Trial shit...

Trump's reposts were endorsements, judge says

From CNN's Eric Levenson

In last week’s hearing on gag order violations, Trump’s defense made two key arguments in his favor: (1) Reposts of other people’s words do not violate the gag order, and (2) the posts represent protected political speech in response to attacks.

Judge Juan Merchan rejected both arguments in his contempt ruling Tuesday.

First, he found that reposts are, in this case, endorsements. “There can be no doubt whatsoever, that Defendant's intent and purpose when reposting, is to communicate to his audience that he endorses and adopts the posted statement as his own,” he wrote.

Second, Merchan acknowledged that the gag order does allow Trump to respond to political attacks, but said criticisms of key witnesses were not allowed.

“To allow such attacks upon protected witnesses with blanket assertions that they are all responses to ‘political attacks’ would be an exception that swallowed the rule. The Expanded Order does not contain such an exception,” he wrote.

Former Cohen banker testifies he wouldn't have opened account for shell company

Gary Farro is testifying that had he known Essential Consultants was a shell company and not an operating business, he would not have opened the account for Michael Cohen.

"If client told me it was a shell corporation, it would not have been opened. It would give me pause very frankly," Farro says.

The only type of shell corporation he would open would be for a mortgage to remain anonymous, he explains.

Farro confirms that Cohen never told him the account was being opened for political activity.

Farro adds that if any account was associated with an entity flagged on a Office of Foreign Assets Control list, the bank would automatically deny the request.