Reality Check said:

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Gyles Marrett said:

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Im Gipper said:

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nortex97 said:

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If he paid it to keep it from further getting out to protect his family from the lies…it's again not 'election fraud.'

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I believe that even if he did it just in part to protect his family, its not an election law violation. Going on memory, but I think it has to be solely for the election.

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So if a candidate goes out and buys a new suit for a campaign event but plans of course to wear the suit more than once in the future at non campaign related events/work days....is that a campaign expenditure? In other words how clear are the lines or are they pretty blurry. In my example could it be classified either way and be fine?

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Well, if a candidate pays on opposition research firm to generate a completely false dossier on her opponent and falsely reports it as "legal expenses." then an $800,000 fine covers everything up.

But you have to be a Democrat to get away with that.

https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-2022-midterm-elections-business-elections-presidential-elections-5468774d18e8c46f81b55e9260b13e93

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aggiehawg said:

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Stormy Daniels said all she knew about Trump is that he was a golfer and had a reality show "that I had never seen" called "Celebrity Apprentice."
She was 27 at the time of their meeting.
"He was as old or older than my father," Daniels said. She added her father was 60.
Daniels says that she was introduced to him as a director. "You direct, too, you must be the smart one," she says he told her.
Daniels says she later saw Trump in the gift room at the tournament. Later at the gift shop she say Trump remembered her. "He remembered me specifically... that I was the smart one," she said putting her hands in air quotes.

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asks Stormy Daniels to identify Donald Trump in the courtroom.
She darts her head around the witness stand and then spots him.
Daniels points and says he in the "navy blue jacket."
Trump appeared to look in her direction as she pointed to him but made no visible reaction.

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Donald Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller, asked Stormy Daniels if she would have dinner with Trump, she testifies.
"F no, " Daniels says she replied.
She was then asked to clarify because she said it softly. Daniels says, "NO, but with an expletive in front."

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When Stormy Daniels speaks of Trump, she is calling him "Mr. Trump."
The jury is seeing a photo of Trump standing with his golf club wearing the same yellow shirt and red hat.
"It is a photo of Mr. Trump on the golf course," Daniels says of the photo.

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"We move for a mistrial based on the testimony of this witness," said Trump attorney Todd Blanche says following this morning's testimony from Stormy Daniels.
He says the court set "guardrails" and her testimony went over them.
"A lot of the testimony that this witness talked about today is way different than the story she was peddling in 2016," Blanche says.

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aggiehawg said:

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"We move for a mistrial based on the testimony of this witness," said Trump attorney Todd Blanche says following this morning's testimony from Stormy Daniels.
He says the court set "guardrails" and her testimony went over them.
"A lot of the testimony that this witness talked about today is way different than the story she was peddling in 2016," Blanche says.

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In his argument for a mistrial, Todd Blanche says the defense attorneys can't think of a way to properly remedy the testimony Stormy Daniels gave to the jury this morning.

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"A lot of the testimony this witness talked about today is way different than the story she was peddling in 2016," he says.

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Blanche is raising parts of her testimony including that she said she "blacked out," didn't wear a condom when one was required by her employer, the bodyguard outside, their height difference, and the power dynamic.

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oddy Blanche says Stormy Daniels is telling a different story.
"She talked about a consensual encounter with President Trump that she was trying to sell. ... and that's not the story she told today," the attorney says.
He says that the judge was aware there would be an issue establishing "guardrails" for the testimony.
"But now we've heard it. And it is an issue. How can you unring the bell?" Blanche says.

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger said Stormy Daniels' testimony is "highly probative of defendant's intent" and Trump's "motive for paying this off."
"This is not new. This is not a new account," Hoffinger said.

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Trump attorney Todd Blanche is saying "we believe, regrettably, that there should be a mistrial," and that Stormy Daniels' testimony in any new trial should be excluded or limited.

