Trump Trial Witnesses Undermine Prosecution; Ex-Biden DOJ Official's DNC Ties Exposed

Recent testimony from witnesses in the Trump "hush money" trial appears to contradict Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's central claims
Hope Hicks, former Trump communications aide, suggested Trump's primary motivation was to spare his wife embarrassment, not influence the 2016 election
David Pecker, National Enquirer CEO, acknowledged providing similar "catch and kill" services for other public figures, not just Trump
Keith Davidson, former lawyer to Stormy Daniels, stated the payments were part of a civil settlement agreement, not "hush money" or a "payoff"
Jeffrey McConney, former Trump Organization controller, testified that Trump did not personally direct him to make the alleged payments
Matthew Colangelo, a top prosecutor in the case, received $12,000 from the DNC for "political consulting" in 2018, according to FEC records
Colangelo previously worked in the Obama and Biden administrations and was involved in Trump-related lawsuits and investigations while in the New York Attorney General's office
House Republicans are investigating Colangelo's past work as he prosecutes Trump

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Several high-profile witnesses called by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in the "hush money" trial against former President Donald Trump have provided testimony that appears to contradict Bragg's primary allegations.

Hope Hicks, a former Trump communications aide, testified that Trump's main concern was protecting his wife, Melania Trump, from public embarrassment caused by affair accusations, rather than influencing the 2016 election outcome.

Hicks also questioned the role of Michael Cohen, Bragg's key witness and former Trump attorney, stating that Cohen "went rogue at times" and was not closely involved in the day-to-day operations of the presidential campaign.

David Pecker, CEO of the National Enquirer, testified that his relationship with Trump predated the 2016 election and the allegations made by Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. Pecker also acknowledged providing similar "catch and kill" services for other public figures, not just Trump.
Keith Davidson, former lawyer to Stormy Daniels, described the payments as "consideration in a civil settlement agreement" rather than "hush money" or a "payoff," challenging Bragg's claim that the payments were falsely recorded as legal expenses.

Jeffrey McConney, former Trump Organization controller, testified that Trump did not personally instruct him to make any of the alleged hush money payments, which is central to Bragg's case.
Cohen, who is set to testify against Trump, faces credibility issues. He previously told his former lawyer that he had no incriminating evidence against Trump related to the hush money payments and was sentenced to three years in prison for various crimes stemming from the scheme and for lying to Congress.

Legal experts and attorneys have questioned Bragg's decision to call certain witnesses, such as McConney, who failed to establish a clear link between the alleged crime and Trump's knowledge or involvement.

Upcoming witnesses may include Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougal, Robert Costello (Cohen's former lawyer), and various Trump White House secretaries or campaign officials.

a top prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's office currently working on the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump, received $12,000 from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in 2018 for "political consulting."
Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show that on January 31, 2018, the DNC Services Corp/Democratic National Committee made two payments of $6,000 each to Colangelo.
At the time of the payments, Colangelo was serving as deputy attorney general for social justice under then-New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a role he took over from current Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg.
In December 2022, Colangelo left a senior position at the Biden Justice Department to join Bragg's office, following the resignations of prosecutors Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne, who were investigating Trump and stepped down due to Bragg's initial reluctance to indict the former president.
Shortly after Colangelo received the DNC payments, in June 2018, Acting New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, with Colangelo as executive deputy attorney general, sued the Trump Foundation, alleging that Trump used the foundation's charitable assets to settle legal obligations. The foundation agreed to dissolve in December 2018.
On January 20, 2021, Colangelo began serving as acting associate attorney general in the Biden Justice Department and later became the principal deputy associate attorney general, overseeing several divisions.
Prior to his work in New York and the Biden administration, Colangelo held various roles in the Obama administration, including positions in the DOJ's civil rights division and as chief of staff to then-Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who later served as DNC chair when Colangelo received the payments for political consulting.
Rep. Jim Jor