Banker’s Testimony to Resume Trump Trial

A banker familiar with accounts involved in the case will testify in the resuming criminal trial of Donald Trump’s business records in New York on Tuesday.

Trump, the Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election, is facing charges of falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to his lawyer Michael Cohen to allegedly reimburse him for paying porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about their alleged sexual encounter in 2006.

Despite pleading not guilty, Trump has denied any involvement with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

The trial, which began on April 22, is significant as it marks the first criminal case against a former president.

Last week, banker Garry Farro, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, testified about financial records filed by Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer.

Trump is required to attend the trial, although he has expressed interest in focusing on his re-election campaign against Democrat President Joe Biden scheduled for Nov. 5.

Among the pending cases against Trump, this criminal trial is expected to be the only one to go to trial and potentially result in a verdict before the election.

Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, a close friend of Trump, revealed last week that he engaged in the practice of “catch and kill,” buying exclusive rights to damaging stories about celebrities without intention to publish them.

Both Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claims Trump paid her $150,000 for her silence about an affair in 2006 and 2007, are expected to testify in the trial.

Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, will also testify and has claimed that he arranged the payments at Trump’s direction, which Trump allegedly reimbursed later.

Trump’s lawyers have pointed out Cohen’s credibility issues as a convicted liar and raised doubts about his testimony in the trial.

Trump is facing charges in Georgia, Washington, and Florida related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election loss and handling of classified documents upon leaving office. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges, referring to them as political witch hunts.

This report was compiled using information from Reuters and Newsmax’s Eric Mack.