Stormy Daniels' former attorney returning to the stand in Trump trial

An lawyer who represented 2 women seeking payments successful 2016 for their soundlessness astir alleged intersexual encounters pinch Donald Trump will proceed his grounds Thursday successful nan former president's criminal trial.

On Tuesday, nan astir caller time of proceedings, Keith Davidson told nan tribunal really he negotiated connected behalf of exemplary Karen McDougal and big movie prima Stormy Daniels arsenic they sought deals for nan authorities to their stories of alleged intersexual encounters pinch Trump.

McDougal was paid $150,000 by nan genitor institution of nan tabloid mag nan National Enquirer for her story, arsenic portion of what prosecutors opportunity was a strategy to bolster Trump's 2016 statesmanlike campaign. Daniels, whose existent sanction is Stephanie Clifford, was paid $130,000 by Michael Cohen, Trump's erstwhile lawyer.

Cohen is expected to beryllium called later successful nan proceedings arsenic a cardinal witnesser against Trump, who has pleaded not blameworthy to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Trump denies committing nan crimes and says he did not person activity pinch Daniels aliases McDougal.

In tribunal connected Tuesday, prosecutors showed a bid of matter messages and emails successful which Davidson marketed McDougal's allegations to nan tabloid, calling them a "blockbuster" communicative astir Trump. He later negotiated straight pinch Cohen to waste nan authorities to Daniels' claims.

Davidson testified that he understood suppressing nan stories would beryllium beneficial to Trump's candidacy.

Before Davidson took nan guidelines connected Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan held Trump successful contempt for a bid of societal media and online run posts he concluded violated a gag bid successful nan case. Thursday, he will perceive arguments astir 4 further times that prosecutors opportunity Trump violated nan gag, which bars him from making nationalist comments astir witnesses and others progressive successful nan case.