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Attorney Todd Blanche is arguing that Stormy Daniels' testimony "makes it impossible to come back from."
"This is the kind of testimony that makes it impossible to come back from not even talking about the fact that we're talking about somebody is going to go out and campaign this afternoon," Blanche says.
"This has nothing to do with the reason why we're here, your honor," he adds.
"She testified today about consent, about danger, and that's not the story she was peddling. Sorry, that's not the story she was selling " at the time of the non-disclosure agreement, Blanche says.
Blanche notes that media outlets were already reporting at lunch about Daniels narrative questioning consent.

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says Stormy Daniels' testimony was necessary to show Donald Trump's motive for the hush money scheme and cover-up.
Daniels' salacious story "is precisely what the defendant did not want to become public," she says.
Hoffinger said Trump's team "opened the door" to this by introducing into evidence a text message that referenced the threat Daniels said she received in 2011.

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"It was incumbent upon us to bring out those details in the direct" to rehabilitate her testimony after the defense attacked her credibility with previous witness, attorney Keith Davidson.

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Hoffinger says the prosecution was "extremely mindful about not eliciting too much detail about the initial act."

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Im Gipper said:

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BREAKING: Stormy Daniels just asked the judge if he wants to gag her

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 7, 2024

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says the defense's "statement that this is an entirely new story is not accurate."
"At the end of the day, your honor, this is what the defendant was trying to hide in terms of the payoff in 2016 before the election," Hoffinger says.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche responds:

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"That misses the point. The point of the argument is that the reason why this evidence in theory is admissible over our objection is because these are in theory the facts presented to (Keith) Davidson and (Michael) Cohen so they could evaluate whether to enter into an NDA and supposedly the facts and details to be kept from the American people in 2016."

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says the story that Stormy Daniels told "is an exhibit, if you would, of what Mr. Trump" didn't want to get disclosed.

Hoffinger says they'd be fine with a limiting instruction to the jury but this testimony from Daniels was necessary to speak to her credibility.

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Todd Blanche argues:

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"I don't think anybody, anybody, can listen to what that witness said, think that has anything to do with the charges, and the entire testimony is so prejudicial that you run the very high risk of the jury not being able to focus on the evidence that actually does matter," he says.

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Judge Juan Merchan said, "As a threshold matter, I agree Mr. Blanche, that there were some things that probably would've been better left unsaid."
"Having said that, I don't believe we're at a point where a mistrial is warranted," Merchan said.

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Judge Juan Merchan, in denying the mistrial, acknowledged Stormy Daniels was difficult to control and some questions didn't need to be asked.

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"Whether these are new stories or not new stories the remedy is on cross examination," Merchan says, noting that he objected himself when he felt the defense hadn't.

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Judge Juan Merchan also says he was surprised there weren't more objections from Trump's team during Stormy Daniels' testimony.
"The defense has to take some responsibility for that," he says.
"When you say 'the bell has been rung,' the defense has to take some responsibility for that," Merchan adds, referring to Trump attorney Todd Blanche's argument for a mistrial in which he asked "how do you unring a bell?"

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Merchan says he will give limiting instruction to jury about Daniels' account of being threatened

Judge Juan Merchan reiterates that he will give a limiting instruction to the jury about Stormy Daniels' testimony of being threatened in 2011.

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Having said that, I don't believe we're at a point where a mistrial is warranted," Merchan said.

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The lawyers appear to be hashing out language for a limiting instruction to the jury.

Trump is chatting with attorney Emil Bove at the defense table. Todd Blanche whispered something to him when he returned.

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aggiehawg said:

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Quote:

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says the defense's "statement that this is an entirely new story is not accurate."
"At the end of the day, your honor, this is what the defendant was trying to hide in terms of the payoff in 2016 before the election," Hoffinger says.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche responds:

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"That misses the point. The point of the argument is that the reason why this evidence in theory is admissible over our objection is because these are in theory the facts presented to (Keith) Davidson and (Michael) Cohen so they could evaluate whether to enter into an NDA and supposedly the facts and details to be kept from the American people in 2016."

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says the story that Stormy Daniels told "is an exhibit, if you would, of what Mr. Trump" didn't want to get disclosed.

Hoffinger says they'd be fine with a limiting instruction to the jury but this testimony from Daniels was necessary to speak to her credibility.

