The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s upcoming New York criminal trial has denied his attempt to subpoena NBCUniversal for information regarding a key witness, adult film star Stormy Daniels, in the hush money case. Trump’s legal team sought information from NBCUniversal, the parent company of Peacock and NBC News, regarding the documentary “Stormy,” which recently premiered on Peacock.
Trump’s lawyers aimed to uncover any potential collusion between NBCU and Daniels regarding the documentary’s release date and sought information relevant to his trial scheduled for April 15. However, Senior Vice President Erica Forstadt of NBCUniversal affirmed that Daniels had no authority to approve the documentary’s content or release timing.
Judge Juan Merchan deemed the subpoena excessively broad and speculative, rejecting it as a “fishing expedition.” He criticized Trump’s request for unfettered access to media organization materials, citing violations of state civil rights law.
Trump (Credits: Chicago Tribune)
Trump’s representatives did not immediately respond to the decision, while NBCU declined to comment on the matter.
The documentary, which began streaming on Peacock on March 18, features Daniels discussing the escalating threats she has faced following Trump’s indictment last year.
Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the hush money payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to Daniels in the final stages of the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Daniels alleges a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, an accusation he has consistently denied.
