NEW YORK — A lawyer for Donald Trump sought on May 2 to portray the hush money payment at the centre of his criminal trial as extortion, questioning a lawyer involved in the deal about his cash-for-dirt negotiations with other celebrities.

Defence attorney Emil Bove's questioning of the lawyer Keith Davidson hinted at a strategy by Trump's legal team to undermine the credibility of prosecution witnesses in the first-ever criminal trial of a former US president.

Trump stands accused of trying to hide a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 presidential election.

He has pleaded not guilty and denies Daniels' assertion that they had sex.

After Davidson testified that, as then-lawyer for Daniels, he arranged the US$130,000 (S$176,000) payment with Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen, Bove asked about Davidson's alleged efforts to seek cash from Hulk Hogan in exchange for a sex tape involving the former pro wrestler.

He also asked Davidson about attempts to trade embarrassing information for cash from celebrities including actor Charlie Sheen and reality TV star Tila Tequila.

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