On the opening day of Donald Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan, the former president’s lead defense counsel asked jurors to use their common sense – to actually reflect on the prosecution’s argument that an infamous cheapskate would not only pay off an adult film star, spending $130,000 to buy her silence about a one-night stand that he says never happened, but dole out an additional $300,000 or so to compensate Michael Cohen, is former fixer, for making a wire transfer?
“Think for a moment,” Todd Blanche instructed the 12 people who will decide if Trump, charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, engaged in a conspiracy to hide the hush payment and break campaign finance laws. “Would a frugal businessman,” Blanche asked, “would a man who pinches pennies, repay a $130,000 debt to the tune of $420,000?”
