The idea of calling Donald Trump as a character witness for former Hollinger International CEO Conrad Black in Black's fraud trial always seemed a bit suspect to observers, and finally Black's attorneys came around to that way of thinking.
According to an article in today's New York Post, Trump has been crossed off the witness list:
Some sources said Black's lawyers were concerned about a personal note the media baron sent to Trump.
Lawyers worried the prosecution would seize on the note and other potentially damaging details about the friendship between the moguls in what would likely be a fierce cross-examination, sources said. Black's lawyers also decided the media sideshow likely generated by Trump's appearance wouldn't be worth it, when another less famous witness could offer the same testimony.
Trump was set to tell the jury that a surprise 60th birthday party in 2000 for Black's wife felt like a business event rather than a mere personal celebration, which would justify Hollinger picking up most of the nearly $63,000 tab.
Black is charged with fraud in connection with diverting money from Hollinger into his own pocket. Hollinger at one time owned The Carthage Press and the Neosho Daily News in southwest Missouri.
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