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Todd Blanche argues:

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"I don't think anybody, anybody, can listen to what that witness said, think that has anything to do with the charges, and the entire testimony is so prejudicial that you run the very high risk of the jury not being able to focus on the evidence that actually does matter," he says.

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Judge Juan Merchan said, "As a threshold matter, I agree Mr. Blanche, that there were some things that probably would've been better left unsaid."
"Having said that, I don't believe we're at a point where a mistrial is warranted," Merchan said.

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Quote:

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Judge Juan Merchan, in denying the mistrial, acknowledged Stormy Daniels was difficult to control and some questions didn't need to be asked.

Quote:

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"Whether these are new stories or not new stories the remedy is on cross examination," Merchan says, noting that he objected himself when he felt the defense hadn't.

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Judge Juan Merchan also says he was surprised there weren't more objections from Trump's team during Stormy Daniels' testimony.
"The defense has to take some responsibility for that," he says.
"When you say 'the bell has been rung,' the defense has to take some responsibility for that," Merchan adds, referring to Trump attorney Todd Blanche's argument for a mistrial in which he asked "how do you unring a bell?"

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Merchan says he will give limiting instruction to jury about Daniels' account of being threatened

Judge Juan Merchan reiterates that he will give a limiting instruction to the jury about Stormy Daniels' testimony of being threatened in 2011.

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Im Gipper said:

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Quote:

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Having said that, I don't believe we're at a point where a mistrial is warranted," Merchan said.

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Blanche knows this. He's sowing the seeds for what will be another ask later.

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Trump attorney Susan Necheles tells Judge Merchan that once he signaled he thought Stormy Daniels' testimony had gone too far, the defense started to consistently object.

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"But up until that point, we really had felt your honor had ruled at the bench that they were allowed to do what they were doing."

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Merchan responded: "I think that I signaled to you and to the prosecution that we were going into way too much detail."

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Judge Juan Merchan says it will take some more time to hash out the language of the limiting instruction for the jury.

"With consent of defense counsel," prosecutor Susan Hoffinger stepped out to give instruction to the witness to stay focused while answering questions, Merchan says, referring to Stormy Daniels.

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The motion for a mistrial is part of a wider strategy for the defense in the hush money trial against Donald Trump, CNN Chief Legal Correspondent Paula Reid said.
The motion was put forth because Trump was not happy about Stormy Daniels testimony, but despite the judge denying it, this plays into a bigger strategy.

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"This will preserve the issue for their appeal and remember, that is the overarching strategy. We've said from day one, assert every objection, preserve every single option so that if this doesn't go your way, if your client is convicted, try to overturn this on appeal through death by a thousand cuts," Reid said.

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Stormy Daniels walked in and looked at the back of Trump's head. He was facing forward. She is seated as we wait for the jury.

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aggiehawg said:

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Quote:

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says the defense's "statement that this is an entirely new story is not accurate."
"At the end of the day, your honor, this is what the defendant was trying to hide in terms of the payoff in 2016 before the election," Hoffinger says.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche responds:

Quote:

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"That misses the point. The point of the argument is that the reason why this evidence in theory is admissible over our objection is because these are in theory the facts presented to (Keith) Davidson and (Michael) Cohen so they could evaluate whether to enter into an NDA and supposedly the facts and details to be kept from the American people in 2016."

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger says the story that Stormy Daniels told "is an exhibit, if you would, of what Mr. Trump" didn't want to get disclosed.

Hoffinger says they'd be fine with a limiting instruction to the jury but this testimony from Daniels was necessary to speak to her credibility.

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Todd Blanche argues:

Quote:

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"I don't think anybody, anybody, can listen to what that witness said, think that has anything to do with the charges, and the entire testimony is so prejudicial that you run the very high risk of the jury not being able to focus on the evidence that actually does matter," he says.

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Judge Juan Merchan said, "As a threshold matter, I agree Mr. Blanche, that there were some things that probably would've been better left unsaid."
"Having said that, I don't believe we're at a point where a mistrial is warranted," Merchan said.

