Former President Trump departs Trump Tower to return to court

Former President Trump has departed Trump Tower for the Manhattan courthouse where his criminal trial for allegedly falsifying business records will continue for its eighth day. 

Court proceedings will begin at 9:30 a.m. ET. Trump did not make any statements as he left Trump Tower, but he has held several impromptu press conferences outside the courtroom this week and may speak to reporters again. 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Bragg alleges that Trump ex-attorney Michael Cohen orchestrated hush money payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal to prevent them from sharing their stories about alleged affairs with Trump. Bragg is trying to prove that Trump was aware of those payments, and allegedly falsified records of payments to Cohen as "legal expenses" rather than repayments for the hush money. 

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all counts and told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview on Thursday that he was simply paying Cohen legal fees because Cohen was his lawyer. 

Bragg also alleged American Media Inc., which witness David Pecker was the CEO of, allegedly employed the "catch and kill" strategy to bury stories — specifically Karen McDougal's. Bragg and prosecutors sought to convince the jury that Pecker's work to do this was made with the blessing of Trump's 2016 campaign. 

Pecker, though, testified that he worked with Cohen in his capacity as Trump's personal attorney. 

Pecker's cross-examination is expected to continue Friday morning.