Trump’s defense attorneys rest case in criminal business fraud trial

Defense attorneys for former President Donald Trump on Tuesday rested their case seeking to acquit Trump on 34 charges of business fraud. The defense wrapped up its case after the testimony of attorney Robert Costello. Defense attorneys aimed to use Costello to discredit days of testimony by prosecution witness Michael Cohen, a former attorney of Trump’s. The prosecution rested its case on Monday after Cohen’s testimony concluded.

What’s this trial about? Prosecutors allege that Trump and his associates falsified business records during the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election to hide payments he made to suppress information that could have hurt his campaign. Prosecutors have alleged some of those payments were to suppress information about alleged marital infidelity.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Carolina Lumetta and Leo Briceno’s report about Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment of Trump.