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Quote:

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Judge Juan Merchan, in denying the mistrial, acknowledged Stormy Daniels was difficult to control and some questions didn't need to be asked.

Quote:

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"Whether these are new stories or not new stories the remedy is on cross examination," Merchan says, noting that he objected himself when he felt the defense hadn't.

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Judge Juan Merchan also says he was surprised there weren't more objections from Trump's team during Stormy Daniels' testimony.
"The defense has to take some responsibility for that," he says.
"When you say 'the bell has been rung,' the defense has to take some responsibility for that," Merchan adds, referring to Trump attorney Todd Blanche's argument for a mistrial in which he asked "how do you unring a bell?"

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Merchan says he will give limiting instruction to jury about Daniels' account of being threatened

Judge Juan Merchan reiterates that he will give a limiting instruction to the jury about Stormy Daniels' testimony of being threatened in 2011.

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The prosecutor began with a question to Stormy Daniels about delays in the promised payment from Michael Cohen in 2016.

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is asking Stormy Daniels to read an email her then-attorney Keith Davidson sent Michael Cohen on October 17, 2016.
The email demands payment by 5 p.m. PST that day. Jurors saw this email before during Davidson's testimony
Daniels says she authorized Davidson to cancel the deal "because the funds hadn't been sent."
In the email, Davidson told Cohen that his client deemed the settlement deal canceled and that Davidson no longer represented her.

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Stormy Daniels is now describing how the deal was revived, saying she signed a new nondisclosure agreement with the date changed.
She signed the NDA and side letter on October 28, 2016, she says.
The side agreement says that Donald Trump is referred to as David Dennison. Daniels confirms she understood the agreement to be with Trump.

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Tramp96 said:

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Can someone explain to me how in the legal world this is not blackmail?

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Stormy Daniels testifies she signed the new hush money deal.

After attorney Keith Davidson and her agent Gina Rodriguez took their fees, she ended up with "approximately $96,000," she said.

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The jury is being shown the November 4, 2016, Wall Street Journal story about American Media Inc.'s "catch and kill" deals involving Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
Before the article came out, WSJ reporters reached out to Daniels for comment. She said she didn't respond.
"Because I had a NDA," Daniels said, referring to the nondisclosure agreement.

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Stormy Daniels says 2016 was probably her best year ever, as she rattles off several highlights from that year.

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Stormy Daniels says Wall Street Journal reporters reached out to her again in January 2017 as they were about to publish a story about her $130,000 payment.
Daniels says she didn't respond to them because she was under the non-disclosure agreement.
"I was respecting that and didn't want to comment," she says.

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aggiehawg said:

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Quote:

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Stormy Daniels testifies she signed the new hush money deal.

After attorney Keith Davidson and her agent Gina Rodriguez took their fees, she ended up with "approximately $96,000," she said.

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The jury is being shown the November 4, 2016, Wall Street Journal story about American Media Inc.'s "catch and kill" deals involving Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.
Before the article came out, WSJ reporters reached out to Daniels for comment. She said she didn't respond.
"Because I had a NDA," Daniels said, referring to the nondisclosure agreement.

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Stormy Daniels says 2016 was probably her best year ever, as she rattles off several highlights from that year.

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Stormy Daniels is now addressing the January 10, 2018 statement denying the sexual encounter with Donald Trump. Daniels said she didn't want to sign it because it wasn't true.
She was asked if it was "not true in details."
"Correct," Daniels says.

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After the Wall Street Journal story ran on January 12, 2018, Stormy Daniels said her life turned into "chaos."

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"Suddenly I was front and foremost everywhere," she says. "People on the front lawn."
"Blew my cover, I guess, for lack of a better way of explaining it," she says.

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After the publication of the Wall Street Journal article on January 12, 2018, InTouch Weekly magazine published the story about her interview from 2011, Stormy Daniels says.
She didn't want it out there and didn't get paid for it in 2018 as she was originally promised, Daniels testifies.
Earlier today, she described doing an interview with the celebrity gossip magazine.
She explained that she was supposed to be paid $15,000 for the article but that In Touch never ran the story in 2011.

