1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: You're listening to Bloomberg Law with June Grusso from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Jurors deliberated for more than four and a half hours 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: today in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial without coming 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: to a decision on whether the former president falsified his 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: company's records to hide a hush money payment to porn 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: star Stormy Daniels and influence the twenty sixteen election. Shortly 7 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: after the jurors got the case, Trump repeated his claim 8 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: that the case is rigged. 9 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 2: By the JACIC conducting those judges. But we'll see, we'll see. 10 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: How we do. Deliberations will resume at nine thirty tomorrow morning, 11 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: when the jurors will hear readbacks of testimony they've requested 12 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: about a Trump Tower meeting in August of twenty fifteen 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: that prosecutors say was central to a criminal conspiracy to 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: boost Trump's twenty sixteen presidential campaign. Joining me is criminal 15 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: defense attorney dunk and Levin, a former Manhattan prosecutor. Duncan. 16 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: Let's start with the defense case and how the defense 17 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: attorney presented that case. In closing arguments, Todd Bland seemed 18 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: to focus on Michael Cohen almost to the exclusion of 19 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: everything else, calling him the human embodiment of reasonable doubt, 20 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: the greatest liar of all time. What did you think 21 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: of the defense close? 22 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 3: I thought it was meandering. And they are clearly trying 23 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 3: to attack the credibility of Michael Cohne, because Michael Cohne 24 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 3: is the most problematic part of the case for them. 25 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 3: What Michael Cohne does is take a circumstantial case and 26 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 3: makes it a direct case. And what I mean by 27 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 3: that is that and the DA called Michael Cohne late 28 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 3: in its case to really corroborate all these other pieces 29 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 3: of evidence. At the core of the case are two 30 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: main things. One is that mister Trump falsified business documents. 31 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 3: He caused the falsification of business documents with the intent 32 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 3: to conceal a conspiracy between Michael Cohne, David Pecker, and 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 3: mister Trump to promote his election by unlawful means. That 34 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 3: unlawful means was hush money payments to Stormy Daniels, Karen McDougall, 35 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 3: and others. So the DA's office has put in a 36 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,679 Speaker 3: lot of evidence that shows this conspiracy, that shows that 37 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 3: mister Cohne and mister Trump and the National Inquirer were 38 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 3: operating together in order to promote the election by unlawful means. 39 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 3: They put in evidence by David Pecker, who testified that 40 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 3: this went way beyond catch and kill, that in fact, 41 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 3: the National Choir was really operating as an arm of 42 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 3: the Trump campaign, that they were the eyes and ears 43 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 3: of the campaign, that they were looking for stories to 44 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 3: go out and catch and kill. There was evidence that 45 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 3: prior to twenty fifteen, when this all started happening, they 46 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 3: never worked with a presidential candidate, they'd never done anything 47 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,560 Speaker 3: in coordination with a presidential candidate to catch and kill, 48 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 3: and that they were really operating as an arm of 49 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 3: the campaign. And where catch and kill is not illegal 50 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 3: one to itself, when they start operating in that way 51 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 3: as an arm of the campaign, it becomes illegal because 52 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 3: it's promoting an election by unlawful means. These payments to 53 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 3: women to get their silence. The CIA then called Keith Davidson, 54 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 3: who was Doormy Daniels attorney, who testified about why this 55 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 3: was about the election and not about a cover up 56 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 3: of an affair to try to keep it from millennia. 57 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 3: This was something that was about the election. Keith Davidson 58 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 3: testified that these deals were dead. Really he represents Doormy 59 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 3: Daniels and was trying to get money for her, and 60 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 3: that this deal was dead. They were trying to kick 61 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 3: it down the road till after the election, and once 62 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 3: the Access Hollywood tape came out, which was devastating to 63 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 3: the campaign. They had testimony from Hope Picks about how 64 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 3: terrible this was for the campaign. There was this increased 65 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 3: feverish peace from the Trump campaign to try to pay 66 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 3: off Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougall, who it came to 67 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 3: their attention, we're trying to sell their stories because if 68 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 3: right on that Heels On the Acts of Hollywood tape, 69 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 3: these two women's stories came out, it would have been 70 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 3: the nail in the coffin for the Trump campaign, or 71 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 3: at least they thought so. So. Davidson testified that there 72 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 3: was this feverish pace to try to get this money 73 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 3: to Stormy Daniels right after that Access Hollywood tape came 74 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 3: out because they were trying to keep it from the electorate, 75 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 3: and Michael Cone called his banker, Gary Farrow, who also 76 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 3: testified that mister Cone called him with his pass on 77 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 3: fire to try to get money through this shell company 78 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 3: called the es Central Consultants, LLC, through to Stormy Daniels. 79 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 3: So they did a very good job putting together this conspiracy, 80 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 3: and they don't really need Michael Cone's testimony for that 81 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 3: at all. 82 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 1: What about for the falsification of business records. 