Closing arguments wrap up in Trump hush money case

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, US (AA) - Closing arguments in the hush money case against former US President Donald Trump wrapped up Tuesday in New York City, where the jury must now decide whether he is guilty on 34 criminal counts regarding falsifying business records to cover up a six-figure hush money payment to an adult film star.

Defense attorney Todd Blanche claimed that prosecutors had not presented a "shred of evidence" showing that Trump falsified business records when he reimbursed his former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen $130,000 for a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels to conceal her alleged extramarital affair with the former president so the story would not go public during the 2016 presidential election, according to media outlets.

"You cannot convict President Trump on any crime beyond a reasonable doubt on the words of Michael Cohen," said Blanche in his closing statement.

"He's the human embodiment of reasonable doubt," he added, noting that Cohen admitted to stealing $60,000 from the Trump Organization.

Prosecutors countered that argument, stating that the case was indeed about "a conspiracy and a cover-up" to keep voters from learning about the alleged sexual relationship between Trump and Daniels.

"In this case, there’s literally a mountain of evidence of corroborating testimony that tends to connect the defendant to this crime, from Pecker to Hicks to the defendant’s own employees," said senior trial counsel Joshua Steinglass, referencing former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker and former Trump aide Hope Hicks.

The prosecution laid out the plot, which included what is known as a "catch and kill" arrangement with the National Enquirer to keep negative stories about Trump from being published.

"It’s difficult to conceive of a case with more corroboration than this one," Steinglass continued, according to CNN. "This scheme, cooked up by these men, at this time, could very well be what got President Trump elected."

Regarding Cohen's testimony against his former boss, prosecutors conceded that he had ethical flaws but noted that Cohen laid out exactly what had been done to keep Trump's secrets hidden from the public.

"We didn’t choose Michael Cohen to be our witness. We didn’t pick him up at the witness store," said Steinglass. "The defendant chose Michael Cohen as his fixer because he was willing to lie and cheat on his behalf."

The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Wednesday morning, when Judge Juan Merchan will give jurors instructions and send them behind closed doors to reach a verdict.