Washington:
Trump's former campaign press secretary Hope Hicks on Friday became the first former member of Donald Trump's inner circle to testify as a witness in his criminal trial.
Trump, 77, is accused of falsifying company records to get his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to repay a $130,000 payment to Daniels just days before the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton.
Hicks was mentioned in earlier testimony by David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid.
He said Hicks was present at a 2015 meeting at Trump Tower in New York, where he agreed to help Trump's nascent campaign for the Republican nomination the following year.
She is said to have been closely involved in the final stages of Trump's successful campaign for the White House when the payments were allegedly made to Daniels.
Prosecutors this week urged Judge Juan Merchan to fine Trump for more violations of a silence order he imposed to protect trial participants.
Merchan, who threatened Trump with prison on Tuesday for further violations of the gag order, heard arguments from both sides and was able to make a ruling on Friday.
The judge began Friday's hearing by addressing Trump directly in an unusual manner, saying he wanted to “clarify (any) misunderstandings” about the gag order.
Merchan emphasized that Trump had an “absolute right to testify” in court, and that the joke “applies only to extrajudicial statements…outside of court.”
Trump, who had claimed the gag order meant he would not be able to testify freely, was heard to respond with “thank you.”
On Thursday, prosecutor Christopher Conroy had urged Merchan to fine Trump for four new violations of the gag order, which bans him from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors, court staff or their family members.
Merchan fined Trump, who wore an electric blue tie and dark suit, $9,000 earlier this week for violating his silence order.
Conroy pointed to public comments Trump has made about Cohen, who has become an outspoken critic of his former boss and is expected to be a key witness in the case.
“The defendant believes the rules should be different for him,” Conroy said.
'No threats made'
On Thursday, Daniels' former attorney, Keith Davidson, was questioned by the ex-president's lawyers. Davidson also represented another woman, Karen McDougal, who claimed she had a year-long affair with Trump.
Trump attorney Emil Bove's questioning of Davidson quickly became heated.
“When you negotiated on behalf of McDougal and Daniels, one of your concerns was staying on the right side of the law regarding racketeering,” Bove said.
“I think so,” Davidson replied. “I have made every effort to ensure that my activities were lawful.”
Bove asked Davidson about his involvement in other cases in which he “took” money from celebrities who had something to hide, citing a settlement involving “Platoon” star Charlie Sheen.
The Los Angeles lawyer objected to the use of the word “excerpt” in a pointed exchange.
Davidson acknowledged that he was investigated by federal and state investigators for alleged racketeering while representing clients in possession of a sex tape of former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan. He was ultimately not charged.
“I made a monetary demand,” Davidson said, allowing Hogan to obtain the belts. “I didn't threaten anyone.”
The court also heard from a forensic expert, Douglas Daus, who examined Cohen's cellphones and retrieved recordings of Trump and Cohen's phone calls.
As he left the court Thursday, Trump denounced the case as “election interference at the highest level.”
“I should be campaigning now,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Our staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)