Prosecutors in the criminal trial against former President Donald Trump have outlined their case, alleging a conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 election. Manhattan District Attorney Matthew Colangelo described the scheme as a cover-up to hide hush money payments made to influence the election.
Trump’s attorneys, led by Todd Blanche, countered by painting a different picture, claiming that the charges are politically driven and have no basis. They characterized the case as a distortion of common business practices.
Opening statements previewed the trial’s central themes, ranging from political influence to accounting practices. Prosecutors will attempt to demonstrate Trump’s involvement in covering up the payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who claimed an affair with Trump.
The defense, however, sought to discredit the prosecution’s star witnesses before they could testify. Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, was portrayed as an unreliable liar seeking to profit from his association with Trump. Stormy Daniels was also targeted, with the defense claiming she had no knowledge of the charges related to documents created after her payment.
Prosecutors, in anticipation of the defense’s strategy, attempted to preemptively rehabilitate their witnesses, acknowledging Cohen’s past mistakes but urging the jury to keep an open mind.
The trial’s opening day also saw testimony from David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media. Pecker described a ‘catch-and-kill’ conspiracy involving Trump and Cohen to suppress negative press.
The proceedings were temporarily adjourned devido to Passover commitments. The trial is scheduled to resume on Tuesday morning, with prosecutors seeking to prove Trump’s contempt of court for violating a gag order.
