The former president’s defense team dismissed the prosecution’s witnesses, while the prosecution focused on Trump’s business practices and alleged motives. The trial is in the jury’s hands Wednesday.
Lawyers gave their final arguments Tuesday in their effort to convict or acquit former President Donald Trump of 34 felony counts of falsified business records as the historic trial pushes closer to an end.
A 12-person jury, which has listened to 22 witnesses and over six hours of arguments, is set to begin deliberating Wednesday. It could be hours or days or weeks before they have a decision. A unanimous jury is needed to either convict or acquit Trump.
Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, frequently called the trial “election interference” for preventing him from campaigning for president, falsely claiming a partisan conspiracy against him.
On Tuesday, Trump was joined in court by more family members than usual. Children Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany were present in the courtroom, as well as son-in-law Michael Boulos and daughter-in-law and RNC co-chair Lara Trump.
As Trump Lawyer Todd Blanche was beginning his closing arguments, the Biden-Harris campaign held an event outside the courthouse in Manhattan featuring actor Robert DeNiro and U.S. Capitol police officers Harry Dunn and Michael Fanone.
Prosecutors allege that Trump knew about a settlement negotiation with adult film actor Stormy Daniels to keep her allegations of an affair out of the press ahead of the 2016 election and that Trump directed his former “fixer” Michael Cohen to make a settlement payment of $130,000 to her. Prosecutors argue that the falsified business records, in part labeled as « legal retainers, » are a paper trail for Cohen.
Trump has long argued he was only paying his lawyer.
As is New York law, Trump’s defense gave the first set of closing arguments, which lasted over 2 hours. Blanche focused on the credibility issues surrounding Cohen.
Here are four highlights from his summary of their defense:
1. Who didn’t testify
2. The documents
Blanche argues Trump’s sons signed two checks that constitute some of the felony counts. And he also told the jury that Cohen was the one who generated the 11 invoices that make up 11 of the felony counts on Trump.
He maintained that the allegedly false retainer was a legitimate retainer of services — especially because Cohen billed himself as Trump’s personal lawyer.
“You shouldn’t think the word ‘retainer’ differentiates from the reason for the payment — it’s just a single word,” Blanche said.
3. Cohen’s credibility
Blanche attempted to cast doubt on various conversations Cohen recalled having with Trump, including at the White House, allegedly about the deal to silence Daniels.
