The third week of former President Donald Trump's New York criminal trial will kick off Tuesday with continued testimony from its third witness, bank executive Gary Farro.
Farro testified last Friday that Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, was his client when Cohen wired $130,000 in "hush money" to Stormy Daniels' lawyer days before the 2016 election.
Farro worked at First Republic Bank when Cohen paid Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. Prosecutors say the arrangement was intended to protect Trump's campaign, and that Trump falsified records when repaying Cohen to hide the alleged scheme.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony falsification of business records counts in the case and has denied all allegations, including that he had an extramarital sexual encounter.
Farro on Friday testified about Cohen's "sense of urgency" on Oct. 26, 2016, when he opened a bank account for a new corporation registered in Delaware called Essential Consultants LLC.
Recent events have revealed that a substantial sum of $130,000 was transferred by the company to the attorney of Daniels. This payment was made in exchange for the rights to her narrative, which detailed an alleged affair between her and Trump back in 2006. The trial's initial witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, provided testimony indicating that both Cohen and Trump were actively working to suppress this story. Their primary concern was the potential negative impact it could have on Trump's presidential campaign.
During the trial, another key witness, Trump's former executive assistant Rhona Graff, shared insights about a list she maintained containing Trump's contacts. Of particular note was an entry labeled "Stormy," suggesting a connection to the ongoing controversy.
