The criminal trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump resumed this week in New York, addressing allegations related to hush money payments. Trump, facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, has pleaded not guilty. The charges stem from payments made to his former attorney Michael Cohen, who used the funds to pay Stormy Daniels, a porn performer who claims she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump denies these allegations.

The trial, which is the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president, is examining claims that Trump, Cohen, and others, including David Pecker of the National Enquirer, engaged in a conspiracy during the 2015 presidential campaign to suppress damaging news stories by making hush-money payments.

Key testimonies have come from Gary Farro, a banker who assisted Cohen in setting up the accounts used for the payments, and David Pecker, who detailed practices of buying story rights to quash negative articles. The focus is expected to shift to Michael Cohen’s upcoming testimony, which could be central to detailing the payment schemes and their legal implications.

The trial is also marked by a legal debate over Trump’s compliance with a gag order, with a potential ruling due from Judge Juan M. Merchan on whether Trump violated restrictions against making public statements about the case. The proceedings continue to attract significant public and media attention as further details about the alleged financial schemes designed to protect Trump’s reputation are anticipated.