Defense witness who angered judge in Trump’s hush money trial will return to the stand

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JAKE OFFENHARTZ, JENNIFER PELTZ and COLLEEN LONG
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A defense witness in Donald Trump’s hush money case whom the judge threatened to remove from the trial over his behavior will return to the stand Tuesday as the trial nears its end. Trump’s lawyers are hoping Robert Costello’s testimony will help undermine the credibility of a key prosecution witness, Trump fixer-turned-foe Michael Cohen. But Costello angered Judge Juan Merchan on Monday, prompting the judge to briefly kick reporters out of the courtroom to admonish him. The chaotic scene unfolded after prosecutors rested their case accusing Trump of falsifying business records as part of a scheme to bury stories that he feared could hurt his 2016 campaign. Trump denies any wrongdoing.