83 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 3: They also don't need Michael Cone's testimony really for the 84 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 3: falsification of the business documents, because on their face they 85 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 3: have this was exhibit thirty five and thirty six in 86 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 3: the trial. They have who documents, one of which is 87 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,359 Speaker 3: on First Republic Bank letterhead which has Alan Weisselberg's handwriting 88 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 3: on it, showing that this payment one hundred and thirty 89 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 3: thousand dollars to Stormy Daniels was quote unquote grossed up, 90 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 3: which was doubled for taxes. And what that means is 91 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 3: that it wasn't legal services to Michael Cohen, as the 92 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 3: defense says it was, because if it was legal services, 93 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 3: it wouldn't be grossed up for taxes. It would just 94 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 3: be a payment. Nobody pays double knowing that the person 95 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,359 Speaker 3: who's receiving the payment has to pay taxes on it. 96 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 3: You pay somebody and they have to pay taxes on it. Well, 97 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 3: if it's a reimbursement, you would double it so that 98 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 3: he would say it's income, and the books and records 99 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 3: would show what was income, and he would pay taxes 100 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 3: on it. And he's still wind up with the same 101 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,800 Speaker 3: amount of one hundred and thirty thousand dollars for reimbursement. 102 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: So then where does the prosecution need Michael Cohen, if 103 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: at all? 104 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 3: So where does Michael Cohes fit into all of this? Well, 105 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 3: he's a critical witness because all of that is circumstantial 106 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 3: evidence that puts Donald Trump at the center of it. 107 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 3: And Michael Cohen basically says on the stand he authorized it, 108 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,600 Speaker 3: he approved it. And that's what turns this case from 109 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 3: a circumstantial case where there's a lot of evidence of 110 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:17,160 Speaker 3: other people saying things about, well, how is it possible 111 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 3: that mister Trump was signing these thirty five thousand dollars checks? 112 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 3: And that magic number of thirty five thousand dollars comes 113 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 3: from this grossed up figure of one hundred and thirty 114 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 3: thousand times two, and there's some other amounts of money 115 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 3: that are added into that. Divided by twelve for a 116 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 3: monthly payment, it comes to thirty five thousand. There's no 117 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 3: evidence of any retainer agreement between Michael Cohne and mister 118 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 3: Trump or the Trump organization. There's no invoices, and in fact, 119 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:47,720 Speaker 3: there's some evidence that came in a trial that mister 120 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 3: Cohn actually emailed mister Weieselberg and said how much money 121 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 3: am I supposed to be billing for every month? Again, 122 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 3: which is not something. 123 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 2: A lawyer would normally say. 124 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,320 Speaker 3: All of this is evidence that does not require Michael 125 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 3: Cohne's testimony at all, except that Michael Cohne takes it 126 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 3: from a case that's circumstantial to a case that's very strong, 127 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 3: because he says, yeah, I was in the room with 128 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 3: President Trump then when he was in the Oval office, 129 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 3: and he approved all of this. He approved the repayment scheme. 130 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 3: But the defense passd you destroy Michael Cohne. It has 131 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 3: to destroy Michael Cohene, And that's what they tried to 132 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 3: do in their closing statement. And I think it was 133 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 3: neandering and they're trying to poke holes in it, and 134 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 3: that I don't think it was effective in actually getting 135 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 3: to the heart of the matter, which is whether mister 136 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 3: Trump knew of this repayment scheme and did it in 137 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 3: order to cover up this promotion of his election by 138 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 3: unlawful meets. 139 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: So the defense was just poking holes in the prosecution's case. 140 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: And Michael Cohen, do you think it makes a difference 141 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: that he didn't cover whole picks, He didn't talk about 142 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: some of the important witnesses, He didn't cover what you 143 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: just mentioned that piece of paper with Alan Weiselberg's ublings 144 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: on it. I mean, do you think it matters that 145 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: he didn't do that? 146 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 3: It matters tremendously because then the prosecution gets up and 147 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 3: gave a four and a half hour closing that pointed 148 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 3: out to the jury all of the things that the 149 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 3: defense didn't actually address. You're right, he did not address 150 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 3: whole picks. He did not address the tape recorded phone 151 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 3: call that mister Cohne made with mister Trump was then 152 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 3: President Trump in the Oval office. He didn't address the 153 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 3: fact that the NDA used secret names, that the checks 154 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 3: that were sent for thirty five thousand dollars were sent 155 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 3: from mister Trump's personal accounts. The checks were physically sent 156 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 3: not to the White House, but secretly to Keith Schiller, 157 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 3: who was his body man, who was not in the 158 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 3: White House, was sent to his personal residence of off 159 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 3: site in Washington, DC and given to the then president 160 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 3: to sign in the Oval office. He didn't address a 161 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 3: lot of the context behind the call. So, for example, 162 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 3: there's a call that was made that the defense made 163 00:08:58,240 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 3: a big deal out of, and he did on closing 164 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 3: the well on October twenty fourth, twenty sixteen, which is 165 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 3: a phone call from mister Cohne, and mister Cone testified 166 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:09,559 Speaker 3: to this on direct examination. There's a phone call from 167 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 3: mister Cone to Keith Schiller, who's mister Trump's body man, 168 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 3: and mister Cone said, yeah, mister