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SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 7 – After months of preliminaries, the trial of Stephen Calk for conspiracy to trade his bank's loans to Paul Manafort for the Secretary of the Army position began on June 23. Inner City Press live tweeted, here, previous coverage here,  podcast here

Then the defense opening statement and first witness, here, and Inner City Press question to Calk on Scaramucci, here (& Alamy photo here)

On June 29 came the cross examination  of Anthony Scaramucci, which Inner City Press live tweeted here and below, (podcast here) Song I here.

Now on July 7, the defense put on its first witness, a Brigadier General on TFSB's board who remained and remains loyal to Calk. (Steve Cortes is the next witness). Inner City Press live tweeted July 7, here: (podcast here)

Now it's Assistant Comptroller of the Currency Lemanski of the Chicago office - a stipulation is being read.  Inner City Press has previewed that Calk talking about Otting becoming Comptroller may come up - or be withheld from the jury.

 AUSA: In May 2017, General Rigby left the board? Lemanski: Yes. And other board members - three out of the four outside directors. Very rare.

AUSA: On July 2018, did you meet Mr. Calk? Lemanski: Yes. July 10. At the bank's main office in Chicago, in the board room

 AUSA: Who attended? Lenanski: The Calks, me and Blake Paulson. Steve Calk brought up the press about him seeking a US position. He denied it was true. AUSA: I have no further questions for the witness. [SO - no Q&A about Calk bragging about his role with Otting]

 Calk's lawyer: Didn't General Rigby say he was leaving because it was too much work? Lemanski: I didn't know the reasons. Re-direct: You remember Mr Calk denying he wanted a cabinet position why?

Lemanski: It was a unique situation. Break. Thread will continue.

With jury out, Calk's lawyer says defense has at least two witnesses, three if Calk testifies. One of the two: Steve Cortes. Inner City Press aims to live tweet it.

Calk trial has resumed, with the defense witness before Cortes: it's Brig-Gen Banks, saying the loans to Manafort were perfectly normal. Banks: I was on the treadmill at Northwestern when I saw Steve's name as a Trump advisor- I nearly fell off the treadmill.

 Q: Was the bank doing well? Banks: Very well. He was enthusiastic for two reason. [How does he know this?]

Banks: He was going to serve our nation. His name was put forward by Mr. Paul Manafort. I often went to the TV studio with Mr. Calk, 15 times I was present

Q: Did you attend a presidential debate with Mr. Calk? A: Yes, in September 2016, at Hofstra University. He was a surrogate. I was his guest... Mr Calk told me-- Judge Schofield, to the jury: Disregard that. (To the witness) You can't just say what he said.

 Brig-Gen Banks: Mr. Calk was on the board of the USO of Illinois. The bank gave it money too.  Calk's lawyer: Did Mr. Calk contact anyone beyond Mr. Manafort to seek a position? B-G Banks: Yes. 

Calk's lawyer: Do you know how Gen Mattis is? B-G Banks: Yes. Calk's lawyer reading into record an email to Gen Mattis, pitching Steve Calk.  [Look, ma, no mortgages!]

Now Calk's lawyer plays a voicemail to Calk from Mattis, who said his email was barraged. "Sally will keep this alive," Del Daley is a treasured friend.

Now Calk's lawyer is asking about Calk writing to Gates, also to Steve Smith, who in turn wrote to Senator Sessions. There's a reference to Angus King, too.  Calk really went all out. The implication, it seems, is that the loans to Manafort were the least of it.

Now Calk's lawyer about Steve Cortes, "a prominent Republican on television." He's the next witness - but how long will the US cross-examining this witness?

Cross examination begins: AUSA: You've known Steve Calk 35 years? A: Yes. AUSA: Did the FBI ask you to call the agent, 2 weeks ago? A: Yes. AUSA: Did you speak with him? A: I did not.

AUSA: But you met with the defense lawyers, right? Did they take notes & were they disclosed to the government? A: I don't know. AUSA: We'll take that up at the break. You know more about the military than banking, right? The opposite of Mr Calk? A: More or less. ]

 AUSA: You know that Mr Calk would have happily supported Hillary Clinton if she put him on economic advisory board? Witness: I suppose.  AUSA: Do you recall telling the FBI in 2017 that Mr Calk only met General Mattis thru Paul Manafort? Witness: I don't remember\

Now Judge Schofield is getting ready for deliberations, tells US and Calk's team to turn in CDs of exhibits by Monday morning.

Lawyer: Good to see someone's still using CDs. Judge Schofield: That's our Court.

Now Brig-Gen Banks is done, and the trial is ending for the day.

On July 1, there was testimony from immunized witness James Brennan. Inner City Press tweeted, here:

On July 6, there was testimony from another immunized witness, Dennis Raico, told to wear a plain mask - Inner City Press tweeted here:

Q: Did Bank of Internet ultimately buy that loan? Raico: No. Q: Did the $6 million ultimately close? Raico: Yes. Q: And Mr Calk said you were going forward with the loan in Carroll Gardens? Raico: Yes

 Q: Does Mr Calk typically issue term sheets for loans? Raico: No, not in my experience... I believe Mr. Manafort told Steve he could take the two points he already had with the bank. Q: Is that normal? Raico: No.

 Cross examination of immunized witness Raico. Calk's lawyer: Just answer my question, did you have a second appraisal you were not forwarding to Chicago? Raico: I was holding onto it, yes.

 Calk's lawyer: And you lied on the Bank of Internet applications when you said Mr. Manafort had excellent credit? Raico: It wasn't 100% accurate.

Calk's lawyer: Didn't you take a bribe or loan of $35,000 in 2016? Raico: I paid it back.

 Now there is a fight about precluding OCC witness Benjamin Lemanski from saying the Calk told him he was playing a big role in picking the new Comptroller of the Currency (Joseph Otting). We'll see - watch this site.

Q: So Mr Yohai was cut out of the deal after that? Brennan: Yes...  Q: Though Mr Manafort had no income, he has this political consulting business, right? Brennan: Yes. Q: And your policy was to look at the trend of 3 to 5 years? Brennan: Yes.

 Q: Put the loan memo for the Summer Breeze transaction on the screen. GX 2. This is your work? Brennan: Yes. Q: Let's turn to page 9, the personal financial statement of Paul Manafort. You wrote he had $11.9 million in cash?

Brennan: That is what it says.

 Judge Schofield (to jurors) Let's take a break for lunch. I know it's hard to stay awake in the afternoon. That has to do with carbs and sugar. Just noting that, before your lunch.

Then there were John Day and Jack Gomgaware

Witness being asked about Calk claiming he's a combat veteran.

Calk's lawyer asks How can you remember this conversation from four years ago?

The case is US v. Calk, 19-cr-366 (Schofield)

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