Former porn actress Stormy Daniels’ lawyer, Keith Davidson, testified on Tuesday in former President Donald Trump’s criminal trial, revealing that he believed Trump was the driving force behind the agreement to silence his client. The trial, the first criminal trial against a former president in the history of the United States, entered its third week with Trump in attendance along with his son Eric Trump and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Davidson, who negotiated a $130,000 payment to keep Daniels silent about her alleged affair with Trump, indicated that he understood the source of the money was Trump or a corporate affiliation of the politician. He also represented Playboy model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump.
Before Davidson’s testimony, videos from 2016 were shown in court where Trump denied accusations of extramarital affairs, calling them “horrible” and “total fiction.” Trump continues to deny any relationship with these women.
Another witness, banker Gary Farro, testified about Cohen’s efforts to open a financial account used to pay Stormy Daniels. Trump was fined $9,000 for contempt of a ‘gag order,’ prohibiting him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors, and jury members. Although he complied with deleting offensive posts, Trump expressed discontent on social media, calling the trial a “witch hunt” and claiming his constitutional right to freedom of expression was being violated.
Despite the fines, Trump was granted permission to attend his son Barron’s graduation on May 17, a day when the trial will not be in session. The trial continues with more witnesses expected to testify against the former president.