In the upcoming hush-money trial in New York, former President Donald Trump’s lawyers are making moves to bar key witnesses from testifying.
What Happened: Trump’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, has petitioned a New York judge to prevent Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, and two women who claim to have had affairs with Trump, Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, from testifying, reported The Hill.
The defense’s 47-page motion questions the reliability of the witnesses, branding Cohen as a “liar” and suggesting Daniels would offer “false” and “sensational” testimony. The defense also took issue with the prosecution’s depiction of the hush money payments as a “catch-and-kill” strategy to suppress damaging information about Trump in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
Trump’s lawyers are also seeking to exclude the notorious 2005 Access Hollywood tape and evidence from close associates at the time of the alleged crime, including Rudy Giuliani and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.
The defense contends that the state plans to use “unlawful” and “inadmissible” evidence to bolster their “lackluster ‘zombie’ case” designed to disrupt Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
The hush-money trial, Trump’s first criminal trial, is set to kick off in New York on March 25.
Why It Matters: The hush-money trial is a significant event in Trump’s post-presidential life. The trial’s commencement coincides with Trump’s full-fledged 2024 election campaign. The former president’s legal team has previously attempted to have the case dismissed and the trial date postponed.
Furthermore, the prosecutor in the case has requested a gag order for Trump, which, if approved, could prevent him from speaking out while the trial is ongoing.
Trump has also presented a unique legal theory in his hush-money case, stating that even if he was guilty of something, there is no crime.
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