Trump tri­al: Judge denies use of Access Hol­ly­wood tape alle­ga­tions as evi­dence

A judge in Don­ald Trump’s hush mon­ey tri­al denied pros­e­cu­tors’ request on Mon­day that they be per­mit­ted to use as evi­dence alle­ga­tions of sex­u­al assault against the for­mer pres­i­dent relat­ed to the infa­mous Access Hol­ly­wood tape.
Judge Juan Mer­chan said such alle­ga­tions amount­ed to “rumors” that would be prej­u­di­cial toward Trump, accord­ing to reports from the Man­hat­tan court­room.
“They are very prej­u­di­cial, and at this point, giv­en what we know today, it was just a rumor,” Mer­chan said.
The tape, a 2005 clip of Trump mak­ing a vul­gar com­ment about women, aired a month before the 2016 pres­i­den­tial elec­tion. Pros­e­cu­tors will be able to tell jurors what Trump said on the tape, but the judge said they can­not pla …