Happy Monday, I’m Eriq Gardner.

Welcome back to The Rainmaker, a private email about money, power, fame, and the legal forum where they all collide.

This week, I’m diving into the criminal case against Donald Trump. That is, the first one, which started today. You may have heard about opening statements. I talk to Mathew Rosengart, the go-to celebrity lawyer at Greenberg Traurig, about what happens next and whether this ends with the former president in jail or asking MAGA acolytes to pony up many more millions of dollars to cover his legal fees… or both.

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Let’s get started…

• Covington’s TikTok windfall: Congrats to Covington & Burling, which is poised to rack up a hefty sum in billable hours over the TikTok ban saga. While Chinese parent company ByteDance would have anywhere from six months to a year to divest the social media app if the bill passes the Senate...