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.
'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.
3rd group of prospective jurors sworn in
A third batch of 100 prospective jurors has just been sworn and sent home, while prosecutors and defense attorneys ponder which potential jurors who they just questioned individually should be excused for cause or with a peremptory challenge.
It's the third group of jurors who have been sworn in for consideration, after 96 jurors arrived Monday and another 96 arrived Tuesday.
The 18 people who were being in the jury box left the room when the new group of jurors entered, creating a brief traffic jam.
Defense attorney Susan Necheles ended her individual questioning by asking prospective jurors if they would be capable of returning a not guilty verdict if the prosecutors did not prove their case.
“If they do not prove it, I will not be returning a guilty verdict,” said a woman.
The court is looking for seven more jurors and six alternates.
'This case is about a criminal conspiracy,' prosecutor says
"This case is about a criminal conspiracy," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo began his opening statement in Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York.
"The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election," the prosecutor said.
The utterance represents the first time a prosecutor has sought to implicate a former president in a crime at his trial.
Colangelo said Trump schemed with his attorney Michael Cohen and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker "to influence the presidential election by concealing negative information about former President Trump."
Trump slouched in his seat at the defense table, listening.
"The defendant said in his business records that he was paying Cohen for legal services pursuant to a retainer agreement. But those were lies," Colangelo said. "The defendant was paying him back for an illegal payment to Stormy Daniels on the eve of the election."