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

Defense attorney Emil Bove resumed his cross-examination of Stormy Daniels' and Karen McDougal's former attorney Keith Davidson by asking Davidson about the 2011 blog post in TheDirty.com that alleged an affair between Trump and Daniels.

Davidson testified that his effort to kill the 2011 blog post helped Stormy Daniels make the story more marketable to another publication.

"They were using my efforts to create an exclusive opportunity with another publication," Davidson said.

"They were using you to make more money, right?" Bove asked about the efforts by Daniels and her representative Gina Rodriguez.

"Yes," Davidson said.

Bove's questioning was briefly interrupted when a binder fell off a table in the courtroom.

"That drop was catastrophic to my client," Bove joked, prompting some light laughter from the gallery.

Court has resumed following the lunch break. But before jurors were escorted back into the courtroom, Trump attorney Susan Necheles handed Judge Merchan a series of articles by "legal scholars" like Jonathan Turley that she said are "very critical of this case."

"These articles are all articles which President Trump would like to post on his Truth," Necheles said, referring to Trump's social media platform.

"We think they are perfectly fine, but we think there is ambiguity in the gag order," Necheles said, asking the judge to "take a look at them" before Trump posts them.

Judge Merchan did not seem inclined to take up the matter, saying, "There is no ambiguity in the order."

"I am not going to give an advanced ruling on this," Merchan said. "When in doubt, steer clear."

Defense attorney Emil Bove asked Stormy Daniels' and Karen McDougal's former attorney Keith Davidson about his 2016 effort to negotiate a payment on behalf of McDougal, who was ultimately paid $150,000 by the National Enquirer so the publication could "catch and kill" her story.

Davidson was set to earn 45% of the payment based on the retainer agreement he signed with McDougal, according to testimony.

Bove suggested that the National Enquirer was struggling to verify McDougal's allegations, which threatened to derail the negotiations.

“I am drafting a declination of representation letter to send off,” Davidson texted Enquirer editor Dylan Howard in 2016, according to evidence.

Davidson testified he could not recall threatening to end the negotiations.

The judge subsequently recessed the proceedings for lunch, with Davidson's cross-examination set to resume after the break.

Under cross-examination, Stormy Daniels' former attorney Keith Davidson testified that he attempted to negotiate a monetary offer from Hulk Hogan related to the release of an alleged sex tape.

"There was a monetary demand made," Davidson said while declining to provide specifics.

Davidson denied that he leaked any information about the alleged tape to the National Enquirer though Dylan Howard.

Davidson appeared to admit that he was investigated for extortion related to Hulk Hogan by the Tampa Police Department.

"They conducted an investigation, yes," Davidson said.

"An investigation related to extortion?" Bove asked.

"I believe so," Davidson said.

"You were not ultimately charged, right"" Bove asked.

"True," Davidson said.

When asked if he learned about extortion law from the experience, Davidson mumbled, "Perhaps, I don't know."