Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Trump clears up remarks about gag order, may still testify
Former President Donald Trump on Friday said he might testify in his criminal trial, one day after he suggested the gag order on him would prevent him from taking the stand. Published May 3, 2024
Defense tries to separate Trump from Michael Cohen-led payments
Former President Donald Trump's lawyers on Thursday tried to put distance between the presumptive GOP nominee and confidential payments to women who alleged affairs with Mr. Trump ahead of the 2016 election. Published May 2, 2024
‘What have we done?’: Stormy Daniels’ lawyer was shocked by 2016 election
Attorney Keith Davidson texted the editor of the National Enquirer in shock when Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, fearing his work on a hush money payment for porn star Stormy Daniels might have influenced the momentous political event. Published May 2, 2024
New York prosecutors want Trump slapped with new gag-order fines
Prosecutors on Thursday urged a New York judge to impose new fines on former President Donald Trump, pointing to four alleged violations of a gag order that barred the famous defendant from opining on potential trial witnesses, jurors and court staff. Published May 2, 2024
N.Y. judge cracks down on Trump with fine, jail threat for gag order violations
A New York judge clamped down on former President Donald Trump on Tuesday by fining him $9,000 and threatening him with jail time for violations of the gag order he imposed in the presumptive Republican nominee's hush money trial. Published April 30, 2024
Lawyer Keith Davidson testifies on Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels deals in 2016
Attorney Keith Davidson testified Tuesday how he leveraged media relationships to shop salacious stories about Donald Trump from Playboy model Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels -- both of whom received payments from allies of the GOP nominee during his 2016 campaign. Published April 30, 2024
N.Y. judge fines Trump for violating gag order, threatens to jail him next time
A New York judge on Tuesday fined former President Donald Trump for nine violations of a gag order against commenting about potential witnesses, jurors or certain court staff during the hush money trial. Published April 30, 2024
Trump’s defense in N.Y. trial tries to humanize him as a family man, good boss
Defense lawyers are deploying an interesting strategy to win over jurors in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial. Published April 29, 2024
Trump hammers on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.-as-liberal theme
Former President Donald Trump urged MAGA supporters on Monday not to "waste" their votes on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s independent presidential bid, painting him as the liberal who should siphon votes from President Biden instead of the GOP side. Published April 29, 2024
New York prosecutors to dig into bank records in second week of Trump trial
Prosecutors will delve into critical banking records when former President Donald Trump's hush money trial enters its second week, hoping to build on marathon testimony from tabloid executive David Pecker that dominated the first days of the historic case. Published April 28, 2024
Banker testifies about ‘urgent’ request from Michael Cohen in October 2016
Gary Farro, a banking professional, testified Friday he received an urgent email in October 2016 from Michael Cohen, a client of his who worked as a lawyer for Donald Trump. Published April 26, 2024
Prosecutors call Rhona Graff, longtime Trump assistant, as second witness
Prosecutors on Friday called Rhona Graff, a longtime executive assistant to Donald Trump, as their second witness in the former president's hush-money trial after the conclusion of marathon testimony from former National Enquirer executive David Pecker. Published April 26, 2024
National Enquirer exec told Trump’s lawyer to buy Stormy Daniels story
Former tabloid executive David Pecker testified he wanted nothing to do with porn star Stormy Daniels' tale of a sexual encounter with Donald Trump when the real estate mogul was running for president in 2016. Published April 26, 2024
Prosecutors highlight Michael Cohen’s role in Trump’s ‘16 campaign
Former tabloid executive David Pecker testified Friday that Michael Cohen, a former lawyer to ex-President Donald Trump, was the one who invited him to the 2015 presidential launch event at Trump Tower in New York. Published April 26, 2024
Trump defense: National Enquirer’s moves in 2016 were good business, not a scheme
The former leader of the National Enquirer testified Friday he would have published a Trump Tower doorman's story about Donald Trump having a child out of wedlock if it were true as defense attorneys cast a payoff to the man as an attempt to protect the tabloid's reputation for scoops and not an election-related scheme. Published April 26, 2024
Happy birthday, Melania: Trump will head to Fla. for wife’s celebration after court
Former President Donald Trump wished his wife, former first lady Melania Trump, a happy birthday on Friday as he entered a Manhattan courthouse for another day of his hush money trial. Published April 26, 2024
Tabloid exec David Pecker dishes in Trump trial about Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels payoffs
Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial waded into sensitive territory Thursday as a former tabloid executive described how he paid $150,000 to silence a Playboy model who alleged an affair with Mr. Trump but refused to pay off adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, who also shopped around a salacious story in 2016. Published April 25, 2024
Prosecutors in Trump trial link National Enquirer payoff scheme to ‘the boss’
A former tabloid executive testified Thursday that Michael Cohen, a key lawyer during Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, assured him the "boss would take care of" the cost of buying a salacious story from Playboy model Karen McDougal. Published April 25, 2024
Court-bound Trump gets warm, raucous reception at Manhattan construction site
Former President Donald Trump got a loud and warm reception Thursday from construction workers in midtown Manhattan before another day in his hush money trial. Published April 25, 2024
Rep. Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey dies at 65
Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a six-term Democrat from New Jersey, died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack earlier in the month. Published April 24, 2024
