Trump trial set for opening statements as legal perils mount: Live

MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin also tweeted on Saturday night that there is another reason to keep focus on the hush money trial as it really gets underway tomorrow — namely, who will be the first witness…

She writes: “If I’m telling this story chronologically, the person I’d call first is this guy on the right, former American Media chairman David Pecker.

“According to the Manhattan DA’s statement of facts accompanying the indictment, the story begins with Trump’s infamous ride down the [escalator] in June 2015, when he declared his candidacy for president.

“But ‘soon after,’ in August 2015, Trump and Cohen met with Pecker, who offered to serve as the campaign’s “eyes and ears” to help Trump—and hurt his rivals—through the National Enquirer’s coverage.

“That American Media made good on its promises is important, especially since it admitted to certain conduct through a non-prosecution agreement with DOJ in 2018 and this “conciliation agreement” with the Federal Election Commission in 2021.

“But even more significant? Pecker can testify that Trump not only understood but heartily endorsed his publication’s offer to ‘catch and kill’ negative stories about him, especially as they pertained to Trump’s alleged extramarital affairs.

“And given how few people outside Michael Cohen directly communicated with Trump about the scheme at issue, Pecker’s testimony could be critical in establishing Trump’s intent and knowledge. FIN.”

While the world’s focus will be on the courthouse in Lower Manhattan tomorrow awaiting opening statements in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin notes that it isn’t the only legal issue facing the former president on Monday.

She posted on X: “I’ll be watching three legal stories unfold Monday: the real opening of the Manhattan DA’s trial; the hearing on whether to cancel Trump’s $175 million bond; & the public filing of witness statements in the MAL docs case.”

We’ve written extensively about Mr Trump’s “calendar of chaos” and how each case not only overlaps with the others but also interrupts his 2024 campaigning.

Nevertheless, there are likely to be many days like this going forward. Here’s the latest on the $175m bond from the former president’s civil fraud trial:

Alex Woodward writes:

Attorneys for Donald Trump told a judge overseeing the former president’s hush money trial on Friday that Manhattan prosecutors are merely trying to “distract” jurors and “pile things on” by introducing evidence from his string of other criminal and civil cases.

New York Justice Juan Merchan presided over a hearing to outline what prosecutors intend to ask Mr Trump if he chooses to testify at his criminal trial, including a defamation case and allegations of sexual abuse, a massive civil fraud judgment finding him liable for tens of millions of dollars, felony convictions targeting his business, and the dissolution of a namesake foundation used to boost his presidential campaign.

A ruling on their inclusion is expected on Monday…

Kelly Rissman reports:

A member of Donald Trump’s legal team divulged the defence’s plan to “focus on the facts” to show that the former president did nothing wrong, one day before the opening arguments are set to begin in the landmark hush money trial.

“We believe the facts are absolutely on our side, that they are absolutely exonerative” of the former president, Trump attorney Will Scharf said on Fox and Friends Weekend on Sunday.

Continue reading…

Should Mr Trump ultimately be found guilty, he could theoretically face more than a decade in prison, according to CNN chief legal analyst Laura Coates, who points out that the felony counts against Mr Trump are classified as Class E crimes in New York, which are the lowest level felonies in the state.

But there’s a little more to it than that, as Joe Sommerlad reports:

[Spoiler alert: No. You have to follow this blog. You’re welcome.]

“I’d be more than happy to testify, I don’t know that I will be called to testify, but I have been in touch with Trump’s defence for the better part of a year.”

Read on…

Max Azzarello, 37, who died after setting himself on fire outside the Manhattan courthouse where Donald Trump is on trial, had recently started posting anti-establishment conspiracy theories online, including a lengthy article on Substack which blasted politicians, and billionaires and even made reference to The Simpsons.

The manifesto-style document warned of an impending “apocalyptic fascist world coup.”

Read on…