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Who is Keith Davidson, the lawyer who negotiated hush money payments from Trump?

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Who is Keith Davidson, the lawyer who negotiated hush money payments from Trump?


NEW YORK — Keith Davidson will be back on the stand Thursday morning to continue testifying against former President Donald Trump in a New York criminal trial.

Davidson, who had represented the two women at the center of the trial, began testifying Tuesday.

He is the sixth witness to testify against the former president in this case. Trump faces 34 felony counts alleging that he falsified New York business records in order to conceal damaging information to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump claims the trial itself is “election interference” because of how it is disrupting his 2024 bid for president.

Who is Keith Davidson?

Davidson testified on Tuesday that he was at one point the lawyer for both Karen McDougal, a Playboy model, and Stormy Daniels, an adult film star. Both women alleged that they had affairs with Trump, stories that the prosecution argues Trump wanted to quash as he was running in the 2016 presidential election. He testified Tuesday afternoon before court adjourned until today.

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How does he fit in the prosecution’s case?

Davidson testified to negotiating the payments McDougal and Daniels received in exchange for selling their stories to the National Enquirer tabloid. Leadership at the National Enquirer promised Trump they’d help his campaign by finding stories that could be harmful and paying for the rights of the stories but never running them.

Jurors saw text exchanges between Davidson and National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard that showed Davidson negotiating dollar amounts for McDougal and Daniels. He also testified to knowing that the tabloid would not publish the stories. He said he was looking to get the biggest payout for his clients, and he knew this would benefit Trump’s election efforts, even though he did not know about the specific deal made between Trump and tabloid leadership.

The payments made constitute the 34 “falsified” business records the prosecution alleged Trump made. In opening statements, prosecutors argued that Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen submitted 11 “phony invoices” paid for by checks with “false entries” signed by Trump himself.

Trump has pleaded not guilty and argues that all he did was pay his lawyer.

Who else has the jury heard from so far?

Jurors have heard from five other witnesses including:

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  • David Pecker, former CEO of American Media Inc. He testified about making a deal with Trump and Cohen in 2015 to help Trump’s campaign by finding potentially damaging stories and helping to kill them.
  • Rhona Graff, a longtime executive assistant at the Trump Organization. She testified against her former boss about how she entered McDougal’s and Daniels’ contact information into the Trump Organization’s directory. Her testimony verified Trump’s contact lists.
  • Gary Farro, a former banker at First Republic Bank. He testified about opening accounts for Cohen that would eventually be used to pay Daniels. He said if he had known what the accounts would be used for they may not have ever been opened. 
  • Robert Browning, executive director for archives for C-SPAN. He verified two 2016 Trump campaign clips and one 2017 press conference clip where Trump called Cohen a talented lawyer and where Trump called allegations from women lies.
  • Phillip Thompson of Esquire Deposition Solutions. He verified video and transcript of a 2022 deposition Trump gave for his civil defamation lawsuit against writer E. Jean Carroll. In a video clip played from the deposition, Trump confirms his wife is Melania Trump and his Truth Social handle, among other things.

Copyright 2024 NPR





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South Carolina community left without police after entire P.D. resigns

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South Carolina community left without police after entire P.D. resigns


The entire police department of a small South Carolina town resigned en masse, leaving the area without its own dedicated police force.

Chief Bob Hale of the McColl Police Department announced his resignation on November 21 in a social media post, citing a “hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman.”

“For months, I have endured unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership,” Hale wrote. “These actions have not only affected me personally but have also created a toxic atmosphere that has hindered the department’s ability to function effectively.”

The chief also said his department’s resources had been severely cut. The four officers under his command quickly resigned as well.

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“At the end of the day, I have a family. And when my job is constantly getting threatened and certain things are getting said I’m not going to stay somewhere and tolerate that,” former McColl investigator Courtney Bulusan told WRAL.

“I’m not going to stay where I’m tolerated,” Bulusan said. “I’m going to go where I’m celebrated.”

As the town seeks new officers, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office will fill in for the department police force, according to South Carolina Public Radio.

The town has gone through six chiefs in the past four years. Hale’s tenure in the position lasted little over a year.

“I feel unsafe. Very unsafe,” resident Lisa Bowen told local outlet WPDE. “Because anytime anybody could do anything.”

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“They jump ship back and forth all the time,” Mayor George Garner told the Post and Courier newspaper. “This is nothing new.”

The paper reported that the councilman in question denied he had harassed any of the officers and told the paper the allegations were “hearsay.”

Such mass resignations, while uncommon, are not unprecedented.

The entire police force of Geary, Oklahoma, resigned earlier this month, Fox News reports.



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UCLA's Lauren Betts sends direct warning to college basketball after Bruins upset South Carolina

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UCLA's Lauren Betts sends direct warning to college basketball after Bruins upset South Carolina


UCLA’s win over No. 1 ranked South Carolina wasn’t a fluke, and Bruins center Lauren Betts says if you haven’t been paying attention, now would be the time to.

Let’s say the thing. It was not close on Sunday. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, UCLA commanded the floor and had an answer for everything the Gamecocks tried to do. The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.

Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW. Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said.  “You need to stop right now.”





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Clemson football tickets vs South Carolina: Best prices for remaining available seats

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Clemson football tickets vs South Carolina: Best prices for remaining available seats


Clemson football looks to win its second straight Palmetto Bowl.

The No. 12 Tigers (9-2) faces in-state rival No. 14 South Carolina (8-3) on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN) at Memorial Stadium. This will be the 121st meeting between these two programs and one of the highest-ranked rivalry games in Week 14.

There are still tickets available for Clemson’s last game in Death Valley in the regular season. Here are the best prices for remaining seats.

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See Clemson ticket prices for every game this season

Clemson tickets vs South Carolina

Ticket prices for Clemson’s final home game against South Carolina on Saturday start at $175 on StubHub and at $167 on VividSeats. Prices in the lower bowl range from $224 to over $1000 on both sites.

To see a full list of ticket prices, visit StubHub or VividSeats.

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Clemson football schedule 2024

  • Aug. 31: Georgia 34, Clemson 3
  • Sept. 7: Clemson 66, Appalachian State 20
  • Sept. 21: Clemson 59, NC State 35
  • Sept. 28: Clemson 40, Stanford 14
  • Oct. 5: Clemson 29, Florida State 13
  • Oct. 12: Clemson 49, Wake Forest 14
  • Oct. 19: Clemson 48, Virginia 31
  • Nov. 2: Louisville 33, Clemson 21
  • Nov. 9: Clemson 24, Virginia Tech 14
  • Nov. 16: Clemson 24, Pitt 20
  • Nov. 23: Clemson 51, The Citadel 14
  • Nov. 30: vs. No. 14 South Carolina, noon ET (ESPN)

South Carolina football 2024 schedule

  • Aug. 31: South Carolina 23, Old Dominion 19
  • Sept. 7: South Carolina 31, Kentucky 6
  • Sept. 14: LSU 36, South Carolina 33
  • Sept. 21: South Carolina 50, Akron 7
  • Oct. 5: Ole Miss 27, South Carolina 3
  • Oct. 12: Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
  • Oct. 19: South Carolina 35, Oklahoma 9
  • Nov. 2: South Carolina 44, Texas A&M 20
  • Nov. 9: South Carolina 28, Vanderbilt 7
  • Nov. 16: South Carolina 34, Missouri 30
  • Nov. 23: South Carolina 56, Wofford 12
  • Nov. 30: at No. 12 Clemson, noon ET (ESPN)

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