The criminal trial of Donald J. Trump on Friday will feature the continued cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, David Pecker, as defense lawyers try to discredit the idea that there had been a plot to protect Mr. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
On Thursday, Mr. Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer, described his own involvement in the suppression of the stories of two women who claimed to have had sex with Mr. Trump: Karen McDougal, a Playboy model, and Stormy Daniels, the porn star whose 2016 hush-money payoff is at the root of the prosecution’s case.
Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels, who has said they had a sexual encounter in 2006 and was shopping that story in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election.
Mr. Trump, the first American president to face criminal trial, has denied the accusations and the sexual encounter with Ms. Daniels.
Here’s what else to know about the trial:
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The Manhattan district attorney’s office has accused Mr. Trump of falsifying business records when he reimbursed his personal lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, for the payment. If convicted, Mr. Trump could receive probation, or up to four years in prison.
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This may be the only trial Mr. Trump faces before Election Day. His three other criminal cases are delayed, including one in Washington, where he is accused of plotting to overturn his 2020 election loss. On Thursday, the Supreme Court heard arguments over whether Mr. Trump should be immune from prosecution for acts he committed while president. The court’s conservative majority seemed poised to narrow the scope of the case, which could make it hard to conduct the trial before the 2024 election.
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Mr. Trump has injected an element of menace into his Manhattan case, attacking both witnesses and the jury, which prosecutors say could put them in danger. The prosecution argued on Thursday that Mr. Trump had violated a gag order in the case four more times, bringing the number of alleged violations to 15. They have asked the judge presiding over the trial, Juan M. Merchan, to hold Mr. Trump in contempt, but he has not yet ruled on the matter.