Trump hush money trial transcripts go live amid historic criminal case
The New York City court where former President Donald Trump stands accused of falsifying business records to cover up payments to an adult film star has published the transcripts from the first day of his trial.
It can read here.
The 120-page document details the dialogue of Trump's first day in the Manhattan criminal courtroom where he and his attorneys face off against District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his legal team.
"Good morning, your Honor, counsel, members of the jury," begins Matthew Colangelo, Senior Counsel to the District Attorney. "This case is about a criminal conspiracy and a cover-up.
"The defendant, Donald Trump, orchestrated a criminal scheme to corrupt the 2016 presidential election."
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in this case, and his attorney Todd Blanche stressed this point intently.
"President Trump is innocent," opened Blanche. "President Trump did not commit any crimes. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office should never have brought this case."
The document also details the initial testimony of David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher who told the court about his role suppressing stories detrimental to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
"Being in the publishing industry for 40 years," Pecker told the court, "I realized early in my career that the only thing that was important is the cover of a magazine."