Will Trump testify? What he says and why it’s a risky bet

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CNN —

Prosecutors and defense lawyers for former President Donald Trump opened the New York criminal trial on Monday by laying out their opposing sides of the case.

It’s clear that a main point of contention will be what occurred at a pivotal August 2015 meeting between Trump, his former fixer Michael Cohen and the former publisher of the National Enquirer David Pecker at which they are said to have agreed to find and suppress negative stories that could affect Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Cohen and Pecker would go on to facilitate hush money payments that benefitted Trump. The crime Trump is accused of committing is falsifying documents to hide those payments after he became president. Cohen went to prison after pleading guilty to violating campaign finance law. Pecker has cooperated with authorities.

Cohen and Pecker, both now split from Trump, will be key witnesses for the prosecution, and they are expected to detail what they say occurred at this meeting where they conspired to find and kill stories unflattering to Trump.

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