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.
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What to know about the hush money case
READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.
Jury selection to continue on Day 2 of proceedings
Jury selection will continue today on Day 2 of former President Trump's hush money trial.
Attorneys on Monday began the process of narrowing down the first group of 96 juror prospects, but none were seated by the end of the day.
Attorneys today will continue their questioning of the remaining juror prospects from that group, with a new group of prospective jurors scheduled to arrive in court this morning.
Trump, exiting court, criticizes scheduling conflicts
Exiting court after a lengthy day of proceedings, former President Trump complained about the scheduling conflicts created by his criminal trial, including conflicts with his presidential campaign, his plans to attend Supreme Court oral arguments, and potentially his son Barron's high school graduation.
"Now I can't go to my son's graduation," Trump said. "I can't go to the United States Supreme Court. I'm not in Georgia or Florida or North Carolina campaigning like I should be," Trump told reporters outside court.
Trump repeated his past complaints about the fairness of the trial, saying he has a "real problem" with Judge Merchan.
"It's a scam, it's a political witch hunt," Trump said. "We're not going to be given a fair trial."
Judge won't excuse Trump to attend Supreme Court arguments
At the end of the court day, Judge Juan Merchan denied a request from defense attorney Todd Blanche to excuse Trump from the proceedings in New York next Thursday, when the U.S. Supreme Court hears Trump's bid for presidential immunity in his 2020 federal election interference case.
"It's an incredibly unusual case," Blanche said.
"Arguing before the Supreme Court is a big deal; I can understand why your client wants to be there," Merchan said -- adding that standing trial in New York is also a big deal.
"Your client is a criminal defendant in New York County Supreme Court. He's required to be here," the judge said.
Several more jurors dismissed during questioning
After the parties questioned a total of 11 witnesses, two of them were struck for cause, including a man who cited a conflict with the trial due to his child's wedding.
One potential juror disclosed that he worked for the Bronx district attorney's office, and other jurors listed professions including sales, oncology nursing and social media marketing.
Another potential juror, who lives on the Upper West Side and works at a bookstore, made a brief remark about the fairness of the justice system while answering the questionnaire.
"I believe that nobody is above the law, whether it be a former president or a sitting president or a janitor," he said.
The remaining jurors are due to return to court tomorrow to complete the questions. Merchan said another panel of prospective jurors will arrive at court tomorrow morning.
Farro says Cohen became his banking client in 2015
Gary Farro, formerly a senior managing director at First Republic Bank, testified that he first met Michael Cohen when Cohen became a banking client of his in 2015, after one of Farro's colleagues left the bank.
Asked why Cohen was assigned to him, Farro cited his "ability to handle individuals who might be a little challenging."
"Frankly, I didn't find him that difficult," Farro remarked.
First Republic Bank had a branch across the street from Trump Tower, where Cohen worked. Farro said Cohen frequently visited the bank and eagerly told him that he worked for Trump.
"He was a lawyer or is a lawyer. I am not sure," Farro said about Cohen, who was disbarred in 2019.
Prosecutors are now walking through First Republic Bank's policies for retaining documents. Prosecutors plan to use Farro as a custodial witness to authenticate records that will be used as evidence.