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NEW YORK — The sixth day of Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial is scheduled to start with arguments over whether the former president should be held in contempt for allegedly violating a gag order.
Prosecutors say Trump has violated that order at least 10 times and the judge should not only fine the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, but also warn him he could get jail time if things don’t change. Even Monday, Trump again attacked potential witness Michael Cohen outside the courtroom, saying Cohen “got caught lying, pure lying” in a previous trial.
Former media executive David Pecker is also expected to re-take the witness stand. Pecker was part of a “catch-and-kill” conspiracy with Trump to quash stories that could hurt Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, according to prosecutors.
Keep up with USA TODAY’s live updates from inside and outside the Manhattan courtroom:
What time does the Trump hush money trial start today?
Proceedings are expected to begin at 9:30 a.m. eastern time, starting with arguments on whether Trump violated gag orders.
Who is David Pecker, the first witness in Donald Trump’s trial?
David Pecker is the former head of the tabloid the National Enquirer’s parent company American Media Inc. (AMI).
Pecker was president and CEO of AMI in August 2015, when he met with Trump and his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to “help deal with negative stories about Trump” by purchasing them and not publishing them, a practice known as “catch and kill.”
AMI paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for her life story, including relationships with “any then-married man” but didn’t publish the story, according to records.
Questioning just scratched the surface when Pecker took the stand Monday. He described his duties at AMI and confirmed he had “final say” over publishing an article about a famous person.
– Bart Jansen & Kinsey Crowley
Is the Trump trial televised?
No. New York typically does not allow for audio or visual coverage in the courtroom.
However, official transcripts of each day’s proceedings will be published on the New York State Unified Court System’s press website by the end of the following business day, officials announced Monday.
Trump Media stock price
At close on April 22, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp share price fell to $35.50, up slightly from open but down 2.42% from previous close.
10 gag order violations?
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy told Judge Juan Merchan last week that Trump has violated the judge’s gag order at least 10 times, including by posting, “Has disgraced attorney and felon Michael Cohen been prosecuted for LYING?”
The gag order forbids Trump from publicly commenting on jurors, as well as on potential witnesses’ participation in the case. Trump lawyer Emil Bove said Thursday that Cohen has been attacking Trump, and the gag order doesn’t forbid Trump from responding to political attacks.
After just the first three alleged violations, Conroy asked Merchan to fine Trump $1,000 per violation – the maximum fine allowed – and to warn him “that future violations can be punished with additional sanctions, including imprisonment.” Conroy later updated Merchan that the prosecution documented another seven statements it believes were also violations.
