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02-05-2024
NEW YOYK: In October 2016, lawyer Keith Davidson was promised “the easiest deal” he had ever done in his life.
On Tuesday, he found himself on the stand in the first criminal trial of a former US president, reading aloud profanity-ridden text messages that led to that deal.
Prosecutors have charged Donald Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, for allegedly covering up evidence of this hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Davidson testified about his role in brokering the payout that was intended to keep Daniels, his former client, silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and denies having sex with Daniels.
His lawyer, Michael Cohen, arranged a $130,000 payout to Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election.
In a dramatic day that also saw Justice Juan Merchan fine Trump fined $9,000 (£7,100) for multiple violations of his gag order and warn him of potential jail time, prosecutors laid out a paper trail that showed how the payment to Daniels came to fruition. Text messages displayed in court on Tuesday showed how behind-the-scenes haggling between Cohen and Davidson over the payout kicked into high gear after the October 2016 release of the Access Hollywood tape.
The infamous 2006 recording captured Trump boasting on a hot mic that he could grab women’s genitals without their consent because he was famous.
Prosecutors have argued Trump was desperate to bury Daniel’s story in the aftermath of the tape’s release, because an additional allegation of a sexual encounter with an adult film star could doom his presidential bid. They have cast the case as one of election interference.
Or, as Davidson put it in a text message to National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard after the tape was released, Daniels “talking…is the final nail in the coffin….but he really is f— already.”
“Trump is f—,” Howard texted back. “Wave the white flag. It’s over people!”
Davidson said that he first met Daniels in 2011 but that he did not start working with her on the hush money payout until the waning days of the 2016 election.
Davidson said he was drawn in by Daniels’ manager, Gina Rodriguez, who was already negotiating a deal for that would see AMI, the National Enquirer’s publisher, buy the rights to Daniels’ story.
The deal with the publisher eventually fell through.
After AMI “washed their hands” of the deal, the publisher handed it off to Cohen, Davidson testified. “In essence,” he said, Cohen stepped into their shoes.
Rodriguez did not want to deal with Cohen, who Davidson said could be unpleasant to work with. So he assumed the role of Daniels’ lead negotiator, after Rodriguez characterized the deal as the ‘easiest’ ever.
Howard connected the two lawyers via text message.
“Connecting you both in regard to that business opportunity,” Howard wrote to Cohen and Davidson. “Spoke to the client this AM and they’re confirmed to proceed with the opportunity. Thanks. Dylan.”
Prosecutors showed an email from Davidson to Cohen, dated 11 October 2016, confirming that the “settlement sum is $130,000.”
Legal documents were attached to the email.
Davidson had trouble actually getting Cohen to send the funds, he testified, and at one point threatened to quit the deal.
Eventually, in late October, Cohen wired the cash.
Earlier in the day, prosecutors showed the record of a wire transfer of $130,000 that Cohen made to an account controlled by Davidson. (Int’l News Desk)
