independent, 04/30/2024
– Trump hush-money trial enters third week as banker who worked with Michael Cohen testifies – live, The Guardian US, 04/30/2024
– Michael Cohen is cashing in on the Trump trial with TikTok livestreams — and it could be a problem, ABC News, 04/29/2024