Manhattan Prosecution Presents Evidence in Trump Hush Money Trial as Gag Order Violations Considered

The trial for former President Donald Trump’s involvement in an alleged scheme to influence the 2016 presidential campaign by hiding negative stories through hush money payments continued this week, with Manhattan prosecutors presenting detailed evidence on email exchanges, business transactions and bank accounts. The judge may also decide on fines for violations of a gag order that bars Trump from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the case. Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified last week regarding a “catch and kill” arrangement in which he collected seamy stories about Trump’s campaign, while former US President Donald Trump himself criticised prosecutors again outside of court. The trial is expected to continue for another month or more, with crucial testimony from Michael Cohen yet to come.