Prosecutors are inching closer to the heart of the crime

 

Prosecutors in the Trump hush money trial are inching closer to the heart of the crime, focusing on the reimbursements made to Michael Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels. While the payments themselves are not illegal, Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to how he allegedly hid the reimbursements to Cohen.

Over the past two weeks, prosecutors have meticulously examined the negotiations leading up to the hush money payments made to Karen McDougal and Daniels before the 2016 election. However, the payments alone are not the core of the case. The prosecution's attention is on how Trump allegedly concealed the reimbursements to Cohen, which is the crux of the falsified business records charges.

Hope Hicks, a former Trump aide, testified that Trump informed her about the hush money payment to Daniels after Cohen made a statement to The New York Times claiming he made the payment without Trump's knowledge. Hicks acknowledged that it would be out of character for Cohen to make such a payment out of kindness, implying that Trump's involvement was likely.

Hicks also revealed that Trump believed it was better for the story to come out in 2018 rather than before the 2020 election. This statement sets the stage for future witnesses to testify about the reimbursements and the alleged falsification of business records.

Although Hicks did not have direct knowledge of the payments or reimbursements, her testimony has brought the prosecution closer to the crime. Her account of Trump's response to the emerging stories about Cohen's payment to Daniels in 2018 provides valuable context for the events that unfolded.

As the trial progresses, prosecutors will likely call witnesses who will detail the reimbursements and the alleged falsification of business records. The prosecution's goal is to demonstrate that Trump knowingly hid the reimbursements to Cohen, which is the essence of the charges against him. With each new testimony, the prosecution inches closer to building a strong case against Trump.