I think you have a good handle on the case. I agree they should call the FEC chair but I read that Merchan won’t let him testify as an expert. That he, Merchant, will define the law in the instructions. The other issue is that the campaign contribution violation thing is a federal law and, from what I understand, it must be violation of a state law that must have been concealed as the state court has no jurisdiction to enforce fed law. The DOJ has already declined to prosecute on the alleged fed law violation.
The directed verdict, if there is one, would conclude “not guilty.”