hakuin
LaffyNEW #TrumpTrial THREAD STARTS HERE 🧵 #legal #Trump 1/...
Anna Bower:
Trump has returned to his seat in courtroom 1530.
Keith Davidson is back on the stand.
Here we go!
2/ Pagliery:
After a lunch break, Davidson is back. He slowly strode through the courtroom in his pointy black dress shoes, adjusted his jacket and sat down at the witness stand.
He seems to be a bit uncomfortable as prosecutors explore his texts with entertainment journalist Dylan Howard.
3/ Emptywheel:
All people who love Trump more than his spouse, I guess.
Kaitlan Collins:
Good afternoon from the New York courtroom. Texas AG Ken Paxton, Susie Wiles and Jason Miller are all from the political orbit inside on Trump's behalf, in addition to his son Eric Trump. Wiles and Eric Trump spoke briefly before the judge entered. Court is now underway.
4/ Inner City Press (Press):
Prosecutor: Good afternoon Mr. Howard! Oh, sorry, Davidson. Please look at these texts.
Davidson: Dylan wanted the deal between Karen McDougal and AMI to happen.
Davidson: Dylan wrote, "F- it, not my money, I'll just ask."
Prosecutor: Is the full F word written out in the text?
Davidson: Yes. Then he wrote, She's getting pressed by Ronda Schwartz.
Prosecutor: Who's she?
Davidson: She worked for Brian Ross of ABC
5/ NOTE: I HAVE TO LEAVE IN 30 MIN. for an appt.
I'll resume when I get back.
Moving on...
Bower:
On Aug. 2, 2016, Davidson and Howard continued to negotiate regarding the potential deal for McDougal's story with AMI. Davidson told Howard that McDougal would accept the deal if he could get AMI to agree to pay $150,000.
6/ PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO USE "NFL" (Not For Laffy). I can't read replies while live posting.
Press:
Davidson: Then AMI's general counsel set me a contract that didn't jibe with what had been negotiated with Dylan. I replied, Need to handle this quickly. The general counsel wanted to call Michael Cohen.
Prosecutor: Did you ask why?
Davidson: I don't remember
7/ Phang:
Howard texts Davidson on July 28, 2016: "I need this to happen."
Davidson testifies that AMI's then-General Counsel tells him to call Michael Cohen as they're trying to hammer out the details of the agreement between AMI and McDougal.
Davidson responds: "I've been trying like hell to avoid that." Explaining that in 2011, he dealt with Cohen and it was unpleasant and so he wanted to avoid dealing with Cohen again.
8/ Press:
Davidson: I had dealt with Michael Cohen in 2011 and had not enjoyed it. So I was trying to avoid it.
Prosecutor: Did Dylan say anything else?
Davidson: F*cking Jesus.
Prosecutor: It's okay, you're just quoting. Did you call Cohen?
Davidson: Yes
9/ Bower:
On Aug. 5, 2016, Howard texted Davidson: "Ok we are paying."
Davidson replied to Howard "I told Cohen this never would've happened without you"
"He’s hopeless," Howard said, referring to Cohen. "Oh well, another one done."
Davidson says that after the deal closed with AMI, he called Michael Cohen. He let him know that the deal involving Cohen's client--Donald Trump--had closed. He told Cohen that the deal would not have happened without him. Cohen was "pleased," Davidson testifies
10/ Klasfeld:
Davidson said he understood that McDougal deal for Michael Cohen's "client" closed, which he said referred to Trump.
11/ Pagliery:
Steinglass: Why buy a story didn't intend to print?
Davidson: They were trying to build Karen into a brand & didn't want to diminish her reputation. The second was an unspoken understanding that there was a close relationship between David Pecker (AMI chief) and Donald Trump.
Davidson: They wouldn't run the story... because it would tend to hurt Donald Trump.
Steinglass: You mean Donald Trump's campaign?
Davidson: Yes.
12/ Press:
Prosecutor: Based on non-privileged communications to which you were privy, what married man benefited form this?
Davidson: Donald Trump.
Prosecutor: How much went to you?
Davidson: 45%
Prosecutor: Did you think AMI would ever publish it?
Davidson: No.
Prosecutor: Why?
Davidson: It was said AMI would not want to hurt Karen's brand. But mostly, there was an affinity between David Pecker and Donald Trump - so, to not hurt Trump
Prosecutor: You mean his campaign?
Davidson: Yes.
13/ Klasfeld:
The prosecutor notes that the effective date on Karen McDougal's agreement is same date that the text messages indicate the deal closed.
Davidson acknowledges that the liquidated damages clause meant that if McDougal told her story to anyone else, she would have to pay $150,000.
14/ Klasfeld:
Three days after the execution date of the contract, Davidson and Howard exchanged texts about letting down ABC.
"Btw - they promised her a role on dancing with the stars. Season 578568655," Davidson quipped, confirming this was a joke.