Schiller was with mister Trump, 169 00:09:15,960 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 3: and that was a phone call that I made about 170 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 3: Stormy Daniel Well. The defense and cross examination brought out 171 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 3: a number of text messages that they were able to 172 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 3: find immediately preceding that phone call, in which mister Cone 173 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 3: said to mister Schiller, there's some fourteen year old girl 174 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 3: who's harassing me, and mister Shiller writes back, call me. Well. 175 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:38,839 Speaker 3: The defense made a huge deal about that on cross 176 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 3: examination in the closing argument as well, saying that was 177 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 3: a lie, that was perjury. You called him back because 178 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 3: you were talking about that fourteen year old girl. You 179 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 3: were not talking about Stormy Daniels and you are lying, 180 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 3: and they can do that, and he makes a big 181 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 3: stink about it on his cross examination, but the prosecution 182 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 3: stood up and did what it did on redirect examination 183 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,079 Speaker 3: by saying, you're not looking at the context of all 184 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 3: of this. You're not focusing on the fact that immediately 185 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 3: following that phone call on October twenty fourth, twenty sixteen, 186 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 3: there are thirty frantic messages over the messaging app called 187 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 3: Signal between you and mister Pecker at the National Inquirer 188 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 3: talking about Stormy Daniels. And it does not address the 189 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 3: fact that on the next day, on October twenty fifth, 190 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 3: twenty sixteen, there is a text message from Dylan Howard 191 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 3: over at the National in Choir to you to mister 192 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 3: Cohane that says, we better get on the same page 193 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 3: about this or we're going to look really bad. It 194 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 3: doesn't address the fact that on the following day there 195 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 3: was the wire payment to Stormy Daniels and the day 196 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 3: after that the NBA was signed. So there is context 197 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 3: about this, and so the defense is doing what it 198 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,839 Speaker 3: needs to do, what it has to do, but ultimately 199 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 3: is not particularly effective in trying to cherry pick out 200 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 3: all of the little pieces of the case that sound 201 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 3: bad and try to confuse the jury. That is what 202 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 3: the defense needs to do, and you sort of can 203 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 3: use the jury, whereas the prosecution needs to tell a 204 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 3: narrative that starts at the beginning and goes to the 205 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 3: end and tells a story. And so that is really 206 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 3: the disconnect between what the defense is trying to do 207 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 3: and what the prosecution did in this closure. 208 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: Coming up next on the Bloomberg Lanchew, I'll continue this 209 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: conversation with Duncan Levin and we'll talk about why the 210 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: judge got angry during the closing arguments yesterday, as well 211 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:26,959 Speaker 1: as just what the prosecution has to prove for a conviction. Here, 212 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: I'm June Grosso, and you're listening to Bloomberg. The Manhattan 213 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: jury weighing Donald Trump's hush money case ended its first 214 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: day of deliberations after asking to review testimony about a 215 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: Trump Tower meeting that prosecutors say was central to a 216 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: criminal conspiracy to boost his twenty sixteen presidential campaign. This afternoon, 217 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: the jury sent the judge a note asking for testimony 218 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: about an August twenty fifteen meeting at Trump Tower. Attended 219 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: by Trump, David Pecker, the publisher of The National Inquirer, 220 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:03,000 Speaker 1: and Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney and fixer turned star. 221 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: Prosecution witness. Pecker had testified that he agreed then to 222 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,599 Speaker 1: help Trump's campaign by praising him in print, punishing his rivals, 223 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: and buying and burying accounts of his extramarital affairs. The 224 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:18,959 Speaker 1: jury also asked to hear testimony about how Pecker's company 225 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,959 Speaker 1: paid former Playboy playmate Karen McDougall one hundred and fifty 226 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,439 Speaker 1: thousand dollars in twenty sixteen to buy and bury her 227 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 1: account of an affair with Trump a decade earlier. It's 228 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: hard to know exactly what the jurors are looking for, 229 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:35,719 Speaker 1: but the request may suggest they are working through the 230 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 1: chronology laid out by the prosecutors in their case. Pecker 231 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: was the prosecution's first witness, and he served as a 232 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: sort of narrator for prosecutors in detailing the alleged scheme. 233 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 1: In a second note, the jurors asked to hear Judge 234 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: Mershon's instructions again, but before jurors could hear the testimony 235 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: or the judge's instructions again, Mershawn dismissed the panel for 236 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: the day, saying deliberate rations will resume tomorrow morning at 237 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: nine point thirty. I've been talking to criminal defense attorney 238 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: Duncan Levin, a former Manhattan prosecutor. One thing during closing 239 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: arguments that really angered the judge was when the defense 240 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: attorney Todd Blanche mentioned punishment in his closing arguments, said, 241 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: you don't want to send the former president or the 242 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:25,199 Speaker 1: presidency refers to him to jail. Everyone knows who's tried 243 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,720 Speaker 1: a case, so who's been in court that that's not allowed. 244 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: So Blanche must have known it. Do you think it 245 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 1: backfired on him because the instruction, the curative instruction, actually 246 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 1: told the jury, you know, even if he's found guilty, 247 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 1: Trump doesn't necessarily have to get prison time. 248 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:44,440 Speaker 3: It's something that is a basic ground rule for lawyers 249 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 3: to know not to mention certain things. They're not to 250 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 3: argue impermissible things to the jury. This is plainly impermissible. 