The first week of arguments in Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial concluded Friday after jurors heard testimony from witnesses including Trump’s longtime assistant, Ronna Graff, who shared details of her 34 years at the Trump Organization and said she had a “vague recollection” of spotting Stormy Daniels in Trump Tower.
Earlier in the day, tabloid executive David Pecker concluded his four days on the witness stand, where he delved into his “catch-and-kill” arrangement with the former president.
The final witness of the week was Gary Farro, a managing director who worked at the bank used by Michael Cohen to arrange payment to Stormy Daniels — the transaction at the crux of the district attorney’s case.
Court will not be in session on Monday, meaning testimony will resume on Tuesday morning.
Here are the top takeaways from Day 8 of Trump’s hush money trial.
David Pecker concludes lengthy testimony
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker spent the better part of three days on the witness stand, expounding on the inner workings of his industry and detailing his “catch-and-kill” arrangement with Donald Trump and Michael Cohen.
On Friday, defense counsel sought to normalize the actions Pecker took on Trump’s behalf, calling them “standard operating procedure” and attempting to show that Pecker was more interested in selling magazines than protecting Trump.
Former President Donald Trump (C), sitting with attorneys Emil Bove (L) and Todd Blanche (R), attends his trial at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 26, 2024.
Jeenah Moon/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Prosecutors rebuffed those claims, eliciting testimony from Pecker to show that he misled his own attorneys about how he and Cohen conspired to “disguise” his company’s contract with Karen McDougal, whose story of an alleged affair with Trump was caught and killed.
“The actual purpose was to acquire the lifetime rights to the story so it wouldn’t be published,” Pecker testified.
Emil Bove, an attorney for Trump, attempted to poke holes in Pecker’s testimony, questioning the consistency of his remarks from the witness stand.
But Pecker pushed back, saying, “I know what the truth is. I know exactly what was said.”
Rhona Graff, Trump’s ‘gatekeeper,’ takes the stand
For 34 years, Rhona Graff had a front row seat to Donald Trump’s ascendance from New York real estate mogul to television star to president of the United States.
Her office in Trump Tower was situated “right next door” to his, and she maintained his contacts and calendar.
In that role, she saw everything — including, one day, Stormy Daniels.
“I have a vague recollection of seeing her in the reception area on the 26th floor” of Trump Tower, Graff testified.
Graff testified how she was responsible for updating the company contact list — which included entries for McDougal and Daniels.
On cross-examination, defense attorney Susan Nicheles elicited responses from Graff suggesting that Daniels may have been in Trump Tower because she was being considered for a role on Trump’s “Apprentice” TV show.
Graff said she was testifying under subpoena and did not want to be on the stand. She also said the Trump Organization was paying for her attorneys.
Banker testifies about ‘frantic call’ from Cohen
Gary Farro, a former senior managing director at First Republic Bank, testified about his interactions with Michael Cohen as the former president’s onetime fixer sought to arrange a payment to Stormy Daniels.
The banker described receiving a vague email from Cohen asking for help with an “important matter,” and later fielding a “frantic call” from Cohen while on the golf course.
“Every time Michael Cohen spoke to me, he gave a sense of urgency,” Farro said. “This is one of those times.”
Cohen told Farro he needed him to set up an LLC with a bank account to be used for a real estate transaction.
But according to prosecutors, the day the account was created, Cohen transferred in $131,000 from a personal home equity line of credit — and the next day he transferred out $130,000 to a lawyer for Stormy Daniels.