Donald Trump hush money criminal trial has begun on Monday with opening statements and then witness testimony. Last week, a jury of seven men, five women, and six alternates was chosen for the trial.
The case revolves around accusations that the former president manipulated his company’s internal records to conceal the truth behind reimbursement payments to his fixer and attorney Michael Cohen, who paid hush money to hide damaging stories about him during the 2016 presidential race.
Witnesses include Trumps’s former lawyer, a porn actor, a playboy model, a former publisher of National Enquirer who is also a longtime Trump friend and Trump’s former White House communications director.
MICHAEL COHEN — the former lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, was previously a staunch ally of the former president. However, he has now become a crucial witness for the prosecution in the case against his former boss. Cohen served as an employee of the Trump Organization from 2006 until 2017. Subsequently, he faced imprisonment after admitting guilt to campaign finance violations associated with the hush money agreements, along with other unrelated offenses.
STORMY DANIELS — the adult film actress who was given a $130,000 payment by Cohen in an attempt to keep her quiet. Cohen made the payment to prevent Daniels from disclosing an alleged sexual encounter with Trump from years prior. Trump has denied any involvement with Daniels.
KAREN MCDOUGAL — a former Playboy model, claimed to have engaged in a 10-month relationship with Trump during the mid-2000s. In 2016, she received $150,000 from the parent company of the National Enquirer in exchange for the rights to her account of the purported affair. Trump has refuted allegations of any sexual involvement with McDougal.
DAVID PECKER — the ex-publisher of The National Enquirer and a close friend of Trump, reportedly had a meeting with Trump and Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015. During the meeting, prosecutors claim that Pecker agreed to assist Trump’s campaign in finding negative and unfavorable stories about him.
HOPE HICKS — the former White House communications director under President Trump, reportedly engaged in phone conversations with him during a frantic attempt to prevent the media from exposing allegations of his marital infidelity following the release of the notorious “Access Hollywood” tape just weeks before the 2016 election. In this tape, recorded in 2005, Trump made inappropriate remarks about his behavior towards women, including boasting about non-consensual physical contact.