251 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 3: Prosecution or defense knows that you can't do that, it's impermissible. 252 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 3: The judge was right to fly off the handle with it. 253 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 3: And you know, it's one of these things that is 254 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 3: hard to reconcile as a fiction of what the jury 255 00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:08,880 Speaker 3: knows or doesn't know. I mean, we're to presume that 256 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 3: this jury is not reading any newspapers, is not aware 257 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 3: of the coverage of it, is not thinking about the 258 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 3: ramifications to them of a guilty verdict, or whether they're 259 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 3: doing something unprecedented in convicting and or some point of punishment, 260 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 3: whether it's jail or not for the former president of 261 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 3: the United States. These are things that you know, are 262 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 3: legal fictions. And then there's this other fiction of a 263 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 3: curative instruction or striking testimony in front of the jury. 264 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 3: It's sort of hard to stuff the genie back into 265 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 3: the bottle. You know, they hear it, they get a 266 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 3: curative instruction, but then they're thinking, because they're human, they're like, oh, well, 267 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 3: we may be sending the former president to jail. So 268 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 3: I think Blanche was absolutely out of bounds by mentioning it. 269 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 3: He clearly knew he shouldn't. The judge was right to 270 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,680 Speaker 3: fly off the handle with him. And as to what 271 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 3: damage it did or didn't do, it's going to be 272 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 3: devilutely impossible to help. 273 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: And then on the other side, the prosecutors said, there's 274 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: no special standard for Donald Trump. Donald Trump can't shoot 275 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: someone on Fifth Avenue and get away with it, which 276 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: caused an objection which was sustained. But he got it in. 277 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: It's the same thing, right, you can't unring the bell, right. 278 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 3: I mean, this is a famous line of Donald Trump 279 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 3: that he could shoot somebody in the middle of Fifth 280 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 3: Avenue and get away with it. And it's a statement 281 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,360 Speaker 3: that is not an evidence. There are rules of evidence. 282 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 3: Prosecution is held to a higher standard. They shouldn't have 283 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 3: mentioned it. This is the objection was sustained. It's a 284 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 3: minor point, I suppose, because it's not well, there's a 285 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 3: distinction to be made between argument that is impermissible because 286 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 3: it wrongly has the jury doing something that is beyond 287 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 3: the scope of what it's supposed to do, like considering punishment. 288 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 3: Their job is to consider the facts of it, and 289 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 3: mentioning something that where there are no facts and evidence. 290 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 3: It's sort of, in a way, a more minor transgression. 291 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 3: But that was an objection that was sustained, and you're right, 292 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 3: so the jury hears it. 293 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 2: What are they going to do with it? 294 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,040 Speaker 3: You know? For those who know the reference, they know 295 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:15,880 Speaker 3: the reference. For those that don't. They don't, but it's 296 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,000 Speaker 3: really more a statement of what is an evidence and 297 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 3: what is not in evidence. 298 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: They probably have to be living in a cave for 299 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:25,000 Speaker 1: the last eight years if they didn't know that. 300 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 3: That's right, And that's part of the fiction of this case. 301 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 3: There's so much, you know, they're supposed to have evidence 302 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 3: in front of them during the trial that they can consider, 303 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,360 Speaker 3: and they're not supposed to consider anything outside of what 304 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 3: happened during the last few weeks of this trial. And 305 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 3: so that's why the DA introduced evidence, for example, from 306 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 3: mister Trump's books showing that he was a penny pincher 307 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 3: and that he negotiated everything down to the paper clip, 308 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 3: because that gets to their point that he wouldn't just 309 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 3: be signing thirty five thousand dollars checks for Michael Cohene 310 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 3: without knowing what that was for. But the jurors may 311 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,960 Speaker 3: also be away or just from reading the newspapers that 312 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 3: their Trump is someone who famously doesn't pay his lawyers. 313 00:17:04,920 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 3: That didn't come into evidence, but it might be something 314 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 3: they know in the back of their mind that he's 315 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 3: somebody who has, you know, never paid his lawyers or 316 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 3: paid vendors, which has been widely reported on, and so 317 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,879 Speaker 3: that is something that they may be using in the 318 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 3: back of their head, but they're not supposed to bring 319 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 3: it into the deliberation room because it's not evidence in 320 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:24,360 Speaker 3: the trial that wasn't presented. 321 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 2: They didn't call. 322 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,199 Speaker 3: Lawyers who got diffed on their legal invoices. So you know, 323 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 3: I think that there's this fiction about what a jury 324 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 3: knows and doesn't know, but they're really only supposed to 325 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 3: consider evidence that came in that was properly admitted into evidence, 326 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 3: and nothing else. 327 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,399 Speaker 1: Do you think the prosecution did enough in marshaling the 328 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,479 Speaker 1: evidence and presenting its case in closing arguments? 