A Manhattan judge has ruled against Donald Trump's legal team in their attempt to force NBC to provide materials related to a documentary about porn actor Stormy Daniels. The judge deemed the defense's subpoena as a 'fishing expedition' that did not meet the legal burden required to compel a news organization to disclose privileged documents.
This decision marks another setback for Trump's legal defense ahead of his hush-money criminal trial scheduled for April 15 in New York. The trial involves allegations that Trump falsified records to conceal payments to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who facilitated the suppression of negative stories during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump, who pleaded not guilty to falsifying business records, denies any sexual encounter with Daniels and asserts that the payments to Cohen were legitimate legal expenses. Cohen, now a key witness against Trump, cooperated with authorities in the hush-money investigation that led to his imprisonment.
Trump's lawyers sought to prevent Cohen and Daniels from testifying, attributing negative media coverage to them. They subpoenaed NBC Universal for documents related to the production and release of the documentary 'Stormy,' alleging collusion between the network and Daniels to prejudice Trump before the trial.
However, an NBC executive refuted these claims, stating that Daniels had no influence over the documentary's content or timing. The judge ultimately sided with NBC, rejecting the defense's subpoena as overly broad and speculative.
The ruling emphasized the importance of protecting a news organization's privileged documents from unwarranted intrusion. Despite Trump's legal team's efforts to obtain NBC materials, the judge's decision upholds the integrity of journalistic independence in legal proceedings.
