Testimony in the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump has pivoted from weeks of salacious stories of sex and scandal to focus on the financial transactions at the center of the case.
A current and a former employee in the Trump Organization’s accounting department on Monday walked jurors through the dry but crucial financial records that tie Mr. Trump to reimbursements made to his longtime fixer, Michael D. Cohen, for a $130,000 hush-money payoff to a porn star days before the 2016 election.
The porn star, Stormy Daniels, who said she had sex with Mr. Trump in 2006, wanted to go public about her encounter in 2016, but Mr. Cohen made a deal to bury her story before Election Day.
The former president is accused of falsifying business records to cover up reimbursements to Mr. Cohen, who made the hush-money payment himself.
It’s unclear who will be the next major witness. A handful of candidates remain for prosecutors to call. They include people central to the entire case, such as Ms. Daniels and Mr. Cohen.
The Trump Organization employees who were questioned on Monday, Jeffrey S. McConney and Deborah Tarasoff, testified that the repayments to Mr. Cohen originated from Mr. Trump’s personal bank account while he was president of the United States. The checks were sent to the White House for his signature and returned signed in black Sharpie.
The checks bearing Mr. Trump’s signature were displayed during the testimony of Ms. Tarasoff, the Trump Organization’s accounts payable supervisor. They are at the heart of the 34 felony counts against the former president.
Here’s what else to know about the trial:
Denials and serious risk: Mr. Trump, 77, the first American president to face criminal prosecution, has denied the charges and says he did not have sex with Ms. Daniels. If convicted, he could face prison time or probation.
More gag-order trouble: The judge in the case, Juan M. Merchan, scolded Mr. Trump again on Monday for further violating a gag order barring him from attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff and others. Justice Merchan fined Mr. Trump $1,000 and said future violations could land Mr. Trump in jail.
$420,000 to Mr. Cohen: The former fixer made a $130,000 hush-money payment to Ms. Daniels, but the reimbursement to Mr. Cohen by Mr. Trump was far more: $420,000. Read about why in our takeaways from Monday’s testimony.
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