329 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, undoubtedly, Yes, every element of the crime was put in. 330 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 3: I mean there's ample evidence if you credit Michael Cone, 331 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,360 Speaker 3: for sure. Even without crediting Michael Cone, I think there's 332 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 3: ample evidence that mister Trump was aware of and approved 333 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 3: the repayment scheme to Michael Cone, that was a lie 334 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 3: on the books and records, that this was for legal 335 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 3: services to Michael Cone, that it was a cover up 336 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 3: of payments to Storm mc daniels and Karen McDougall and others, 337 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 3: That there was a conspiracy between David Pecker and the 338 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 3: National inquirer and Michael Cone to promote mister Trump's election 339 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 3: by unlawful means, now lawful means for the hush money 340 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 3: payments that violated federal campaign finance laws. Think that everything 341 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 3: is there. The only reason he will be acquitted or 342 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:36,640 Speaker 3: a hung jury is if there's a juror too for 343 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,800 Speaker 3: other reasons other than the evidence, decides not to convict them. 344 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 3: I think the evidence is beyond a reasonable doubt that 345 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 3: he is guilty of the crimes. 346 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:46,959 Speaker 1: And so will you explain what the jurors have to 347 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 1: find in order to convict Trump the elements of the crime. 348 00:18:52,760 --> 00:18:54,880 Speaker 3: Sure, In the first instance, they have to find that 349 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,640 Speaker 3: mister Trump one caused the filing of false business records 350 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 3: and two that he did so with the intent to 351 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 3: conceal another crime. And the other crime is a violation 352 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 3: of New York state election law and the statute that 353 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,959 Speaker 3: makes it illegal to conspire to promote an election by 354 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 3: unlawful means. And the judge said that the jury can 355 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:22,680 Speaker 3: differ on what the unlawful means was. So they all 356 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,200 Speaker 3: have to agree that mister Trump caused the filing of 357 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 3: false business records. They all have to agree that mister 358 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 3: Trump did so with the intent to promote his election 359 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 3: by unlawful means, and that the jurors can disagree with 360 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 3: what the unlawful means were, but that's it. That's what 361 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 3: they have to find. 362 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 1: So is it an advantage to the prosecution that the 363 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: judge instructed the jury that they don't have to be 364 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,160 Speaker 1: unanimous as to the unlawful means and they can each 365 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: decide whether it was state election law, federal election law, 366 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: or the falsification of other business records. 367 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,719 Speaker 3: Well, there's a narrative out there, particularly in more conservative 368 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,919 Speaker 3: media that I have been seeing, where there's been outrage 369 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 3: that the jurors don't need to be unanimous on what 370 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 3: the underlying crime is. Just to be more specific, they 371 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,679 Speaker 3: do need to be unanimous on what the underlying crime is, 372 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 3: which is a conspiracy to promote his election by unlawful means. 373 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 3: It's another step down about it's a technical question about 374 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 3: what the unlawful means were. So was it the payment 375 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 3: to Stormy Daniels, wasn't the payment to Karen McDougal. Was 376 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,919 Speaker 3: it in furtherance of a tax crime? But they do 377 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 3: need to be unanimous on the bump up crime, which 378 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 3: is this violation of New York State election law. There 379 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 3: is certainly an advantage to the prosecution from that jury instruction, 380 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 3: But there are other jury instructions which really did not 381 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 3: go the prosecution's way. For example, they were arguing for 382 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 3: an expansive definition of the word cause that mister Trump 383 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 3: caused the filing of false business records. The statute doesn't 384 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:51,919 Speaker 3: lay out what it means to cause somebody to file 385 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 3: false business records, and the prosecution was arguing that should 386 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 3: be expansively read to say that it was reasonably foreseeable 387 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,399 Speaker 3: from his actions that the records would be filed, and 388 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 3: the defense objected to it. And it looks like the 389 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 3: judge gives the instruction on cause just being the standard 390 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 3: definition of it, which is to make somebody do something, 391 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 3: because there's really no evidence that mister Trump picked up 392 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 3: the phone and said to mister Cohne, oh, you should 393 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 3: file these false business records. It's more nebulous than that. 394 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,320 Speaker 3: And so there are some through instructions that went to 395 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:27,480 Speaker 3: prosecution's way, and there are some that went to defense life. 396 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: Is there anything in particular in the prosecution's case, putting 397 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: aside the fact that there may be a juror who 398 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: is a hidden Trump supporter with an agenda. Is there 399 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: anything that might confuse the jury or hang the jury? 400 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:43,639 Speaker 3: I mean, I think the weakest part of the prosecution's 401 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,200 Speaker 3: case is exactly that, which is whether Trump caused the 402 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:50,879 Speaker 3: records to be filed. And you know, I think the 403 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,479 Speaker 3: rest of it is extremely strong. There's tons of evidence 404 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 3: putting mister Trump at the center of it. I think 405 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 3: they made a case that mister Trump was distracted. He 406 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 3: was president involved in the internal accounting of the Trump 407 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 3: organization and doesn't really know how these things are being 408 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 3: recorded in the books and records and whether they're being 409 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 3: recorded as legal payments or reimbursements, and he's just not 410 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:13,679 Speaker 3: paying attention to that kind of thing and did not 411 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 3: cause this to happen, And that mister Cohne and mister Weifelberg, 412 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 3: the former CFO, were working together but not with mister Trump, 413 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 3: to try to distance mister Trump from that as much 414 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 3: as possible. I mean, that is their best defense. 