Day 12 of Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial took a significant turn as two longtime employees at the Trump Organization provided testimony regarding their involvement in executing payments to Michael Cohen in 2017. These payments have been linked to alleged falsified business records, which were presented as evidence for the first time in court.
Contempt charges and potential jail time
Judge Juan Merchan found Donald Trump guilty of criminal contempt after he violated his limited gag order multiple times. The judge issued a stern warning that further violations could result in incarceration for the former president.
“It appears that the $1,000 fines are not serving as a deterrent,” Merchan said. “Going forward, this court will have to consider a jail sentence.”
Merchan emphasized that despite these measures, he has no desire to imprison someone who held such esteemed positions but stressed on adhering to court rules and orders.
Evidence surrounding Cohen payment paper trail
Jurors had an opportunity to review all 34 business records presented by prosecutors. These records highlight supposed false filings such as invoices, checks, and general ledger entries that form the crux of this trial conducted by the district attorney’s office.
Jeffrey McConney, retired controller for the Trump Organization, along with Deborah Tarasoff, accounts payable supervisor testified about their roles in issuing twelve payments totaling $35,000 each to Michael Cohen in 2017. These payments were allegedly intended as reimbursement for Stormy Daniels’ hush money.
- “Even when he was in D.C., no one else had authority to sign the checks?” a prosecutor asked Tarasoff.
“That’s right,” Tarasoff replied.’
The jury was able to view checks bearing Donald Trump’s signature, confirming his involvement in the payment process even while residing in the White House.
Debate over reimbursement vs. legal expense
Prosecutors aimed to establish that Cohen’s payments represented reimbursements for funds he transmitted to Stormy Daniels’ attorney before the 2016 election. Jurors saw an accounting document containing notes made by Allen Weisselberg, CFO of the Trump Organization. These notes referenced a “reimbursement.”
During cross-examination, Emil Bove, an attorney representing Trump argued that Michael Cohen was a lawyer and thus received payment for legal services.
“Michael Cohen was a lawyer?” Bove questioned.
“OK,” McConney scoffed. “Sure, yes.”
“And payments to lawyers by the Trump Organization are legal expenses, right?” Bove pursued further.
“Yes,” McConney responded.
Bove emphasized that referring to these payments as “legal expenses” was merely a consequence of an outdated internal payment system within the organization.
Extended trial duration anticipated
Judge Merchan expressed curiosity about scheduling and asked prosecutors about their progress. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass estimated that their case would likely require approximately two more weeks before completion.
Steinglass also mentioned that following their case presentation would be the defense’s argument and subsequently the state’s rebuttal.
Please note: This article is fictional and does not represent actual events or individuals.
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Trump Trial Takes a Turn with Revelations of Falsified Records and Contempt Charges
44,000 people oppose the name “Pyeonghwa Nuri Special Autonomous Province” – Governor Kim’s actions under scrutiny | Latest Updates
44,000 people opposed the name “Pyeonghwa Nuri Special Autonomous Province”
Governor Kim pays attention to his actions after returning from an overseas business trip
Enlarge photo Dong-yeon Kim, governor of Gyeonggi Province[사진출처=연합뉴스]
While Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is pushing for the creation of the North Gyeonggi Special Self-Governing Province (Bukjado), the implications for Bukjado’s new name, “Pyeonghwa Nuri Special Self-Governing Province,” are strong.
On the 1st day, Gyeonggi Province announced the new name of North Gyeonggi Province as “Pyeonghwa Nuri Special Self-Governing Province”. However, just a day after the announcement, a petition to the contrary was published and the number of signatures far exceeded 10,000, which is the requirement for Governor Kim to respond.
44,204 people joined the petition titled “I oppose Pyeonghwa Nuri Autonomous Province (North Gyeonggi Province)” submitted to the Gyeonggi Citizens’ Petition at 11:00 am on the 7th.
The deadline for the petition is the 31st and attention is being paid to how many people in the region will join the petition.
Did Governor Kim deliver what Lee Jae-myung promised?
Opposition to the Bukjado project is also emerging in some areas of northern Gyeonggi Province. In particular, Paju citizens argue that the relocation of the Gyeonggi Science Promotion Agency (Gyeonggwawon) to Paju, promoted by Lee Jae-myeong, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, during his time as governor, was ruined by the Bukjado project promoted by Governor Kim.
