3 important takeaways from day 8 of Trump’s secret trial

The first week of arguments in Donald Trump’s criminal trial ended Friday after jurors heard testimony from witnesses, including longtime Trump aide Ronna Graff, who shared details of his 34 years within the Trump Organization and said he had a “vague memory” of spotting him. Stormy Daniels in Trump Tower.

Earlier in the day, David Pecker, the tabloid’s editor, concluded his four days on the witness stand, where he discussed his “catch and kill” deal with the former president.

The final witness of the week was Gary Farro, a general manager who worked at the bank Michael Cohen used to arrange the payment for Stormy Daniels – the transaction at the heart of the prosecutor’s case.

The court will not sit Monday, meaning testimony will resume Tuesday morning.

Here are the key takeaways from day eight of Trump’s secret trial.

David Pecker concludes a long testimony

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker spent the better part of three days on the witness stand, explaining the inner workings of his industry and detailing his “catch-and-kill” deal with Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.

On Friday, the defense attorney sought to normalize the actions Pecker took on Trump’s behalf, calling them “standard operating procedure” and attempting to show that Pecker was more interested in selling magazines than protecting Trump.

Prosecutors rejected those claims, seeking testimony from Pecker showing that he misled his own lawyers about how he and Cohen conspired to “cover up” his firm’s contract with Karen McDougal, whose history d ‘alleged affair with Trump was captured and killed.

“The real goal was to acquire the lifetime rights to the story so that it would not be published,” Pecker testified.

Emil Bove, a lawyer for Trump, attempted to poke holes in Pecker’s testimony, questioning the consistency of his remarks on the witness stand.

But Pecker retorted, saying, “I know what the truth is. I know exactly what was said. »

Rhona Graff, Trump’s ‘keeper, speaks out

For 34 years, Rhona Graff had a front-row seat to Donald Trump’s rise from New York real estate mogul to television star and then President of the United States.

Her office in Trump Tower was located “right next door” to his, and she maintained his contacts and calendar.

In this role, she has seen it all, including, one day, Stormy Daniels.

“I have a vague memory of seeing her in the reception area on the 26th floor” of Trump Tower, Graff testified.

Graff testified that she was responsible for updating the company’s contact list, which included entries for McDougal and Daniels.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Susan Nicheles elicited answers from Graff suggesting that Daniels may have been in Trump Tower because she was being considered for a role on the TV show “Apprentice.” Trump.

Graff said she was testifying under subpoena and did not want to be on the stand. She also said the Trump Organization paid her lawyers.

Banker testifies to ‘frantic call’ from Cohen

Gary Farro, former chief executive officer of First Republic Bank, testified about his interactions with Michael Cohen as the former president’s former fixer sought to arrange a payment to Stormy Daniels.

The banker described receiving a vague email from Cohen asking for help with an “important question” and then receiving a “frantic call” from Cohen while he was on the golf course.

“Every time Michael Cohen spoke to me, he made me feel a sense of urgency,” Farro said. “This is one of those times.”

Cohen told Farro he needed him to form an LLC with a bank account to use for a real estate transaction.

But according to prosecutors, on the day the account was created, Cohen transferred $131,000 from a personal home equity line of credit — and the next day, he transferred $130,000 to a lawyer for Stormy Daniels.