South Dakota
Prosecution rests in Trump hush money trial, after former fixer Cohen is grilled • South Dakota Searchlight
NEW YORK — New York state prosecutors rested their case against Donald Trump Monday after four days of testimony from their key witness, Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen, who says the former president was well aware of a hush money cover-up. The defense paints Cohen as a liar.
The Manhattan criminal trial, the first ever for a former president, now in its sixth week, was poised to reach closing arguments as early as Tuesday. But New York Justice Juan Merchan indicated Monday that proceedings would stretch beyond Memorial Day.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche, in a lengthy, and at times slow and disjointed cross- examination Monday, continued wringing Cohen for proof that would convince jurors the former fixer cannot be trusted.
GOP politicians rush to Manhattan to line up behind Trump as hush money trial continues
Cohen’s earlier testimony that Trump reimbursed him for paying a porn star to stay quiet before the 2016 presidential election is at the crux of the prosecution’s case.
Trump is charged with falsifying 11 invoices, 11 checks, and 12 ledger entries as routine legal expenses rather than reimbursement of the hush money, amounting to 34 felony counts.
Trump denies any wrongdoing and maintains he never had a sexual relationship with adult film actress and director Stormy Daniels. She testified otherwise in excruciating and awkward detail in early May.
Monday’s proceedings were beset with objections and technology issues, and wrapped with tense testimony from the defense’s second witness, Robert Costello, Cohen’s legal counsel, who promised backdoor communication to Trump after Cohen was under the FBI’s thumb in 2018.
The day ended with a long shot, but expected, request from the defense to throw the case out. Merchan dismissed the court, saying he’d issue his ruling Tuesday. The defense is likely to rest its case then as well.
Closing arguments are expected after the holiday.
On a ‘journey’
Blanche began the day grilling Cohen on his previous business dealings, income and the money he’s made since breaking ties with the former president.
Cohen testified that he’s made millions of dollars on his books “Disloyal” and “Revenge,” and his podcast “Mea Culpa,” all of which sharply criticize the man from whom he used to seek praise, as he testified days earlier.
Prompted by Blanche, Cohen confirmed he’s mulling over a third book, has a television show in the works titled “The Fixer” and is considering a run for Congress because he has “the best name recognition” out there.
Star witness in Trump trial tells of plot to conceal porn star hush money payments
When Blanche suggested Cohen’s name recognition hinges on Trump, Cohen disagreed.
“I wouldn’t characterize it that way. My name recognition is because of the journey I’ve been on,” Cohen said.
“Well the journey you’ve been on … has included daily attacks on Trump,” Blanche responded.
Through the course of Blanche’s questioning, Cohen again acknowledged his previous crimes and also fessed up to stealing $30,000 from the Trump Organization when Trump lagged on paying a tech company to rig a CNBC poll of famous businessmen.
Minutes later, Blanche asked, “Do you have a financial interest in this case?”
“Yes, sir,” Cohen responded.
When Blanche pressed about whether a guilty verdict is Cohen’s preferred outcome, Cohen responded, “The answer is no. It’s better if he’s not (guilty) for me because it gives me more to talk about in the future.”
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger conducted her redirect at a tidy and speedy clip, leading Cohen through each of Blanche’s doubting lines of questioning to reaffirm for the jury Cohen’s testimony that Trump’s hand was behind the hush money reimbursements.
“They’ve asked you a lot of questions about how you’ve made money and (your) podcast… Putting aside financial matters, how has telling the truth affected your life?” Hoffinger asked.
“My entire life has been turned upside down as a direct result,” Cohen responded.
Before the prosecution rested its case, the defense lobbed a lengthy objection to a still frame of a C-SPAN video depicting Trump with his bodyguard Keith Schiller just before 8 p.m. on Oct. 24, 2016. The parties eventually agreed to admit it.
Evidence that Trump and Schiller were together that night looms large for Cohen’s claim that he spoke to both of them on the phone about paying off Daniels.
Trump’s support inside the courtroom
A steady flow of high-profile Republican supporters has shown up for the GOP’s presumed 2024 presidential nominee.
Monday’s supporters included Trump ally and attorney Alan Dershowitz; legal adviser Boris Epshteyn, who himself is indicted in Arizona for trying to subvert the 2020 presidential election results; and Chuck Zito, an actor and one of the founders of New York City’s Hells Angels chapter in the 1980s.
Porn star Stormy Daniels in NYC hush money trial alleges sexual encounter with Trump
Several Republican lawmakers, including vice presidential hopefuls, have flocked to Manhattan for the trial.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio and former GOP primary hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy attended May 13. Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama also made appearances last week, alongside Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird.
House Speaker Mike Johnson delivered remarks outside the courthouse May 14, slamming the “sham trial” and accusing New York prosecutors of only wanting to keep the former president off the campaign trail.
The Louisiana Republican cast Trump as a victim of a “travesty of justice.”
