In an effort to sway the jury, prosecutors attempted to inject life into what could easily be mistaken for a dull affair: Trump’s hush money trial. Yet, as the courtroom droned on with endless displays of checks and financial documents, any hope for excitement dwindled. The narrators of this tedious saga were two longtime Trump Organization employees, hardly captivating speakers, tasked with detailing the mundane flow of money within the company.
Despite the lackluster atmosphere, there was a critical purpose behind the documentary-like proceedings. Prosecutors meticulously laid out the groundwork necessary to prove the 34 felony charges against Trump, all hinging on the technicalities of New York’s business recordkeeping laws.
Jurors were shown checks bearing Trump’s signature, each worth $35,000 and sent to Michael Cohen in 2017. The hope was to convince the jury of Trump’s direct involvement in the hush money arrangement with porn star Stormy Daniels. However, the courtroom drama fell flat as attorneys delved into the intricacies of accounting practices rather than the salacious details of the case.
The anticipation for explosive revelations, perhaps a face-off between Trump and Cohen or testimony from alleged paramours like Daniels and Karen McDougal, was palpable. Yet, such moments remained elusive, with prosecutors revealing they had weeks’ worth of witnesses left to call.
Meanwhile, defense attorneys seemed content to let the prosecution carry the burden of boredom. Their cross-examination of witnesses was brief, with Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche offering only cursory questions. As the monotony persisted, prosecutors attempted to tease out hints of secrecy and irregularity surrounding the payments to Cohen, framing them as potential evidence of corporate fraud.
In a rare moment of levity, former controller Jeffrey McConney revealed that payments to Cohen were not subjected to the usual legal scrutiny within the Trump Organization. Instead, they were handled discreetly, raising suspicions of impropriety.
