After six weeks and more than 20 witnesses, lawyers from both sides Donald Trump’s criminal trial will make closing arguments Tuesday, presenting their final arguments to the jury before verdict deliberations begin this week.
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass began his presentation in the afternoon, defending the credibility of the prosecution’s key witness in the case, Michael Cohen. He told jurors that Cohen’s testimony was consistent with text messages, emails and phone calls presented at trial, and urged them to reject attacks from Trump’s defense.
Todd Blanche, Trump’s lead lawyer, argued that Trump did not commit a crime and that Cohen should not be trusted. He called Cohen “the biggest liar of all time.”
Trump is accused of signing off on a plan to illegally falsify records to conceal a $130,000 hush money payment directed by Cohen to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016. The scheme aimed to circumvent election law and keep the payment secret, according to prosecutors. They claim Trump falsely represented reimbursements of the $130,000 payment as monthly checks for ongoing legal services, paid during the first year of his presidency. He pleaded not guilty.
Trump’s defense argued that the checks and associated records were accurate. Blanche said the prosecution failed to prove its case and told the jury that Cohen lied about several aspects of the case, at one point calling his claims “absurd.”
After the jury hears the submissions from both sides, the judge will give them instructions and deliberations will begin. This will most likely happen on Wednesday.
News Source : www.cbsnews.com
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