USA (Washington Insider Magazine)— New York prosecutors opened their case against Donald Trump, accusing him of orchestrating a “criminal conspiracy” to sway the 2016 election by covering up hush money payments to silence damaging stories. Manhattan DA’s office, led by Matthew Colangelo, claimed Trump “lied in his business records” to hide the alleged scheme involving his then-lawyer Michael Cohen and tabloid publisher David Pecker, who reportedly helped suppress negative stories.
Prosecutors introduced the notorious “Access Hollywood” tape to demonstrate the atmosphere of concern in Trump’s camp during the 2016 campaign. Colangelo argued that the tape prompted further efforts to contain the Stormy Daniels affair story, leading to hush money payments managed by Cohen. David Pecker testified, describing a practice of “checkbook journalism,” wherein payments were made to suppress damaging stories. According to Pecker, Trump personally thanked him post-election for his support as the campaign’s “eyes and ears.”
In response, Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche, countered by portraying Cohen as a disgruntled former employee and questioning the validity of evidence, much of which he argued was outdated. Blanche argued that attempts to influence elections through nondisclosure agreements are legal and claimed Daniels had “extorted” Trump. With a full jury panel now seated, Judge Juan Merchan underscored that the burden remains on the prosecution to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
