The second day of Donald Trump’s criminal trial began Tuesday with New York prosecutors expected to highlight a “catch and kill scheme” allegedly hatched by the former president and the publisher of the National Enquirer to limit the damage done by unflattering revelations.
The plan was struck in the run-up to the 2016 election when Trump was locked in a tight race with Hilary Clinton, his Democratic rival for the White House. Prosecutors have said the attempt at damage control led to hush-money payments made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels, who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump. The Manhattan District Attorney alleged that Trump falsified business documents to cover up the payments, and that the payment was part of a broader scheme to influence the 2016 election.
