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.
Top headlines:
- Banker says he set up LLC, which Cohen used to pay Daniels
- 'Thank you for handling' McDougal, Pecker says Trump told him
- 'This story is true,' Pecker recounts being told of Stormy Daniels
- Pecker describes $150,000 negotiations for McDougal's story
- Secret Service has plans if Trump is confined for contempt: Sources
What to know about the hush money case
READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.
Secret Service has plans if Trump is confined for contempt: Sources
The U.S. Secret Service has held meetings and started planning for what to do if former President Trump were to be held in contempt and Judge Juan Merchan opted to send him to short-term confinement, officials familiar with the situation tell ABC News.
Prosecutors said at this point they are seeking a fine.
"We are not yet seeking an incarceratory penalty," assistant district attorney Chris Conroy said, "But the defendant seems to be angling for that."
Officials do not necessarily believe Merchan would put Trump in a holding cell in the courthouse but they are planning for contingencies, the officials said.
There have be no discussion about what to do if Trump is convicted and sentenced to prison, they said.
"Under federal law, the United States Secret Service must provide protection for current government leaders, former Presidents and First Ladies, visiting heads of state and other individuals designated by the President of the United States," the Secret Service said in an official statement. "For all settings around the world, we study locations and develop comprehensive and layered protective models that incorporate state of the art technology, protective intelligence and advanced security tactics to safeguard our protectees. Beyond that, we do not comment on specific protective operations."
-Josh Margolin and Luke Barr
Contempt hearing ends without a ruling
The combative hearing on Trump's alleged violations of the judge's limited gag order ended with the judge saying he will not rule from bench on the district attorney's motion to hold Trump in contempt, so a ruling will come later.
Before concluding the hearing, Judge Merchan told Trump attorney Todd Blanche, "You're not offering me anything … to hang my hat on."
The trial will resume shortly with the return of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker to the witness stand.
'You're losing all credibility,' judge admonishes defense
Judge Juan Merchan is visibly irritated with the lack of evidence presented by defense attorney Todd Blanche.
"You have presented nothing," Merchan said. "I have asked eight or nine times; show me the exact post he was responding to."
"You're losing all credibility with the court," Merchan said after Blanche suggested Trump has been careful to comply with the gag order.
Blanche attempted to represent that Trump did not intend to violate the gag order, but Merchan did not appear satisfied by the response.
"Are you testifying under oath that this is his position?" Merchan asked.
"Do you want me to put him on the stand?" Blanche asked, though Trump did not take the stand.
Merchan strongly reacted earlier when Blanche suggested there were two tiers of justice in the courtroom.
"There are two systems of justice. Mr. Weisselberg is in prison, and Mr. Cohen is a witness," Blanche said, in reference to the former Trump Organization CFO who was sentenced to jail time for perjury.
"There are two systems of justice in this courtroom -- is that what you are saying?" Merchan responded.
'It's just common sense,' defense argues regarding Trump's posts
The contempt hearing has turned tense as Trump attorney Todd Blanche tries to defend Trump's posts as mere responses to attacks -- but isn't giving clear examples of how Trump was being attacked.
Instead, Blanche asked the judge why the timing of the posts mattered -- prompting a strong rebuke from the judge.
"I'm asking the questions, OK?" Judge Merchan told Blanche. "Please don't turn it around."
Merchan continued to reprimand Blanche: "I'm asking a specific question over and over and I'm not getting an answer."
Merchan then lamented that nearly an hour into the hearing they are still only up to reviewing post NO. 2 of 10, and the jury is set to arrive at 11 a.m. ET to resume trial proceedings.
"The people got to speak as long as they want to," Blanche said regarding the prosecutors.
"The people were answering my questions," Merchan retorted.
So far, Merchan has appeared skeptical of what Blanche has been arguing in defense of the posts. Blanche at times has been struggling to answer Merchan's questions, at one point saying, "I don't have any case law to support that. It's just common sense."
'I'm not 100% sure I could be fair,' says juror who is excused
A woman who works for New York City told the court, "I'm a public servant and I've built my entire career trying to serve the city I live in and I see this as an extension of that," as individual questioning of prospective jurors continued.
She had signaled she had strong views about campaign finance, but said "I don't believe so" when Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass asked whether that would affect her ability to judge the case fairly.
Earlier, a self-employed woman who has lived on the Upper East Side for 25 years let out an audible sigh.
She had reached the part of the questionnaire that asked whether she can decide the case solely on the evidence and whether she had strong beliefs about Trump that would inhibit her from being fair.
"I'm not 100% sure I could be fair," the woman said, and was excused.
When a school teacher from Harlem who is in her late 20s answered the same question, she spoke about the 2020 election.
"There was a divide in the country and I can't ignore that," she said. "However, I never equated that to one individual." She remained in the jury pool.