Donald Trump vs Stormy Daniels: All you need to know about the case

In the ongoing trial of Former US President Donald Trump, key witnesses, including adult film star Stormy Daniels, have taken the stand. The trial is in regards to alleged hush money payments made to Daniels before the 2016 presidential election. 

Prosecution v/s defense

Trump is accused of falsifying business records to cover up the $130,000 payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to the adult film star.  

Prosecutors argue that Trump staged the payments to silence Daniels about her alleged affair with him, which she claims occurred a decade earlier. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges, dismissing the case as a “scam” and a “witch hunt.”

Key highlights from the trials

Jeffrey McConney, the former controller of the Trump Organization, testified about discussions he had with finance chief Allen Weisselberg regarding reimbursing Cohen for the payments made to Daniels.

Evidence from bank records and handwritten notes indicate that Trump may have tampered with business records to hide the payments, prosecutors have claimed.

Stormy Daniels, on May 7, herself took the stand during the trial, recounting her alleged sexual encounter with Trump and the subsequent efforts to silence her. Daniels testified that she did not negotiate the $130,000 payment and accepted it to protect her family from potential harm. “I didn’t care about the amount. I just wanted to get it done.”

“You were looking to extort money from President Trump,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said in a trial. Daniels firmly replied, “False.” “Well, that’s what you did,” Necheles retorted, with Daniels again repeating, “False.”

On being asked if Trump should go to jail, Daniels said, “If he is found guilty, absolutely.”

On the other hand, speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, the former President argued, “It’s a ridiculous case, I did nothing wrong — absolutely nothing wrong.” In a later incident, Trump called the trial a “Frankenstein case” and questioned its merits.

What’s next for Trump?

The legal proceedings are still underway, with both the prosecution and defense presenting their cases to the jury.

The outcome of the trial could have significant implications for Trump’s political future and legal standing, particularly as he seeks to regain the presidency in the upcoming US  elections in November.

(With inputs from Reuters, AP, and Al Jazeera)

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