415 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 1: On the whole. What do you think about the defense case? 416 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,359 Speaker 3: Look, I think the defense overplayed its hand by arguing that, 417 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,879 Speaker 3: you know, the sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels never happened. 418 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:39,159 Speaker 3: I think they overplayed their hand by saying that this 419 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:41,880 Speaker 3: was not a reimbursement in mister Cohne, but was really 420 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 3: for legitimate legal services. And at times the case they 421 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 3: were arguing felt much more for public consumption than for, 422 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 3: you know, the narrow purpose of trying to get their client. 423 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: Equitted, maybe for public consumption or for their clients' consumption. 424 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:57,680 Speaker 3: I think that's exactly right. 425 00:22:57,880 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: Is there a conflict in the fact that they're saying 426 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 1: that these were payments for a legal retainer, yet they're 427 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:08,719 Speaker 1: saying that on that document with the scribbling by Alan Weisselberg, 428 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,640 Speaker 1: they're saying that Coed, you know, stole tens of thousands 429 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: of dollars from Trump. Is there any sort of disconnect there? 430 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 3: I don't think so. I mean, everybody knows Michael Cohene 431 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,480 Speaker 3: is a liar, and the fact that he stole money 432 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:25,400 Speaker 3: doesn't really change anything. It's a distraction from the key 433 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 3: issues sul case. 434 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:29,879 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for being on the show. That's criminal 435 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:33,400 Speaker 1: defense attorney Duncan Levin. Coming up next on the Bloomberg 436 00:23:33,520 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: Lawn Show, we're going to be talking about the settlement 437 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,440 Speaker 1: that many say could change the face of US college Sports. 438 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 1: I'm June Grosso and you're listening to Bloomberg. The NCAA, 439 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,439 Speaker 1: in the nation's five biggest conference, is announced they've agreed 440 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,359 Speaker 1: to pay nearly two point eight billion dollars to settle 441 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: a host of anti trust claims. It's a monumental decision 442 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: that sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue sharing model 443 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: that could start steering millions of dollars directly to athletes 444 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: as soon as the twenty twenty five fall semester. Joining 445 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: me is Martiny Dell, co chair of the sports law 446 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: practice at Golston and Stores. They've been fighting this for years. 447 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:16,720 Speaker 1: Why settle now? 448 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:21,119 Speaker 2: So that's a great question. The answer seems to be 449 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:25,639 Speaker 2: that you have a confluence of events. You have three 450 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:30,679 Speaker 2: antitrust lawsuits that the NCAA seems to be desirous of 451 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:35,439 Speaker 2: cutting its attorneys' fees on. They have a legislative program 452 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 2: where they're lobbying Congress at this point, and the time 453 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 2: to lobby this session of Congress is going to expire 454 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 2: pretty quickly. And third is they got the Power five 455 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 2: on board at this point. So taking advantage of all 456 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 2: those things, I think means that the NCAA wanted to 457 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 2: resolve these issues, which it seems at least that the 458 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 2: NCAA wasn't willing to take the risk of going to court. 459 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: On tell us about the agreement. 460 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 2: Generally sure, So again, the agreement is subject to Judge 461 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,199 Speaker 2: Wilkins's approval and that has not yet occurred. What it 462 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 2: will cover has a retrospective and prospective element to it. 463 00:25:19,880 --> 00:25:26,879 Speaker 2: The retrospective element is to pay student athletes, principally men's basketball, 464 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:31,760 Speaker 2: women's basketball, and football athletes, two point seven to two 465 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 2: point eight billion dollars over ten years, and that will 466 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:42,360 Speaker 2: compensate them sensibly for the moneies they lost in revenue 467 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 2: sharing and nil dollars from twenty sixteen to forward. That's 468 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 2: element one. Second element is the prospective that the school 469 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 2: subject to this agreement have agreed to revenue sharing for 470 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:04,479 Speaker 2: media revenues up to what comes out to about twenty 471 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 2: million dollars a year in TOTO with their student athletes. 472 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 2: Those are the principal elements. It covers current and past 473 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 2: athletes and what the allocation format. And there are lots 474 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 2: of unknowns in there, but those are the principal elements. Yes, 475 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 2: I understand them. 476 00:26:21,359 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: Let's start with the back payments, which athletes will be 477 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,239 Speaker 1: paid and how much? 478 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 2: So what seems to be the case is it will 479 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 2: cover men's basketball, women's basketball, and football, which is obviously 480 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,440 Speaker 2: a male sport. That will be the two point seven 481 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 2: to two point eight billion, which it seems will come 482 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:49,000 Speaker 2: forty one percent from the NCAA, thirty four percent from 483 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 2: the Power five and the Football Bowl Championship, and the 484 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:58,960 Speaker 2: balance from twenty seven smaller conferences, which makes it about 485 00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 2: I guess twenty five percent. 486 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 1: Let's take football. Does every football player you know within 487 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: the timeframe get money? 488 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 2: So that's not exactly worked out. It seems to cover 489 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 2: all the players going back to twenty sixteen to the 490 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 2: loss of dollars. How they allocate that as something else. 491 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,679 Speaker 2: Somebody who sat on the bench from twenty sixteen to 492 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 2: twenty eighteen ostensibly wouldn't be entitled to quite the same 493 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:30,439 Speaker 2: share as the starting quarterback or the star center for 494 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,520 Speaker 2: teams should get more than somebody who wrote the bench 495 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 2: on the men's or women's basketball team. It would cover 496 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:39,679 Speaker 2: about ten thousand student athletes. 