The Unjeong City Association (30,000 members), a civic group in the Paju area, posted a message in its cafe saying, “We oppose the Pyeonghwa Nuri Autonomous Province (Gyeonggibuk-do branch)” and called for the Gyeonggiwon transfer.
This is where Lee Jae-myeong, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, pushed for relocation to Paju City when he was governor. The association claims that Gyeonggiwon has not made any significant progress towards the basic plan for relocating the institute in 2022, and that Governor Kim should clarify his position on relocating Gyeonggiwon before proceeding with the relocation to Korea of the North.
Will Governor Kim reveal his position upon returning from his visit to the United States and Canada?
The controversy arose after Bukjado’s new name, ‘Pyeonghwa Nuri Self-Governing Special Province’, was announced on the 1st, but Governor Kim has not yet expressed his position on the Bukjado controversy. However, on the 4th, North Korea posted on its Facebook page: “Mr President, are you planning to repel you again?” and expressed his desire to carry it forward.
Some predict that Governor Kim, who is visiting the United States and Canada, will reveal his position once he returns to Korea.
Governor Kim held an emergency press conference at Gimpo Airport after a business trip to China in early November last year, and strongly criticized the People Power Party’s push for the incorporation of Gimpo City , in Gyeonggi Province, Seoul along party lines, saying, “It would be a scam against the public.”
For this reason, it is believed that Governor Kim will reveal his position on the Pyeonghwa Nuri Special Self-Governing Province controversy on the 18th, when he returns to Korea after completing his program in the United States and Canada.
However, since the petition expires on the 31st, there are those who say they will not reveal their position immediately and will look to the mood of the party.
Enlarge photo Lee Jae-myeong, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea[사진출처=연합뉴스]
The reason is MP Lee Jae-myung, who took control of the party by winning the 22nd general election.
At a campaign rally in Uijeongbu on March 23, Representative Lee Jae-myung expressed a negative opinion, saying: “If the division of North Gyeonggi Province is carried out without measures for the finances of the northern part of the country, there will be a situation, the possibility that the province will be reduced to Gangwon-do is very high.”
In response, Governor Kim said: “Local autonomy and balanced national development are values that cannot be excluded from the Democratic Party,” and added: “It is not right for anyone to go against this direction.”
For this reason, the pro-Lee Jae-myung group argues that the consensus of the National Assembly comes first and shows antipathy towards Governor Kim’s push for North Korea.
A Democratic Party official who spoke anonymously said: “During the general election, Representative Lee Jae-myung and Governor Kim showed a subtle trend (on promoting North Korea’s self-governing island), but after the general elections, the atmosphere has completely changed.” You can take a break as long as you need it,” he said.
#Petitions #opposing #Gyeonggi #Province #exceed #40000.. #Governor #Kim #Dongyeon #speaks
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Shanghai’s paid toilet seat attracted crowds to watch and recharged 1,000 times and used it 138,000 times: the manufacturer responded that there were many recharge users – Kuai Technology – Technology changes the future
Shanghai’s Paid Toilet Seat Draws Crowds, Recharges 1,000 Times and Used 138,000 Times
In a surprising turn of events, paid toilet seats have made an appearance in Kangqiao, Shanghai, attracting a curious crowd of onlookers. According to reports, in order to sit on a clean toilet seat, individuals have to pay 90 cents each time, or they can opt to recharge 20 yuan for 25 uses. Astonishingly, a recharge of 1,000 yuan allows for a whopping 138,000 uses.
The manufacturer behind this innovative concept responded to the public interest by stating that they have been working on this project for nearly a year, focusing primarily on implementing these paid toilet seats in shopping malls and office buildings. Currently, there are only about 40 locations equipped with these special seats, with plans for further expansion in the future.
The manufacturer explained that the standard charge for a single use is two yuan, but due to promotional discounts, the initial charge does not exceed one yuan. The pricing may vary depending on the location, with shopping malls having slightly higher rates compared to office buildings.
When questioned about the validity of someone recharging 1,000 yuan, the staff confidently asserted that they have recharge users on a daily basis. They emphasized that some users do in fact recharge such large amounts because they require long-term usage, and the recharge can only be used within the designated range covered by the equipment.
In response to the calculations made by netizens, it was determined that if one were to recharge 1,000 yuan and use the toilet 10 times a day, it would last for almost 38 years. The unique concept of paid toilet seats has certainly sparked public interest and curiosity in Shanghai.
As the story continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how this new trend will be received by the public and whether similar initiatives will be implemented in other cities around the world. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking development.
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