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.
12 jurors now seated, alternates to come
A full jury of 12 members has now been seated following the addition of five more jurors.
The court is now working to select the six alternate jurors for the case.
"We have our jury," Judge Merchan said.
The 12 jurors then rose, raised their right hands, and were sworn in.
'Oops, that sounds bad,' potential juror says of past social posts
Trump's lawyers sought to strike a potential juror by confronting her with her own social media posts about the former president.
"These posts are vitriolic," defense lawyer Susan Necheles said. "There is no question that this is as strong language as you can get for Donald Trump."
Necheles cited past posts including one where the potential juror said Trump was "anathema" to her beliefs.
"I wouldn't believe Donald Trump if his tongue were notarized," another post allegedly said.
When the potential juror was questioned about the posts, she said that she did not immediately recall making them.
Merchan then asked her to read back some of her posts, including one when she called Trump a "racist, sexist, narcissist."
"Oops, that sounds bad," the potential juror said. "I was in a disturbed frame of mind during that election cycle."
After questioning, the prospective juror apologized to Trump, saying of her posts, "I don't think it's appropriate."
The judge ultimately struck her from consideration for the jury.
"Those were pretty strong views," Judge Marchan said.
2 new jurors seated
Two new jurors have been seated, including a man with an MBA in finance who follows Trump on Truth Social and also follows Michael Cohen.
"I do not have any beliefs that would prevent me from being fair or impartial," the man said while answering attorneys' questions.
"Except for following Michael Cohen or someone like that I don't follow any anti-Trump organizations," he said.
The second new juror is a security engineer who is married with three children, whose wife is a teacher.
The new additions bring the number of jurors selected so far back to seven, after two jurors were excused earlier today.
The court is now looking for eleven more jurors, six of them alternates.
Prospective juror once stayed at defense attorney's house
After individual questioning, Judge Merchan dismissed a prospective juror after prosecutors raised concern about her preexisting knowledge of the case and asked to strike her for cause.
"I'm worried that I know too much," she said under questioning. "I am worried that it is going to seep in in some way."
Trump's lawyers attempted to strike another juror who previously interacted with defense attorney Susan Necheles in a personal setting.
"She stayed at my house overnight," Necheles said.
Merchan declined to strike the potential juror after she said she could follow the court's instructions and be a fair juror.
"One time in 50 years," Merchan said about the overnight stay.
"I know her husband very well," Necheles acknowledged.
"He is not in the jury," Merchan responded.
Pecker says he was in regular contact with Cohen
Despite first meeting Michael Cohen by chance in 2000 at a bar mitzvah, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified that Donald Trump first introduced him to Cohen as his personal lawyer in 2007.
Pecker said Trump asked him to begin coordinating with Cohen about any stories or rumors related to Trump or his family.
"All of the contacts that I had with Mr. Trump -- now my contact should go through Michael Cohen," Pecker said about Trump's directive after meeting Cohen.
Pecker and Cohen would touch base monthly over the following decade, but communications ramped up after Trump announced his candidacy for president in 2015, Pecker said.
"I would say a minimum of every week, and if there was an issue, it could be daily," Pecker said about his contact with Cohen during the campaign.