Former President Donald Trump is facing criminal charges in a New York trial related to his alleged involvement in hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in an effort to conceal his alleged affairs with them before the 2016 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, denying that the affairs took place. Legal analyst Glenn Kirschner noted that prosecutors announced they will not call McDougal to the stand, which he described as “bad news” for Trump. Despite McDougal being on the witness list, her exclusion may be due to her lack of direct involvement in the criminal charges and the successful testimony from Daniels.
Kirschner shared a video discussing the decision to not call McDougal as a trial witness on social media, highlighting the potential implications for Trump. He explained that there are no criminal charges directly involving McDougal in the falsifying of business records related to the payments, which were allegedly covered up by Trump, his lawyer Michael Cohen, and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. The prosecution may have deemed McDougal unnecessary as their case against Trump appeared to be proceeding well with Daniels’ testimony. Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche had not issued a comment on the matter at the time of the report.
Trump’s camp has previously dismissed Kirschner as a purveyor of conspiracy theories and dubious legal analysis, suggesting that his criticisms of the former president are not credible. However, New York University law professor Stephen Gillers offered insights on why McDougal may not have been called as a witness. Gillers speculated that her alleged affair with Trump, which occurred while his wife Melania was pregnant, might reflect positively on the ex-president. Additionally, the fact that McDougal was allegedly paid off by former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, rather than directly by Trump or Cohen, may have influenced the decision not to involve her in the trial.
The exclusion of Karen McDougal as a trial witness could impact the prosecution’s case against Donald Trump by potentially limiting the scope of evidence presented related to the hush money payments. The decision reflects strategic considerations by the prosecution, focusing on the charges directly involving Daniels rather than broadening the scope to include McDougal. As the trial progresses, the absence of McDougal’s testimony may shape the narrative around Trump’s involvement in the alleged affairs and subsequent cover-up, as observers await further developments in the legal proceedings.