497 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:45,440 Speaker 1: As far as the upcoming payments, does each school decide 498 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: who gets what? 499 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 2: So the schools that buy into the program have agreed 500 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:55,880 Speaker 2: to contribute a percentage of their media revenues going forward, 501 00:27:55,960 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 2: and it comes out to about the numbers I've seen, 502 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 2: about twenty two percent of the media revenues of an 503 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 2: average Power five team. Power five are essentially five conferences, 504 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,400 Speaker 2: the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big twelve, the SEC, 505 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 2: and whatever is left of the PAC twelve, which is 506 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 2: now down to two teams, so I guess it's the 507 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 2: Pack two. There's a formula to be worked out. The 508 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:25,359 Speaker 2: allocation is supposed to be worked out by an expert 509 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 2: that has not yet occurred. 510 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: Will each school do it the same way or will 511 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: schools do it different ways? 512 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 2: So that's not entirely clear. I mean, there's a lot 513 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:39,760 Speaker 2: of lack of clarity, if you will. In the agreement. 514 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 2: It provides strong goalposts, visible ones that people could see, 515 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 2: such as it's approximately twenty two percent of a Power 516 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 2: five's media revenues. So if you're an IVY League team, 517 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,760 Speaker 2: you're going to have to contribute both on the retrospective 518 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 2: side your share of twenty five five percent and on 519 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 2: the prospective side about twenty two percent of your media 520 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 2: revenues on an annual basis. 521 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:12,960 Speaker 1: So let's talk about Title nine how does Title nine 522 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: work in here? 523 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 2: So it works in a number of ways which don't 524 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 2: seem to have been thought through very clearly. So because 525 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 2: Title nine mandates more or less gender equality, there's a 526 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 2: real question of how the funds will be allocated. You know, 527 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 2: right now you have women's basketball being covered, But will 528 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 2: it be covered to the same extent, for instance, as 529 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 2: men's basketball retrospectively and prospectively not clear because we don't 530 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 2: have those details yet. What will other women's teams get 531 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 2: in terms of dollars both nil and prospectively revenue sharing? 532 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 2: Title nine will have to factor in here because it's 533 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,240 Speaker 2: the law, but it's not at all clear how Title 534 00:29:58,320 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 2: nine will factor it. 535 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: Suppose there's a school that has men's basketball, men's football, 536 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: women's basketball, but also has, let's say, a great rowing 537 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 1: team or something. Can they say, Okay, we're giving men's 538 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,520 Speaker 1: basketball and football and women's basketball this much, and we're 539 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: going to give the rowing team this much. 540 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 2: So it seems that the schools can allocate the dollars 541 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 2: to any sport they want. The question is will they 542 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 2: allocate dollars to non revenue sports such as rowing. It's 543 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 2: curious that one of the lawsuits that's being settled. He 544 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 2: or one of the anti trust suits is House lawsuit. 545 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 2: House was a swimmer that is not a revenue sport. 546 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 2: He should be entitled to get a sum amount for 547 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 2: nil rights for gone for the period twenty sixteen until 548 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,520 Speaker 2: the NCAAA changed their rules on July one, twenty twenty one. 549 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:57,960 Speaker 2: But it's not clear again how much non revenue sports 550 00:30:58,040 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 2: athletes will get from this. 551 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 1: Does this mean the NCAA's antitrust problems are over. 552 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,360 Speaker 2: Hardly No, it's the short answer for a couple of reasons. 553 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 2: First off, there is a fourth antitrust lawsuit hanging out there, 554 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 2: the Fortnate suit, which has been in the federal District 555 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 2: court in Colorado, and the judge there refused to consolidate 556 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:29,600 Speaker 2: that lawsuit into the House suit at this point without prejudice, 557 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 2: so it could be revisited. But that lawsuit is going 558 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 2: forward and that deals with our athletes from the revenue 559 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 2: sports entitled to a share of TV rights and revenues 560 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 2: that go forward. Second antitrust issue that's going to come up, Well, 561 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,320 Speaker 2: if the schools are camping, the amount they're going to 562 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 2: share in terms of revenue at twenty million dollars a year, 563 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 2: we're about twenty two percent. Well, that may create another 564 00:31:56,680 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 2: antitrust violation. Why should there be a cap on the 565 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:03,880 Speaker 2: amount that schools are willing to share. Why wouldn't the 566 00:32:03,920 --> 00:32:07,000 Speaker 2: athletes in their free market be able to obtain a 567 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 2: greater percentage than that amount. So this settles three lawsuits 568 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 2: that are in existence. There's one in existence that's not settled, 569 00:32:16,840 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 2: and there may be others down the road. That leads 570 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 2: to the NCAA's appeal to Congress to give it an 571 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 2: antitrust exemption, and appeal which so far is pulling on 572 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: deaf ears. 573 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: Is baseball the only one that has anti trust exemption? 