3 weeks ago
1 of 2 | Former President Donald Trump sits successful nan courtroom during his criminal proceedings astatine Manhattan criminal tribunal successful New York connected Friday. Trump's proceedings is wrapping up nan 3rd week connected charges he allegedly falsified business records to screen up a activity ungraded during nan 2016 statesmanlike campaign. Pool Photo by Doug Mills//UPI | License Photo
May 3 (UPI) -- The 3rd week of nan hush-money proceedings of Donald Trump concludes Friday pinch grounds from a forensics master and astir apt erstwhile adjutant Hope Hicks.
Judge Juan Merchan opened Friday's proceedings clarifying to nan erstwhile president that nan gag bid against him does not artifact aliases limit his expertise to testify. Trump claimed extracurricular nan courtroom Thursday that nan gag bid does not let him to return nan stand.
Merchan besides clarified his ruling connected nan infamous "Access Hollywood'' tape, saying a full transcript will beryllium allowed into evidence. An article and photograph of Trump and Billy Bush, published successful nan Washington Post, will not beryllium allowed.
"It's very powerful evidence. It's damning grounds and I don't deliberation it's necessary," nan judge said of nan article.
Trump's lawyer Todd Blanche based on that a station from Trump connected societal media past August should not beryllium entered into evidence, either. The station connected Truth Social read, "If you spell aft me, I'm coming aft you."
Blanche said this station was directed astatine governmental donors arsenic Trump was campaigning for nan Republican information for president. Trump has since earned nan delegates required to beryllium named nan nominee astatine nan Republican National Convention successful July.
Forensics master Douglas Daus returned to nan witnesser guidelines to talk audio recordings and matter messages betwixt Trump and his erstwhile lawyer and alleged "fixer" Michael Cohen.
In these conversations Cohen and Trump discussed nan "catch and kill" strategy to extremity a communicative astir nan erstwhile president's matter pinch Playboy exemplary Karen McDougal from being published, according to Daus' grounds Thursday.
Daus besides mentioned conversations betwixt Cohen and Hicks, erstwhile White House communications head nether Trump. Hicks is expected to attest Friday.
Trump faces 34 felony charges related to allegedly falsifying business records successful an effort to hide hush-money payments made to McDougal and big movie character Stormy Daniels while he campaigned for president successful 2016.
