Trump trial: 1st week of testimony ends with testimony from Michael Cohen's former banker

Banker Gary Farro testified in Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York.

Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.

Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.


What to know about the hush money case

READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.


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Court recessed for the day

Judge Juan Merchan has recessed court for the day.

Proceedings will resume tomorrow with plans to choose the remaining alternates for the jury.


Citing concerns, prosecutors mum on identity of 1st witnesses

Prosecutors are keeping their cards close to vest regarding who the first witnesses called at trial will be.

When defense attorney Todd Blanche requested the names of the first three state witnesses, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass declined to provide the name of the first planned witnesses following opening statements.

“Mr. Trump has been tweeting about the witnesses,” Steinglass said. “We are not telling you who the witnesses are.”

Blanche attempted to ease that concern by vowing that the former president would not post about the likely witness.

“I don’t think you can make that representation,” Judge Juan Merchan said.

On a separate matter, Merchand said that if time permits tomorrow, he plans to hold a planned hearing on the bounds of Trump’s cross-examination if he opts to testify.


Judge says goal is for opening statements on Monday

Judge Merchan indicated that his goal is to have opening statements in the trial begin on Monday morning.

“We can't start until every single one of you is here,” Merchan said to the newly sworn-in jury members, urging them to inform him if they encounter any delay.

After the jury was sworn in, former President Trump sat stone-faced at the defense table with his hands locked, staring at the jury as they left the courtroom.


5 new jurors include several transplanted New Yorkers

Following the seven jurors chosen earlier, here is basic biographical information on the remaining five jurors, whose identities are being kept private for security reasons.

Juror No. 8 is a former wealth manager who moved to New York in the 1980s. He is originally from Lebanon.

Juror No. 9 is a speech therapist who grew up in New Jersey.

Juror No. 10 has lived in Murray Hill for six years and worked in commerce for an eyewear company.

Juror No. 11 is originally from California and works as a production development manager for a multinational apparel company.

Juror No. 12 is a physical therapist whose husband works as a coach for a professional sports team.


Cohen said Trump would pay to buy McDougal story, Pecker says

In June of 2016, as the National Enquirer evaluated the merits of Karen McDougal's claim of a year-long affair with Trump, Trump's attorney Michael Cohen instructed Pecker to purchase her story -- and suggested that Trump would compensate the company for the cost, according to Pecker.

Pecker recalled from the stand a conversation he had with Cohen, in which Cohen told him, "You should go ahead and buy this story."

"So I said to him … 'Who's going to pay for it?'' Pecker testified, saying Cohen replied, "'Don't worry, I'm your friend, the boss will take care of it.'"

Pecker said he interpreted that to mean that if the National Enquirer purchased the story, Trump or the Trump Organization would reimburse him.

Picking up on his testimony from Tuesday, Pecker said that when he spoke with Trump about McDougal's story, he recalled that Trump called McDougal "a nice girl" and asked Pecker what he should do about it.

"I think you should buy this story and take it off the market," Pecker said, explaining that he "believed the story was true. I think that it would be embarrassing to himself and also to his campaign."

During her negotiations with the National Enquirer, McDougal represented that "she didn't want to be the next Monica Lewinsky," Pecker said.