Trump trial resumes Friday, with key witness Michael Cohen expected to testify Monday

Former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York is resuming Friday, and the key witness in the case, his former attorney Michael Cohen, is expected to testify Monday. 

Cohen’s testimony indicates the prosecution is reaching the home stretch of its case, nearly a month after this trial began. He’s expected to testify that Trump understood that records related to reimbursement checks to Cohen would be falsified in order to cover up the fact that they were tied to the purchase of Stormy Daniels’ story.

This week’s testimony seesawed between sex and bookkeeping. Thursday saw the conclusion of a furious back and forth between prosecutors and Trump’s lawyers, who dueled with adult film star Stormy Daniels on the stand for a second day. 

The defense accused her of “making up” details of an alleged 2006 sexual encounter between her and Trump. Daniels stood by her account.

Prosecutors elicited testimony that included both graphic descriptions of the encounter and minutiae about the hotel suite where Daniels said it occurred. 

Trump’s lawyers also accused Daniels of using the story to generate personal income and fame, which she denied. Daniels was paid $130,000 for the rights to her story by Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, days before the 2016 presidential election.

Prosecutors have charged Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to alleged reimbursements to Cohen for the payment. Trump has entered a not guilty plea and denies having a sexual encounter with Daniels.

After Daniels finished testifying Thursday, prosecutors called a Trump Organization bookkeeper and a former White House executive assistant. Those witnesses were used to introduce evidence that showed how Trump personally signed his checks — sent by Trump Organization staff to the White House — while he was president.