(Patriot.Buzz) – Escalating the legal witch hunts against him since several key battleground state polls see him clinching the presidency this fall, a judicial ruling denied former president Donald Trump’s request to block the testimonies of some figures in his hush-money lawsuit.
Judge Juan Merchan’s decision set the stage for Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels to testify and shot down Trump’s appeal to exclude evidence from these and additional witnesses for the prosecution.
The lawsuit’s key issue stems from claims that Trump paid former adult film star Stormy Daniels to silence details of their purported affair during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The heart of the legal battle rests on Cohen, Trump’s one-time personal lawyer, who in 2018 admitted to multiple charges, including campaign finance law violations.
Cohen’s plea deal during Robert Mueller’s probe into Trump’s alleged Russia collusion claimed the former president ordered him to settle with Daniels “for the principal purpose of influencing the election.”
Cohen is said to have paid $130,000 just before the 2016 election to Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, to suppress information about an affair she claims occurred with Trump 17 years earlier. Trump is accused of disguising the reimbursement to Cohen as a series of legal fees paid monthly in 2017.
In turn, Trump stated Cohen’s lack of credibility and affinity for perjury should disqualify his courtroom appearance.
Trump labeled Cohen dishonest by citing recent perjury in a civil case against Trump where Cohen testified. However, the judge ruled that Trump’s lawyers failed to prove these perjury allegations and found no legal basis to prevent a witness from testifying due to previous credibility issues.
Additionally, Merchan overruled Trump’s objections to presenting the so-called Access Hollywood tape as evidence. This 2005 audio recording captured Trump suggesting his celebrity status allowed him to make unsolicited advances toward women.
In March 2023 Trump was indicted by Alvin Bragg, the progressive Manhattan district attorney, over the hush-money payment to Daniels, alleged to be a falsification of business records.
Originally scheduled for March 25, Merchan has pushed back the hush-money trial to mid-April at the earliest while an examination of documents recently obtained from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is carried out.
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