Nearly a dozen far-right Republican House members showed up Thursday, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. Accompanying Gaetz were other right-wing House Freedom Caucus members: fellow Floridian Reps. Anna Paulina Luna and Mike Waltz; Eli Crane and Andy Biggs of Arizona; Lauren Boebert of Colorado; Ralph Norman of South Carolina; Diana Harshbarger and Andy Ogles of Tennessee; Mike Cloud of Texas; and caucus Chair Bob Good of Virginia.
Speaking on the sidewalk outside the courthouse, Gaetz described the charges as the “Mr. Potatohead doll of crimes,” accusing the prosecution of combining things “that did not belong together.”
Reps. Byron Donalds and Cory Mills of Florida attended earlier in the week.
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Bruno Calfa and his wife loaded their two dogs into an RV for a cross-country journey that started from Vancouver, Canada, and included a stop at Falls Park.
“We were passing by, and we were just like Googling what the things we must see when we are around and then we heard about the falls, and we just came to check it out,” Calfa said.
Calfa was impressed by the Sioux Falls scenery. But navigating a visit to Mount Rushmore was more challenging.
“We missed the four heads of the presidents. I should have turned left, I turned right, and got stuck in between bison for about 20-minutes. So they’re just liking the RV, checking the tires. It was interesting with two pups in the car,” Calfa said.
Seeing the country during a milestone anniversary is a family tradition for many visitors to South Dakota.
“When it was the 200th anniversary, I remember that one when we were kids. We’ve always taken road trips with our family, so that’s what we like to do, we like to drive,” Sasha Wilmes of St. Louis said.
Walking is good, too. We found these couples checking out the sites in downtown Sioux Falls.
“Yesterday, we did the southern part of the Phillips Avenue SculptureWalk, and that was great. Really nice shops. We both grew up in central Illinois, and it reminds me a lot of some of the towns in central Illinois,” Dave Massanari of Shapleigh, ME, said.
These first-time visitors shared their first impressions of South Dakota.
“It’s pretty flat, so far, on this end of South Dakota. It’s the old sea bottom, right,” Bruce Bagley of Overland Park, KS said.
The people we spoke with say there’s something about seeing America, and South Dakota in particular, from behind the wheel of a car, that you just don’t get flying in a plane from airport to airport.
“It’s a better view than from 30,000 feet. It’s much more interesting, you see different types of buildings and architecture and geography, much better than you would from the air,” Bagley said.
“You can just experience the landscape. You can stop when you want to if you see something interesting, you can get out,” Corinna Warren of Omaha, NE said.
The Great American Road Trip promotion is expected to draw more visitors to South Dakota during the crucial summer tourism season.
“Fingers are crossed that we’re going to have a better year than we did last year. Last year was a little flat. So we’re really hoping that our numbers are going to go up,” Experience Sioux Falls CEO Teri Schmidt said.
Visitors to the state say they haven’t been sidetracked by high gas prices or inflation.
“We kind of had that planned ahead of time, and we are going, so we have a Vrbo, we have a home base, and then we’re going to go out to different places from there. So that’s kind of how we’re going to do it. So we travel pretty economically anyway, so it’s fine,” Wilmes said.
“Some people have said we’re going to travel anyway, regardless of gas prices. Others have said we’re going to go on a 5-day trip, not a 10-day trip. And if they go on those shorter trips, Sioux Falls is perfect for that,” Schmidt said.
That’s why visitors from as far away as Canada are willing to go the extra mile and then some to come here.
“Most of the time, you hear about the East and the West, California, New York, or Florida. But you don’t really get to know the middle of the country. But there are so many beautiful places,” Calfa said.
And travelers say there’s no better time to soak in all that scenery than during America’s 250th anniversary.
“We grew up in the East, where it all began, where the Revolution was taking place, and there are historical markers everywhere,” said Anne Bagley of Overland Park, KS.
The nation’s past provides a roadmap to the present and future whenever people pull off and explore the vistas along their journey.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 17, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 17 drawing
03-26-49-53-61, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 17 drawing
11-16-18-33-51, Star Ball: 09, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from June 17 drawing
08-11-12-25-26
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 17 drawing
02-04-07-16-21, Bonus: 03
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A Moody County Sheriff was recently sworn in as President of the National Sheriffs’ Association for the 2026-2027 term.
Sheriff Troy Wellman will become the leader of the U.S.’s largest organization that represents sheriffs and sheriff’s offices from across the country.
“Coming from a small rural county, you learn quickly that relationships matter,” said Wellman. “Sheriffs across this country face many of the same challenges regardless of agency size, and I want to ensure every sheriff’s office has a seat at the table and a voice in the future of our profession.”
Wellman previously served on the NSA Executive Committee and served as President of the South Dakota Sheriffs’ Association.
As President, Wellman will spend the next year working alongside sheriffs and public safety leaders from across the country.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
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