(NewsInsights.org) – Donald Trump’s New York trial continued on May 9. Prosecutors accused the former president of falsifying corporate records to cover hush money payments he made to protect his 2016 campaign from scandal. The prosecution called Madeline Westerhout, Trump’s personal White House aide from 2017 to 2019, to the stand. As part of her testimony, attorneys from the district attorney’s office made Trump’s contact list public, a comprehensive collection of names of people he could rely on to help him complete different aspects of his business dealings.
Westerhout testified that she coordinated closely with Rhona Graff, Trump’s long-term executive assistant and a senior vice president at the Trump Organization. Graff had testified in April about Trump’s contact list, confirming that it included the names of Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
During Westerhous’s testimony, prosecutors showed the jury a redacted copy of the contact list. It included some unexpected names, such as tennis star Serena Williams, football great Tom Brady, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, former Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter, and NFL coach Bill Belichick.
The list also contained names that people now connect with Trump, including former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, former senior Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, MSNBC personalities Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, former Fox commentator Bill O’Reilly, casino magnates Steve Wynn and Phil Ruffin, and “The Apprentice” Executive Producer Mark Burnett.
Prosecutors questioned Westerhout to establish that Trump, while in the White House, continued to receive documents from the Trump Organization to sign and meet with his former attorney, Michael Cohen, regarding reimbursement payments for the hush money he paid to Daniels and McDougal to buy their silence.
However, when defense attorneys cross-examined Westerhout, they established her admiration for the former President’s devotion to his family and strong work ethic. She called him an “amazing” boss to have worked for and said she found working for him “really enjoyable.”
Most pundits believed her testimony might considerably soften the jury’s view of Trump. It contrasted markedly with that given previously by Stormy Daniels.
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