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Trump hush money trial live updates: Testimony to resume with Robert Costello on the stand
Robert Costello, a defense witness in Donald Trump’s hush money case, whom the judge threatened to remove from the trial over his behavior, will return to the stand as the trial nears its end.
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As Donald Trump’s hush money trial resumes, witness testimony could be entering its final day. Prosecutors have already rested their case and the defense may follow suit after calling just a handful of witnesses.
With the trial nearing its close, a reminder of key events in the case
The events at the center of former President Donald Trump’s hush money case date back almost two decades, with new dates coming to light as the trial plays out in a Manhattan courtroom.
Here are the key moments in the case, as described in trial testimony and court documents.
Judge still weighing the former president’s bid to dismiss the case
Donald Trump’s lawyers on Monday pressed the judge overseeing his hush money trial to stop the case from going to the jury and throw out the charges after prosecutors concluded their presentation of evidence.
Judge Juan M. Merchan did not immediately rule on the request and did not indicate when exactly he would make a decision on the motion.
Meanwhile, ‘The Apprentice,’ about a young Donald Trump, premieres in Cannes
“The Apprentice” arrived at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. (May 20)
While Donald Trump’s hush money trial entered its sixth week in New York, an origin story for the Republican presidential candidate premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday, unveiling a scathing portrait of the former president in the 1980s.
“The Apprentice,” directed by the Iranian Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi, stars Sebastian Stan as Trump. The central relationship of the movie is between Trump and Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong), the defense attorney who was chief counsel to Joseph McCarthy’s 1950s Senate investigations.
Who is Robert Costello?
Judge Juan Merchan, left, castigates witness Robert Costello about his “decorum” in the courtroom in Manhattan criminal court, May 20, 2024, in New York. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
A former federal prosecutor in New York, Costello is relevant to the case because of his role as an antagonist to Trump attorney-turned-adversary Michael Cohen since their professional relationship splintered in spectacular fashion.
The attorney had offered to represent Cohen soon after the lawyer’s hotel room, office and home were raided by the FBI in 2018 and as he faced a decision about whether to remain defiant in the face of a criminal investigation or to cooperate with investigators in hopes of securing more lenient treatment.
Attorney Robert Costello to return to the witness stand
Donald Trump’s hush money trial entered its final stretch with the prosecution resting its case late Monday afternoon following the conclusion of star witness Michael Cohen ‘s testimony.
A defense witness in Donald Trump’s hush money trial who the judge threatened to kick out of the courtroom over his behavior will return to the stand Tuesday while the judge weighs the former president’s bid to dismiss the case.
Attorney Robert Costello’s testimony was a source of discord on Monday between attorneys on both sides, with prosecutors arguing that he should not be allowed to testify at all.