38/ Press:
Blanche: This is not a man who needs protection from the gag order.
Justice Merchan: What about the comments made abou the jury?
Blanche: It was 15 sec from a 20 min interview. This trial matters to voters. We believe this is political
Merchan: He said the jury was rushed through. Does this violate the gag order?
Trump's lawyer Blanche: He wasn't speaking about a particular juror, if they are Democrat - the press has done that.
Justice Merchan: It's 10:10, let's wrap it up.
39/ [Me: Yes, I’m 12 and I’m dwelling on this]
Emptywheel:
Trump's really going to complain about Blanche's performance after VonShitzInPants becomes a headline today.
erica orden:
Can't say I ever thought I'd hear Todd Blanche say "Vonshitzinpants" (quoting Michael Cohen) in open court, but here we are.
40/ Pagliery:
This judge is not convinced. Nope. Not in the slightest.
Judge: "You’re telling me the scrutiny is outrageous. Nobody forced your client to go over there."
Blanche: "You’re right. Nobody’s forcing him but he’s running of president. He has to be able to speak."
41/ I’m liking Weissmann recaps:
Blanche up, and his tone is measured as well. Blanche has bupkis to work with:
-Basically says Cohen asked for it!
-Merchan cuts Blanche off, saying talking about Trump's being attacked a year ago and more are not important to what the allegations are after the gag order.
-Blanche says because Biden joked about "Stormy weather" about the trial that permitted Trump to attack witnesses like Cohen & praise Pecker. Huh? Merchan notes Trump was free to attack Biden.
42/ McB:
It's now 10 min after jury expected in & Merchan trying to move this along. He's reeling Blanche back in to matter at hand.
"I understand your argument, thank you," Merchan says conclusively
We're taking 5 minutes before we go to the jury.
*To clarify, we're taking 5 min before we bring in the jury..jury not present for any of that, nor will know or see Merchan's decision on contempt allegations (just as they did not see or witness his decision holding Trump in contempt for other 9)
43/ Pagliery:
Let's see how quickly he rules on this one.
Merchan has taken the role of a stern father dealing with a toddler who's having a tantrum.
44/ Anna Bower:
Merchan just wrapped up a hearing on whether to hold Trump in contempt for additional gag order violations.
The judge seemed convinced that at least some of Trump's comments constitute additional violations of the court's order.
Did he violate the gag order? Justice Merchan asked at one point.
I'm making the argument that he didn't, Trump's counsel replied.
And I'm not accepting your argument, Merchan fired back.
45/ Weissmann:
What you could see if this trial were televised: on a large video screen, you would see the Judge at the top, the witness chart in a box on the right, and in two large boxes at the bottom, the prosecution and the defense tables. No shots of the jury. - When an exhibit is shown, you see it in a big screen, with the other boxes on the right in a column.
46/ Klasfeld:
Keith Davidson is back on the witness stand.
"All rise."
The jury is entering.
Davidson reviews a series of emails between him, Dylan Howard and Michael Cohen, starting on the evening of Oct. 26, 2016.
That's when Cohen started his scheme to funnel the hush money through his shell company, Essential Consultants LLC.
47/ McB:
Steinglass asks Davidson to read a 10/26/16 email from Dylan Howard to him and Cohen, which we see on the screen, confirming agreement on "Keith's client."
What is your understanding of what this email is about? asks Steinglass. Long, careful pause from Davidson.
48/ McB:
The email followed a conference call between the three men, as there was difficult in comms btwn Cohen and Davidson, the latter of whom had lost trust in Cohen, and Howard came in as a "mediator."
Why the loss of trust? "I believed he was not telling me the truth," says Davidson, regarding "delays in funding."
49/ McB:
Now we see another email on screen: btwn Davidson and Cohen, subject line "Re: wire on behalf of Essential Consultants LLC" from 10/27/2016.
Davidson reads the content of another email chain.
In the email, he confirmed to Cohen that he received a wire transfer, and will work in good faith, no funds will be dispersed until settlement.
50/ Weissmann:
- Davidson comes off as both a reluctant and hostile witness. One imagines he is not happy to be here, and may have well resisted any prep meetings with the DA's office. -Never seems to fail to dump on Michael Cohen (which may prove warranted); grudging in his answers (even resisting the ADA on whether a document is one he produced to the DA's office).
51/ McB:
Now Steinglass throws onto the screen texts btwn Howard and Davidson.
When Howard texted "money wired I am told," Davidson took that to mean Cohen.
Then:
Davidson: "Funds received"
Howard: "Unbelievable"
Davidson: "Was never really sure..."
52/ PLEASE NOTE: I’m on the west coast, so it’s only 7:30ish am here now.
I will be breaking to do my thing, then come back to catch you up on what happened while I was busy with Mr. Blow Dryer.
@GottaLaff NFL I am so impressed with Laffy’s coverage. Log in at 7:30am and the thread is already 50 posts long! We need to send this girl on a long vacation when the trial is over!