574 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:32,360 Speaker 2: Yes? 575 00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: And people question that as well. 576 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 2: People question that, but the Supreme Court has made clear 577 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 2: in the Kurt Flood case in nineteen seventy two that 578 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,920 Speaker 2: it will not step into this breach here. The baseball 579 00:32:45,960 --> 00:32:48,040 Speaker 2: exemption has been in place now for one hundred and 580 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 2: one years. If the baseball exemption is going to change, 581 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 2: Supreme Court has made it clear it should come from Congress, 582 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 2: not from the courts. 583 00:32:55,720 --> 00:33:00,840 Speaker 1: What about name, image, and likeness rights? Does that fit 584 00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 1: in with this? Is it separate? 585 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 3: So? 586 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 2: Yes? And yes? How's that for an under answer. So 587 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 2: what this settlement, if proved, does is it recompenses athletes 588 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 2: for lost NIL licensing for the period twenty sixteen through 589 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 2: until July one, twenty twenty one, when there arose a 590 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 2: free market for NIL licensing rights. So it shouldn't be 591 00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 2: a problem. But what this does on the NIL front 592 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 2: is that the agreement would permit colleges and universities to 593 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 2: work directly with student athletes on licensing of their NIL rights, 594 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 2: something which is currently forbidden under NCAA rules. So it 595 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,920 Speaker 2: would create another c change in NIL rights. Will you 596 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 2: have the collectives which currently exist? Will you have colleges 597 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:58,000 Speaker 2: and universities licensing rights directly from their student athletes? 598 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:02,959 Speaker 1: Dartmouth players recently unionized. Does that cause any conflict with this? 599 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 2: Probably not, but that's a great point. So this settlement 600 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 2: does not directly address the issue of whether a student 601 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 2: athlete is employee or not. That said, it becomes increasingly 602 00:34:17,400 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 2: difficult for the NCAA and its member schools to make 603 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 2: the argument that student athletes are not employees when they're 604 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:29,120 Speaker 2: getting paid a percentage of revenues for their performance. When 605 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:33,439 Speaker 2: schools will be licensing NIL rights directly from them, as 606 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 2: they would from employees that exists there so this will help. 607 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:42,520 Speaker 2: It seems to me cement the article that student athletes 608 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 2: at the schools that buy into this will be treated 609 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:51,839 Speaker 2: as employees. That has a further consequence, which I want 610 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,120 Speaker 2: to go back to the anti trust point. If the 611 00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 2: students are able to be designated as employees and unionized 612 00:35:00,160 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 2: so they're covered, for instance, by the National Labor Relations Act, 613 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 2: there will be no more anti trust issue because the 614 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:10,280 Speaker 2: National Labor Relations Act takes precedents their rights to collective 615 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 2: bargain with respect to revenues, and the LIGHT takes precedents 616 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 2: over the antitrust laws. 617 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,560 Speaker 1: So I confess I don't know all that much about 618 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: college sports, but it seems like there are so many unknowns. 619 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: Why is this being hailed as such a sea change 620 00:35:29,640 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: in college sports? Do you think it's a sea change? 621 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 2: Yes, I do, because it's the first time that colleges 622 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 2: and universities and therefore the NCAA have gotten into the business, 623 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:49,000 Speaker 2: if you will, of paying athletes directly. That has always 624 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 2: been a real negative for the NCAA, and its rules 625 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 2: and regulations to date have prescribed colleges and universities paying 626 00:35:57,719 --> 00:36:01,360 Speaker 2: athletes directly for services other than and scholarship at grant 627 00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:04,719 Speaker 2: and aids. Now that sort of goes by the wayside. 628 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:09,280 Speaker 2: That's the one real strong takeaway from this entire model. 629 00:36:09,320 --> 00:36:13,360 Speaker 2: It will change the model for the NCAA to do business, 630 00:36:13,640 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 2: for these colleges and universities to do business. What it 631 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 2: is in my view, likely to engender is that you 632 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 2: will have now a Power five grouping, which may be 633 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:29,879 Speaker 2: the equivalent of a new minor league for professional sports. 634 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 2: And it gives all the other schools an opportunity to 635 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 2: reassess what their mission is. Is it going to be education, 636 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:42,640 Speaker 2: Is it going to be athletics. If it's education, how 637 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:46,120 Speaker 2: are they going to change around what they're doing with 638 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 2: athletics so that they don't have to spend tons of money? 639 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,359 Speaker 2: You know, one of the things I, in my own 640 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:57,080 Speaker 2: weird way, Jo and I laugh at is the Dartmouth 641 00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 2: basketball players have sought unionization, as you mentioned, yet Dartmouth 642 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 2: has lost three and a half to five million dollars 643 00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,440 Speaker 2: over the last five years on basketball. That's not a 644 00:37:07,480 --> 00:37:11,759 Speaker 2: sustainable model. How can they change that to focus more 645 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:15,440 Speaker 2: on the Dartmouth educational mission rather than the athletic mission. 646 00:37:15,960 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 2: Can't be with the athletes continuing to put in sixty 647 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:23,680 Speaker 2: to seventy hours a week on athletics, but that needs 648 00:37:23,719 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 2: to be thought through. But I think this gives schools 649 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 2: such as Dartmouth, such as Northwestern, such as Vanderbilt, which 650 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 2: is the only private school in the SEC, a real 651 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 2: opportunity to reassess what their mission is. 652 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:43,600 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, Marty. That's Martini Delle of Gulston and Stores. 653 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:46,880 Speaker 1: And that's it for this edition of the Bloomberg Law Podcast. 654 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,600 Speaker 1: Remember you've can always get the latest legal news by 655 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:53,440 Speaker 1: subscribing and listening to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 656 00:37:53,760 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 1: and at Bloomberg dot com, slash podcast, slash Law. I'm 657 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: June Grosso and this is Bloomberg a