Trump trial: Hope Hicks faces her ex-boss on 'Access Hollywood' tape, Daniels payment

Defense attorney Emil Bove appeared to suggest that Keith Davidson, as Stormy Daniels' attorney, was committing extortion when he negotiated the Daniels payment. Bove asked whether the statute of limitations has run out for any extortion offenses.

"What does the word extortion mean to you?" Bove asked.

"Extortion is the attaining property by fear or threat of force," Davidson said.

"By 2016, you were pretty well versed in getting right up to the line without committing extortion?" Bove asked.

"I don't understand your question," Davidson said.

Bove asked Davidson about a 2012 state and federal extortion investigation related to Hulk Hogan.

"I familiarized myself with the law," Davidson said of the 2012 investigation "I did everything I could to make sure my activities were lawful."

Bove attempted to suggest that based on that past experience, Davidson intentionally avoided making overt threats related to the 2016 election when negotiating the Daniels payment.

"I made no threats to anyone," Davidson responded.

Under cross-examination, Keith Davidson agreed that he provided legal services to Stormy Daniels in 2011 when he sent a cease-and- desist letter to TheDirty.com when the website published allegations of an affair between Daniels and Trump.

"You were acting as Ms. Daniels' attorney?" Trump lawyer Emil Bove asked.

"Yes," Davidson responded, while noting there was no formal retainer agreement.

The defense has suggested Trump properly characterized his reimbursement to Michael Cohen, which sits at the heart of the case, as a legal expense because it was a payment to a lawyer.

Prosecutors have repeatedly said there was no retainer agreement between Trump and Cohen.

After a short morning break, court is now back in session with the cross-examination of Stormy Daniels attorney Keith Davidson.

Defense attorney Emil Bove is questioning Davidson on behalf of Donald Trump, who is back at the defense table.

Trump leaned back in his chair, twisting to the right, to watch his lawyer take his turn.

Bove began by asking Davidson about whether he had ever interacted with Trump, suggesting in his questions that Davidson's impression of Trump came from television or what he learned from Michael Cohen.

"I have had no personal interactions with Donald Trump," Davidson said.

Referring to National Enquirer publisher David Pecker's testimony last week that Davidson was one of the publication's major sources though his relationship with editor Dylan Howard, Bove asked Davidson, "Would it surprise you to learn that Mr. Howard considered you to be a major source of information?"

"Yes," Davidson said.

Stormy Daniels' former attorney Keith Davidson read to the jury Daniels' denial statement from Jan. 30, 2018.

"I am denying this affair because it never happened," the statement read.

"I think it's effectively true," Davidson testified, arguing that a "relationship is an ongoing interaction."

At one point, Davidson drafted a statement affirming that Michael Cohen was the source of the Daniels hush money payment. Cohen had texted Davison Chris Cuomo's email address.

"He is a news broadcaster, then with CNN," Davidson testified regarding Cuomo.

"Perfect, send to Cuomo," Cohen texted Davidson about the statement.

"I think he was under some fire and wanted validation or cooperation" that he was the source of the money, Davidson said.

Davidson testified that while he believed Trump would ultimately be the source of the payment, Cohen had made the payment out of his own pocket in October 2016.

Prosecutors subsequently ended their direct examination of Davidson.