Judge in Trump’s hush money trial did not bar campaign finance expert from testifying for defense
CLAIM: New York Judge Juan M. Merchan wouldn’t let the defense call campaign finance expert Bradley A. Smith to testify in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. Merchan did not bar Smith from testifying. Trump’s legal team chose to not call on him after the judge on Monday declined to broaden the scope of questioning the defense could pursue. The ruling echoed his pretrial ruling on the matter.
THE FACTS: As the trial continued Tuesday, social media users misrepresented Merchan’s ruling, repeating a statement Trump made that Smith, a law professor and former Republican member of the Federal Election Commission, was not being allowed to take the stand.
“The expert witness that we have, the best there is in election law, Brad Smith, he’s considered the Rolls Royce, or we’ll bring it back to an American car, Cadillac, but the best there is,” Trump said on his way out of court on Monday. “He can’t testify. He’s not being allowed to testify.”
Related articles
Duran homers and steals home as Red Sox beat Rays 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jarren Duran homered and stole home as the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa2024-05-22Rain washes out Gujarat's slim hopes of IPL playoffs while Kolkata assured of a top 2 spot
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Gujarat Titans became the third team to be knocked out of the Indian Premier2024-05-22Revealed: England's 'postcode lottery' of maternity care laid bare in interactive map and table
More than half of England's maternity units are failing, analysis shows. MailOnline's huge audit — l2024-05-22Nimmo shakes off injury, comes off bench and hits 2
NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Nimmo shook off an injury and came off the bench to hit a two-run homer in t2024-05-22State Supreme Court and Republican congressional primary elections top Georgia ballots
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s elections on Tuesday include a state Supreme Court race that’s grown unusua2024-05-22US company Booking Holdings added to European Union's list of for strict digital scrutiny
LONDON (AP) — Booking Holdings, the U.S. company that owns Booking.com and a number of other travel2024-05-22
atest comment