NEW YORK TIMES
On the witness stand this week, Keith Davidson, a lawyer who represented women who said they had sex with Donald J. Trump, lifted the curtain on a sordid underworld of tabloid news and celebrity hush money. That testimony ended on a cliffhanger: Would the presidential candidate’s lawyer pay up?
On Thursday, after a midweek pause in Mr. Trump’s trial, Mr. Davidson is expected to resume where he left off, discussing the hush-money payment at the heart of the first criminal case against an American president. The deal involved his client, Stormy Daniels, who wanted to go public with her story of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump, and a $130,000 payment to buy her silence, provided by Mr. Trump’s fixer, Michael D. Cohen.
Prosecutors have charged Mr. Trump with falsifying business records to cover up repayments to Mr. Cohen, disguising the checks as “legal expenses” by the Trump Organization. If convicted, Mr. Trump faces up to four years in prison. He pleaded not guilty and has denied that he had sex with Ms. Daniels.
Mr. Davidson’s testimony on Tuesday ended with how he had started to doubt that Mr. Cohen would come through with the $130,000. Mr. Davidson portrayed Mr. Cohen as erratic and excitable — likening him to the dog in the animated movie “Up,” constantly distracted by a squirrel offscreen.