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Stormy Daniels said she hired Michael Avenatti to get her out of the nondisclosure agreement "so I could stand up for myself."

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AustinAg2K said:

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I gotta be honest, if I'm a juror, I don't see how I can commit to any verdict without knowing if Trump blew his load on her ass or her face. It seems like that is highly relevant.

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Stormy Daniels testified that Michael Cohen in February 2018 was publicly saying she had a relationship with Trump "and he was the fixer." She used air quotes and shrugged as she said fixer.

Trump shook his head then commented to his attorney reacting to this.

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The prosecutor is asking Stormy Daniels about statements made by Michael Cohen,
Daniels was asked whether certain public statements upset her.

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"Yes," Daniels says. "He could talk about it and I couldn't."

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Daniels said she then went on "60 Minutes" to speak with Anderson Cooper "to get my story out."

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Before her "60 Minutes" appearance, Michael Avenatti filed a lawsuit in March 2018 trying to get Stormy Daniels out of the nondisclosure agreement with Donald Trump.
By the fall of 2018, Michael Cohen and Donald Trump agreed not to enforce the NDA, Stormy Daniels confirms.
Daniels says she published a book after being freed of the NDA, titled "Full Disclosure." She says the book is about her life, and it includes some descriptions of Trump.

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The prosecutor is asking Stormy Daniels about statements made by Michael Cohen,
Daniels was asked whether certain public statements upset her.

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"Yes," Daniels says. "He could talk about it and I couldn't."

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Daniels said she then went on "60 Minutes" to speak with Anderson Cooper "to get my story out."

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Before her "60 Minutes" appearance, Michael Avenatti filed a lawsuit in March 2018 trying to get Stormy Daniels out of the nondisclosure agreement with Donald Trump.
By the fall of 2018, Michael Cohen and Donald Trump agreed not to enforce the NDA, Stormy Daniels confirms.
Daniels says she published a book after being freed of the NDA, titled "Full Disclosure." She says the book is about her life, and it includes some descriptions of Trump.

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asks whether Stormy Daniels included "every detail of what occurred in the room" with Donald Trump.
"Not every detail, no," Daniels says.
Daniels said she wrote the book "so that my daughter would have an account from her mom's own words about what I had been through, and the reason why I did the things I did."

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Stormy Daniels is asked whether Michael Avenatti is still her lawyer.
"No," Daniels says with emphasis.
"Because I fired him and then later he was found guilty of stealing from not just myself but several other clients."
Some background: Avenatti was sentenced in December 2022 to 14 years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $11 million in restitution for embezzling millions of dollars from four of his clients and obstruction.

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Stormy Daniels says she has not yet paid all of the legal fees the courts say she owed Trump.
She says she has not paid them because she did not have the means and she did not think it was fair.

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Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is asking Stormy Daniels why she went on Michel Cohen's "Mea Culpa" podcast.
"Because I wanted him to apologize to me," Daniels says.
Asked if Cohen apologized, Daniels says "he did."
Asked why she went on Cohen's podcast again, Daniels says "because we had a good rapport," and he wanted to ask specific questions about the Michael Avenatti case.

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Stormy Daniels says she was not paid to appear or participate in her documentary, called "Stormy."
But the production company paid her $125,000 for the licensing rights to her material and book. She said she's been paid $100,000 so far.
Daniels said she started on the documentary in 2018 before she was subpoenaed in this case.
When asked why she did the documentary, she said, "To get the truth out, same as the book." She adds, "An updated account."
To note: Trump's team had subpoenaed NBC and Daniels in connection with the documentary. It was released on March 18, one week before the original start date of this trial. The judge quashed the subpoenas.

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rgag12 said:

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So when does Bragg file rape charges? (Half kidding)

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aggiehawg said:

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Quote:

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Stormy Daniels says she has not yet paid all of the legal fees the courts say she owed Trump.
She says she has not paid them because she did not have the means and she did not think it was fair.

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aggiehawg said:

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rgag12 said:

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So when does Bragg file rape charges? (Half kidding)

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This encounter supposedly occurred in Lake Tahoe. No jurisdiction in NY.

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