Key Points from Day 9 of Trump's Hush Money Trial

During Tuesday's court proceedings in Trump's criminal hush money trial, a Los Angeles-based lawyer representing Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal disclosed to the jurors about negotiating agreements to keep their alleged affairs with the former president out of the media. The attorney suggested that these agreements were orchestrated as "catch-and-kill" schemes to protect Trump from political fallout. The charges against Trump involve allegedly creating fake financial records to disguise hush money payments made to Daniels by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to boost her chances in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing. Keith Davidson, who testified on Tuesday, mentioned that Stormy Daniels' allegations gained traction in late 2016 following the release of the "Access Hollywood" tape in which Trump bragged about grabbing women. Davidson believed that Trump, rather than Cohen, would be held accountable for paying for her silence.

Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $9000 for repeatedly violating the limited gag order in the case and declared him in criminal contempt. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday to address Trump's additional infractions. In his testimony, Davidson expressed frustration with Cohen's delays in making payments to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

Davidson's evidence suggested that Cohen's actions, or lack thereof, were linked to Trump's political ambitions. The lawyer also recounted selling McDougal's story to the National Enquirer and the negotiations involved. McDougal sought a way to avoid disclosing her story while Davidson aimed to secure a beneficial deal for her.

Trump's criminal contempt and fine for violating the gag order were reinforced by Judge Merchan's ruling, which included threats of jail time for future disobedience. Trump was ordered to pay the fine promptly and remove any offending posts. The jury examined videos of Trump from campaign events in 2016 and a press conference in 2017, where he denied knowing the women who accused him of extramarital affairs.The prosecution presented these videos as evidence in the trial.