“Locked in a Battle Over Experts”: Trump’s Legal Team Fails To Respond to Prosecution Requests in Stormy Daniels Hush Money Case

Jo ShawDec 1, 2023

Minute Read

In a tit-for-tat between state attorneys and Trump’s legal team, the Stormy Daniels hush money case is now facing what could potentially be long delays. In a recent article and court filings, it has been reported that Trump’s lawyers have failed to respond to prosecutors’ requests over who Trump’s expert witnesses would be to explain the payments made to the adult entertainer Stormy Daniels.

Trump Is Locked in a Battle Over Experts

Editorial Credit: James Andrews1/Shutterstock.

Jose Pagliery, a political investigations reporter for the DailyBeast, broke the news, stating in his article, “As the Manhattan District Attorney gears up for Donald Trump’s criminal trial next year, the former president is locked in a battle over experts.”

Who Will Explain the Payments?

Editorial credit: a katz / Shutterstock.

His article further reads, “Specifically, the Manhattan DA wants to know who Trump’s lawyers plan to call to the stand to rationalize the former president’s hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels—and Trump’s lawyers don’t want to say.”

33 Books to Be Referenced at Trial

The article reported that Trump’s legal team intentionally delayed revealing their expert witnesses due to a dispute with prosecutors regarding books. It further detailed that five of Trump’s lawyers requested information on the materials and specific references in the books related to the case in court filings.

No Intention to Comb Through Them

Pagliery pointed out that Trump’s lawyers seemingly had no intention “to comb through all of them.”

DA Had Asked For Witness Details 3 Months Ago

It was also noted that the chief of the DA’s investigations division, Susan Hoffinger, had previously sent an email to three of Trump’s lawyers in the summer to share information prosecutors were planning to use in the trial, and at the time, the DA had asked Trump’s lawyers to identify any expert witnesses.

Trump’s Lawyers Responded in October

Pagliery wrote in his article, “But in court filings, prosecutors say Trump’s lawyers didn’t respond to several follow-ups—until Oct. 20, when the billionaire’s attorneys essentially said: You first.”

DA Should Disclose Specifications

It was reported that Trump’s legal team responded by stating, “DANY did not produce these books in discovery, and it has not specified the specific parts of the books that the prosecutors believe are relevant and will be used at trial. The court should order DANY to disclose those specifications,”

DA Unable to Prepare for the Trial

Jose Pagliery has observed that, following almost three months of the DA’s inquiries, prosecutors have officially sought Justice Juan Merchan’s intervention. They filed a complaint, alleging that the former President was obstructing their efforts to prepare for the trial adequately.

Trump’s Lawyers Are “Hindering” the Trial

Matthew Colangelo, assistant district attorney, has also requested the Judge’s help to ascertain who Trump’s expert witnesses are. Pagliery reported that a memo from Colangelo stated, “Further delaying the required disclosures will hinder the People’s ability to prepare for trial.” Colangelo added, “Delaying defendant’s expert disclosures risks burdening the court with late motions… to exclude expert testimony.”

Trump Faces 34 Felony Charges

Earlier this year, District Attorney Bragg Jr. filed 34 felony charges against the former President over his efforts to conceal his hush money payment during the time leading up to the 2016 election. The concealment was portrayed as an apparent effort to prevent the porn star from damaging what eventually turned out to be Trump’s success in winning the Presidential campaign.

Cohen Set up a Shell Company for Payments

There are allegations that Michael Cohen facilitated a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels through a shell company he established. Subsequently, Trump reportedly reimbursed Cohen, and Trump’s company recorded these reimbursements as legal expenses.

Violations of Election Law

The entire basis of the DA’s case hinges on the assertion that Trump falsified business records, usually considered a misdemeanor. However, in this instance, it has been deemed a felony due to the alleged motivation behind concealing the payment – an attempt to cover up a violation of election law.

It’s a Personal Expenditure

Defense lawyer Joe Tacopina had previously told CNN that the payment to Stormy Daniels was a “personal expenditure, not a campaign expenditure.” While Trump has denied the affair, he did admit to making the payment to her shortly before his victory in the 2016 election.

Judge Refused to Dismiss Case

In July, Trump’s attorneys requested the Judge dismiss the case, a motion that was denied. They argued that District Attorney Alvin Bragg was “biased.”

Charges Based on Political Pressure

Trump’s lawyers entered a court filing that read, “Because of the unprecedented nature of the charges, and the evidence that they resulted from political pressure rather than an unbiased assessment of the evidence in furtherance of a commitment to do justice, the charges against President Trump must be dismissed.”

Prosecutors Have New Evidence From Campaign Insiders

During their investigation into the hush money case this year, prosecutors asserted that they obtained additional information from “campaign insiders.” This information, according to prosecutors, reinforced their claim of Trump’s involvement in the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and the violations of the law in regards to the subsequent cover-up.

Trump Claims 2024 Election Interference

In October, CNN disclosed that Trump’s legal team had submitted another motion to dismiss the indictment. One of the claims was that the charges were filed six years after the purported cover-up, suggesting the trial was an attempt to influence the 2024 presidential election.

A Historic Day That Could Be Banned From History Books

Users went online to discuss the case. One user wrote, “Are they going to ban this part in the history books at school because it features a porn star?” Another stated, “I feel like the door’s been busted open, and many more indictments are headed Trump’s way.”