"Ha!" Howard replied.
15/ Pagliery:
Davidson doesn't want to go into detail, but he's made clear that he played ABC against AMI to score a better deal for McDougal.
He dragged along ABC's longtime chief investigative producer, Rhonda Schwartz, for weeks. When AMI paid up, he let ABC know McDougal would decline.
16/ Pagliery:
It's pretty rare for us to get insight into how rich, powerful, or celebrity types try to exploit journalists—or use us as a tool.
Real reporters don't pay for stories. We don't pay for exclusives. It cheapens the work, creates bad incentives, & entices liars.
ABC got played.
Klasfeld:
Questioning pivots to Davidson's former client Stephanie Clifford aka Stormy Daniels.
17/ Sorry folks, I have to leave for awhile.
18/ I'm back. I'll recap via Phang. The following are all from her:
Now, the prosecution moves on to a new line of questioning with Keith Davidson about his other client Stormy Daniels.
Per Davidson, a woman named Gina Rodriguez referred Stormy to him. Gina was a talent manager and Stormy was considered to be "talent."
19/ Phang:
Davidson: “There was a blog post or a story posted on the website (for radar.com) that stated that Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump had some sort of physical romantic interaction."
So Davidson sent a cease and desist letter to Radar.
20/ Phang:
Gina Rodriguez then calls up Davidson and says that "some jerk called me and was very very aggressive and threatened to sue me, and I would like you to call him back."
Gina gave Davidson the number and he called the Trump Org and got transferred to Michael Cohen.
DAVIDSON: “Before I could even get my name out I was just met with a hostile barrage of insults…and that went on for awhile."
21/ Davidson testifies that he explained to Michael Cohen that Stormy did not want the story to be published and he asked Cohen if he had done anything to get it taken down. Cohen responded that he had not, but told Davidson to try. Davidson was successful in having the post taken down.
Davidson is then asked about the Access Hollywood tape. He says that the tape had "tremendous influence" in terms of interest in Stormy.
Rory@GottaLaff See you soon Laffy. Take care.
@rlstone4dems What a day
@GottaLaff I can't imagine the days you must have Laffy. Having to listen to those type must be aggravating...
@rlstone4dems Listen to what type?
joe•iuculano 
"What a Day" is right! You walked us through 62 posts in the morning session, another 40 posts in the afternoon, a total of 102 posts, apart from all the extraneous posts not concerning this trial.
I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your work and effort in bringing this to us all in one place.
Thank you so very much, Laffy!
🤗
@iuculano @GottaLaff And I totally agree with you Joe. Here's a another "big thanks" for doing this, Laffy.
JerseyBlue@GottaLaff Thank you for your service.
@dnelson And for free! lol
Hedgewizard 🐈Your personal experiences, coming as they do amidst an existential crisis for the US, and punctuated by the record you're creating on Mastodon, would make an engaging book i think. I hope you're archiving this stuff!
@Hedgewizard Lol, not a chance. But thanks. @dnelson
Danette 🐬@GottaLaff thanks!! I’m catching up on the day but appreciate your work today!!
@Danetteb What a day. Live posting, dentist, house showing (went nowhere), more live posting.
@GottaLaff it’s so much work to have your house for sale 😭 You’re my hero! Keeping up on all this and that! ❤️❤️
@Danetteb Thank you. I don't feel much like a hero. I just wish the damn house would sell.
@GottaLaff well if an iota of positive thinking helps, I’m definitely sending them your way!!
PlantingTrees😷🇨🇦🌻👠NFL: Trump practising to play the trumpet announcing his personal apocalypse.
Janis@GottaLaff Nope you're not allowed to leave. LOL (teasing). You're SOOOO appreciated my dear friend!
Josh@GottaLaff Via the narrative inside my head:
“[Eric Trump, whining] come on you guys, you’re really fucking with my inheritance here!”
“[Eric Trump, whining] come on you guys, you’re really fucking with my inheritance here!”
TC Won't Give In To Lies@josh @GottaLaff
What inheritance?
Eric Trump has been close enough to the business to know it's all debt.
@GottaLaff
Why is the Texas AG at Trump's NY trial? Very fishy.
Why is the Texas AG at Trump's NY trial? Very fishy.
Jennifer Kayla | Theogrin 🦊NFL: Paxton has been one of Trump's more ardent supporters, and has a vested interest in making sure that Mr. Ex-President Spray-On gets the opportunity to issue a blanket pardon for everything Paxton and his ilk have done which turns out to be a criminal violation -- and everything they want to continue to do.
Darwin Woodka@TCatInReality @GottaLaff NFL trying to figure out how the law works in states with real laws?
@TCatInReality @GottaLaff NFL of course!
@GottaLaff NFL is Paxton there trying to figure out how states with real laws actually work?