Stormy Daniels testifies about hush money and alleged sex with ex-president – ​​NBC 6 South Florida

• Porn star Stormy Daniels has begun testifying at Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
• Trump deleted a social media post ranting about how prosecutors in his hush money criminal trial are withholding their scheduled witness schedule.
• The Truth Social post was posted and deleted less than a day after Judge Juan Merchan threatened the former president with prison time for repeatedly violating his order of silence.
• Trump’s since-deleted post also accused Merchan of political bias.

This is developing news. Check back for updates throughout the day.

Porn star Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday just steps away from Donald Trumpto testify that she had sex with the former president and was then paid $130,000 to remain silent about it.

Daniels is at the center of the landmark case in which Trump is accused of falsifying business records related to a payment made to prevent Daniels from speaking before the 2016 presidential election about alleged sexual relations with Trump in 2006.

Michael Cohen, Trump’s then-lawyer, paid Daniels $130,000 less than two weeks before the election, which Trump went on to win. Trump’s scheme, which reimbursed Cohen while he was president, amounted to an attempt to illegally influence the election, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Before the jury entered the courtroom Tuesday morning, Trump lawyer Susan Necheles argued that Daniels should not be asked to testify “on details of sexual acts.”

There is “no reason” that details of the alleged gender “should be included in a books and records case,” Necheles told Judge Juan Merchan.

A prosecutor countered that it was very important to delve into the story of the alleged affair, including the conversation that led Daniels and Trump to have sex.

It won’t include “descriptions of genitals or anything,” the prosecutor said, “but it’s important for us to reveal that she had sex with him and how she felt about it .”

Merchan said that was fine, but there was no need to disclose details of the encounter in court.

The first witness called to the stand Tuesday was Sally Franklin, senior vice president of Random House Publishing Group. Franklin read aloud a number of passages from Trump’s books, including “Trump: How to Get Rich” and “Trump: Think Like a Billionaire.”

Trump deletes posts about judge and witnesses

News of Daniels’ expected appearance in Manhattan Supreme Court came after Trump issued — then quickly deleted — a raging statement about the witness schedule and judge in his trial.

Trump sent this Truth Social message less than a day after Merchan threatened the former president with prison time for repeatedly violating the gag order that bars him from speaking about likely witnesses at trial .

Trump fumed that prosecutors don’t tell defense attorneys which witnesses they plan to call until the day before the witness testifies.

“I was recently told who today’s witness was. This is unprecedented, the lawyers have no time to prepare,” Trump wrote in his message.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told Merchan on Monday that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is keeping its witness schedule secret, to prevent Trump from targeting people just before they take the stand.

But Steinglass noted that while they keep the order of witnesses close to the vest, Trump’s lawyers have had the list of witnesses and the list of exhibits they will present in the case for months.

Steinglass criticized Trump for forcing the decision, noting that he “violated the order restricting extrajudicial speech, and we did not want the names of the witnesses, or the names of the next witnesses, to be released.”

Earlier Monday, Merchan again charged Trump with contempt of court for his 10th violation of the hush order. It fined Trump up to $1,000 for the latest violation, adding up to $10,000 in fines for the 10 separate offenses.

But the judge noted that those fines were hardly a deterrent for Trump, a multi-billionaire.

“The last thing I want to do is put you in jail,” Merchan told Trump. But “I will, if necessary.”

Trump’s post, deleted as of Tuesday morning, also criticized Merchan at length, accusing him of political bias.

“No judge has ever conducted a trial in such a biased and partisan manner,” Trump said.

“He is TWISTED AND VERY CONFLICTED, even taking away my 1st Amendment rights. Now he is threatening me with jail, and THEY HAVE NO CASE – This according to virtually every legal expert and expert!” Trump wrote.

Trump’s lawyers have repeatedly failed to convince Merchan to recuse herself for what they claim is a conflict of interest stemming from his daughter’s work for a Democratic political firm.

The silence order prohibits Trump from speaking about likely witnesses in the case and from making certain statements about other related figures, including attorneys, court staff and members of their respective families. Merchan extended silence order after Trump targeted family members of judge and prosecutor