ELECTIONS

From Hope Hicks to Karen McDougal, here's a guide to the Trump trial witness list

As Donald Trump's hush money trial enters its fourth week, some of the most highly anticipated witnesses have yet to testify.

The former president is on trial for 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. Prosecutors are trying to show that Trump reimbursed his lawyer Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, issued in 2016 to stay quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump, and disguised it as a legal expense. They contend this was intended to cover up a campaign finance law violation that occurred when Cohen issued the payment to Daniels.

As of Monday afternoon, jurors have heard from 11 witnesses. Some took the stand briefly to introduce evidence, while others answered questions for days.

Here is a look back at the witnesses jurors have heard from already and the potential high-profile witnesses still expected to take the stand:

Donald Trump trial live updates:Michael Cohen set to testify as star witness in hush money trial

Witnesses so far include Hope Hicks and David Pecker

The prosecution has called on the following witnesses so far:

David Pecker: David Pecker is the former CEO and president of American Media Inc., the parent company of tabloid National Enquirer. He testified that the publication paid for and killed two stories that may have hurt Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, including Karen McDougal's alleged 2006 affair.

Rhona Graff: Rhona Graff is Donald Trump's former executive assistant. She said she had a "vague recollection" of seeing Stormy Daniels in a Trump building reception area, and also remembered a discussion about potentially casting Daniels for "The Celebrity Apprentice."

Gary Farro: Gary Farro the former senior managing director at First Republic Bank who handled Michael Cohen's accounts. He testified that Cohen opening a shell company account which Cohen used to pay Daniels did not raise a red flag, but Farro was somewhat in the dark about what the money transfer was going to be used for.

Robert Browning: Robert Browning is an executive director of C-SPAN. He gave a brief testimony in which he verified video footage of Trump at rallies and press conferences.

Phillip Thompson: Phillip Thompson works at Esquire Deposition Solutions. He gave brief testimony about 2022 deposition clips from a lawsuit with E. Jean Carroll, but details about the tape were not immediately shared with the jury. The clips posted online show Trump verifying facts about Truth Social, Melania Trump and the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape, in which Trump bragged about grabbing women by their genitals without their consent.

Keith Davidson: Keith Davidson is a lawyer who represented former Playboy model Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels in their 2016 hush money deals. During his testimony, he said texts exchanged with National Enquirer's editor-in-chief in 2016 showed he thought their deals might have helped Trump win the presidential election.

Douglas Daus: Douglas Daus is a computer forensic analyst for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. He testified on an audio recording from Cohen's phone that prosecutors say show him discussing a hush money payment with Trump.

Georgia Longstreet: Georgia Longstreet is a paralegal with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office. She testified on some of Trump's social media posts .

Hope Hicks: Hope Hicks was the Trump 2016 presidential campaign press secretary and later the communications director in Trump's White House starting in September 2017. Her testimony was highly anticipated and brought a touch of drama when she teared up on the witness stand. She said Trump's standing with women was a concern in the campaign, especially once the "Access Hollywood" tape surfaced.

Jeffrey McConney: Jeffrey McConney is the former controller at the Trump Organization. He started testimony on Monday morning reviewing invoices and accounting documents.

Deborah Tarasoff: Deborah Tarasoff is an accounts payable supervisor at the Trump Organization. She worked closely with Jeffrey McConney and Allen Weisselberg, the ex-chief financial officer of the Trump Organization.

Who is still expected to testify?

Prosecutors have kept the cards close to their chest when it comes to the witness list. But these people could still take the stand in the future:

  • Stormy Daniels: Stormy Daniels is a porn star. Daniels claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006, months after Melania Trump gave birth to Barron Trump. Michael Cohen paid her $130,000 to stay quiet about the alleged affair ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
  • Karen McDougal: Karen McDougal is a former Playboy model. McDougal indirectly received a hush money payment in 2016 after claiming to have an affair with Donald Trump. Cohen funneled the money through the tabloid the National Enquirer, which bought the rights to McDougal's story.
  • Michael Cohen: Michael Cohen is the former lawyer and political fixer for Trump. He issued the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, which he has said was at the direction of Trump.

Will Donald Trump testify in the hush money trial?

Trump has given mixed signals on whether or not he will choose to testify.

Before the trial started, Trump said he would testify. He also said he would testify in his New York civil fraud case, but backed out the day before he was supposed to take the stand.

Trump has since told the press that a gag order prevents him from testifying, but Judge Juan Merchan reiterated Friday he has the right to testify if he chooses ,as the gag order refers to extrajudicial statements. Still, Trump told reporters Monday morning on the way into the courthouse that he had a gag order when asked if he would testify, a video on Truth Social shows.