Donald Trump’s lawyers rested their defense Monday in the former president’s New York hush money trial, bringing the case one step closer to final arguments. The prosecution will get a chance to call rebuttal witnesses now that the defense witnesses have had their turn on the stand. The judge has said he expects closing arguments to happen on May 28, the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
Quick Read
- Defense Rests: Donald Trump’s lawyers concluded their defense in his New York hush money trial, moving the proceedings towards closing arguments set for May 28.
- Rebuttal Witnesses: The prosecution is set to call rebuttal witnesses following the conclusion of defense testimony.
- Jury Deliberations: Deliberations could begin as soon as next week, with Trump facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a scheme to suppress damaging stories during the 2016 campaign.
- Closing Arguments Scheduled: Closing arguments are expected next Tuesday, after the Memorial Day weekend, with the judge advising jurors to prepare for extended proceedings.
- Trump’s Non-Testimony: Notably, Trump did not testify in his own defense during the trial.
- Prosecution’s Accusations: Prosecutors allege Trump orchestrated a cover-up to influence the 2016 presidential election, which he denies, claiming the charges are politically motivated.
- Cross-Examination of Costello: The cross-examination of defense witness Robert Costello, who aimed to undermine Michael Cohen’s credibility, concluded with the prosecution highlighting Costello’s previous communications that suggested a desire to align with Trump’s interests.
- Court Dynamics: The trial witnessed tensions, with Judge Juan M. Merchan reprimanding Costello for his courtroom demeanor, underscoring the high stakes and intense scrutiny surrounding the proceedings.
The Associated Press has the story:
Donald Trump’s defense and prosecution rest in his NY hush money trial
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Donald Trump’s lawyers rested their defense Monday in the former president’s New York hush money trial, bringing the case one step closer to final arguments.
The prosecution will get a chance to call rebuttal witnesses now that the defense witnesses have had their turn on the stand. The judge has said he expects closing arguments to happen on May 28, the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
After more than four weeks of testimony, jurors could begin deliberating as soon as next week to decide whether Trump is guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Prosecutors have accused Trump of a scheme to bury negative stories to fend off damage to his 2016 presidential campaign and then falsifying internal business records to cover it up.
Trump, the first former American president to be tried criminally, has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing in the case, which he has slammed as politically motivated.
The defense in Donald Trump’s hush money trial rested its case Tuesday morning without the former president taking the stand in his own defense.
“Your honor, the defense rests,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche told the judge.
After the defense rested, Judge Juan M. Merchan told jurors they won’t be needed again in court until next Tuesday. That’s when he says both sides will give their closing arguments. He suggested the court session may run late that day to accommodate summations from both sides — the defense and prosecution. Merchan told jurors he then expects his instructions to them will take about an hour, after which they can begin deliberating, possibly as early as next Wednesday.
Merchan noted that normally summations would immediately follow the defense resting its case, but he expects summations in this case will take at least a day and — given the impending Memorial Day holiday — “there’s no way to do all that’s needed to be done” before then.
“I’ll see you in a week,” Merchan said.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF COSTELLO CONCLUDES
Before finishing her cross-examination Tuesday morning, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioned Robert Costello’s true intent in maneuvering to represent Michael Cohen, citing a June 22, 2018, email in which the lawyer complained that Cohen was continuing to “slow play us and the president.”
Costello was in talks with Cohen to represent him in the wake of an April 2018 FBI raid on his apartment, office and hotel room, but Cohen has said he was wary of Costello’s ties to the White House and never hired him.
“Is he totally nuts?” Costello wrote in the email to his law partner, Jeffrey Citron
In the email, he asked what he should say to Cohen, using an expletive. “He’s playing with the most powerful man on the planet,” Costello wrote.
“That email certainly speaks for itself, doesn’t it, Mr. Costello?” Hoffinger asked Costello, mimicking the witness’ earlier answers that emails he turned over to the prosecutors’ office “speak for themselves.”
“Yes, it does,” Costello replied.
Hoffinger then asked if, at that point, Costello had “lost control of Michael Cohen for the president, did you not?”
“Absolutely not,” Costello bristled.
COSTELLO STRAIGHTENS UP ON THE STAND — SLIGHTLY
Defense witness Robert Costello was on Tuesday morning behaving better in the courtroom than he was the previous day when Judge Juan M. Merchan scolded him for speaking out of turn and rolling his eyes.
Still, Costello tried to tack on extra details to his answers to questions from the prosecution.
At one point, Costello told prosecutor Susan Hoffinger that there was additional context around an email regarding Rudy Giuliani, “which I would be delighted to tell you.”
“That’s alright. Let’s move on to the next one,” Hoffinger said.
Moments later, Hoffinger asked Costello if he felt like he was being played by Cohen, as he had written in another email. Costello said he did not.
“You want me to explain it?” Costello asked.
Again, Hoffinger told him that she did not. Costello huffed, adding: “Now you do want me to explain.”
PROSECUTORS CONFRONT COSTELLO WITH EMAILS HE SENT TO MICHAEL COHEN
As testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial began for the day, prosecutor Susan Hoffinger showed defense witness Robert Costello an August 2018 email in which former Trump attorney Michael Cohen told him and one of his partners to stop contacting him because “you do not and never have represented me” and another lawyer did.
Asked whether he was upset that Cohen hadn’t paid him, Costello said he was — and volunteered that he had replied to the message in an email that prosecutors didn’t show.
Hoffinger went a step further and confronted Costello with emails he sent to Cohen in which he repeatedly dangled his close ties to Trump-ally Rudy Giuliani in the aftermath of the FBI raid on Cohen’s property.
In one email, Costello told Cohen: “Sleep well tonight. You have friends in high places,” and relayed that there were “some very positive comments about you from the White House.”
Costello testified Tuesday that “friends in high places definitely refers to President Trump.”
Hoffinger also showed Costello an email he sent to his law partner noting that Giuliani was joining Trump’s legal team.
“All the more reason for Cohen to hire me, because of my connection to Giuliani, which I mentioned in our meeting,” Costello wrote to law partner Jeffrey Citron in the April 19, 2018, email.
Cohen says he never hired Costello.
WITNESS TESTIMONY SET TO RESUME
Attorney Robert Costello has returned to the witness stand in Donald Trump’s hush money trial to resume his testimony. The defense witness turned to Judge Juan M. Merchan and spoke to him briefly as they waited for the jury to file in.
Costello’s words were inaudible to reporters. The judge acknowledged him, however, and nodded. The vibe in the courtroom was more cordial than it was during the drama that disrupted proceedings on Monday.
While waiting for the jury, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass asked the judge to poll jurors on their availability to work next Wednesday, a typical off day for the trial.
According to the judge, closing arguments will be held next Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day, so he may want jurors to work Wednesday to receive instructions on the law or start deliberating.
