Date: 2024-12-21 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00026791
THE TRUMP SAGA
NEW YORK HUSH MONEY TRIAL
Michael Cohen undercuts Trump defense in admitting to false invoices
NEW YORK HUSH MONEY TRIAL
Michael Cohen undercuts Trump defense in admitting to false invoices
Original article:
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY
Peter Burgess
BY THEHILL.COM
05/14/24 11:26 AM ET
Former President Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen has retaken the stand Tuesday to continue direct examination in the hush money trial as prosecutors’ star witness.
Cohen spent Monday’s entire court day testifying, appearing to implicate Trump over a $130,000 hush money scheme involving a porn actress and attempting to link him directly with what prosecutors deems as fraudulent business transactions.
He did so further Tuesday by admitting to the jury that some invoices he received from Trump were false, striking at the heart of the case.
Once prosecutors finish their questioning of Cohen, he is expected to go under more volatile cross-examination by Trump’s attorneys.
Follow below for live updates from New York.
Current witness: Michael Cohen, Trump’s ex-fixer and personal lawyer
Attorney questioning: Susan Hoffinger, prosecutor
Tuberville after attending Trump trial: ‘Most depressing thing I’ve ever been in’
Scaramucci labels Vance, Tuberville ‘spineless sycophants’ after senators appear at Trump courthouse
12:40 PM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN
Cohen testified despite DA inability to help with sentence reduction
Cohen said that he still agreed to testify in the Manhattan district attorney’s case against Trump, despite the office’s inability to help reduce his sentence.
Hoffinger noted that Cohen and his attorneys had, at times, asked for a letter detailing his cooperating to assist with lowering his sentence. But the Southern District of New York declined to accept such letters, so the district attorney’s office did not provide them.
“And yet you’re still meeting with us?” Hoffinger asked.
“I am,” Cohen said.
— Ella Lee
12:23 PM MAY 14, 2024
RRAHMAN
Jurors learn about Cohen guilty pleas
Jurors have now been told that Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance and criminal tax evasion charges.
Hoffinger specifically pointed to five counts of evading income taxes and false statements to a financial institution — charges Cohen said were not related to Trump. She asked the ex-Trump fixer what pleading guilty to those crimes was like for him.
“Worst day of my life,” Cohen said.
— Ella Lee
12:23 PM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Cohen: Daniels, McDougal payments made to protect Trump’s ‘chances of becoming president’ Cohen testified that he made the $130,000 payment to Daniels to ensure the story of her alleged affair with Trump would remain secret and “would not affect Mr. Trump’s chances of becoming President of the United States.” He also said that, if Trump were not running for president, he would not have paid Daniels to stay quiet. “On whose direction and on whose behalf did you commit that crime?” Hoffinger asked. “On behalf of Mr. Trump,” Cohen replied. Asked about the deal with ex-Playboy model Karen McDougal and American Media, Cohen testified that he helped coordinate her silence to ensure the “possibility of Mr. Trump succeeding in the election.” “At whose direction and on whose behalf did you do that?” Hoffinger asked again. “At the direction of Donald J. Trump,” Cohen said. Cohen’s testimony confirms prosecutor’s theory of the case that the deals were struck to clear Trump’s path to the White House and could help them convince jurors that Trump acted in furtherance of another crime: influencing the election. — Ella Lee
12:08 PM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Cohen says family led him to break from Trump Cohen says he ultimately decided “that it was about time to listen” to his family, rather than stay loyal to Trump by listening to attorney Robert Costello. “I would not lie for President Trump anymore,” Cohen said, indicating he had changed his loyalty to his wife, kids and “the country” — Zach Schonfeld
12:06 PM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Prosecutors show evidence of ‘pressure campaign’ to keep Cohen in line Prosecutors are showing emails that, along with Cohen’s testimony, indicate people in Trump’s orbit were aiming to keep Cohen loyal as the FBI investigated him. After Robert Costello offered to set up the backchannel between Cohen and Trump through Rudy Giuliani, the attorney continued to pressure Cohen with “constant calls” and lengthy emails. Cohen said he told the lawyer he was speaking with a boutique law firm instead, which angered Costello. “This was part of the pressure campaign,” Cohen said, “that anyone is lying to you, that you are still regarded, the president still supports you, do not speak, do not listen to what any of the journalists” are saying. “Don’t flip. Don’t speak. Don’t cooperate,” he added. Cohen ended up retaining other attorneys, not Costello. — Ella Lee
11:51 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Cohen tells of setting up backchannel to Trump via Giuliani As Cohen was being criminally investigated for the hush money payment in 2018, he said attorney Robert Costello offered to set up a backchannel between Cohen and Trump through Rudy Giuliani, who at the time had become a part of Trump’s legal team. The testimony confirms another allegation prosecutors outlined in Trump’s indictment last year. Jurors are seeing various emails that Costello and Cohen exchanged in 2018. — Zach Schonfeld
11:42 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN NY appeals court upholds gag order A New York appeals court affirmed the gag order against former President Trump in his hush money criminal case. The order, imposed on Trump by Judge Juan Merchan, bars Trump from publicly commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court staff or the judge’s family. It does not prevent him from attacking Merchan or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D). Trump has railed against his gag order as a violation of his First Amendment rights, arguing it prevents him from responding to political attacks being levied by high-profile witnesses and others. “Justice Merchan properly determined that petitioner’s public statements posed a significant threat to the integrity of the testimony of witnesses and potential witnesses in this case as well,” the decision from the five-judge panel reads. — Ella Lee, Zach Schonfeld
11:40 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Trump's entourage thins following break Trump returned from the morning break with a smaller entourage. His former 2024 presidential primary rivals, Vivek Ramaswamy and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, and the lawmakers did not come back with the former president. His children Eric and Lara Trump are still here, as is adviser Boris Epshteyn and legal spokeswoman Alina Habba. — Zach Schonfeld
11:21 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Cohen describes call with Trump after FBI raid Prosecutors asked Cohen to describe the 2018 FBI raid of his apartment, hotel room and office as part of a criminal investigation that later led him to plead guilty to federal charges. The ex-Trump fixer said a knock at the door came at 7 a.m., and when he looked through his door’s peephole, he saw numerous people. He described feeling “concerned,” “despondent” and “angry.” “Were you frightened?” Hoffinger asked. “Yes ma’am,” Cohen replied. After the raid, he said he got a phone call from Trump, who was president at the time. “And he said to me, ‘Don’t worry. I’m the president of the United States. There’s nothing here,’” Cohen said. “‘Everything’s going to be OK. Stay tough — you’re going to be OK.” He said it was the last time he spoke directly to Trump. “I felt reassured because I had the president of the United States protecting me,” Cohen testified. — Ella Lee
10:54 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Prosecutors creep closer to Cohen’s guilty pleas As the Manhattan district attorney’s office questions Cohen, prosecutors are starting to allude to their star witness’s criminal record. Hoffinger asked Cohen whether he lied to Congress in 2017 when questioned over a real estate deal in Moscow that Trump continued to work after announcing his bid for president. He said he did. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to Congress for the fib. Cohen also pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance and criminal tax evasion charges, but prosecutors have not yet raised those matters. Defense attorneys for Trump are expected to highlight Cohen’s criminal record in an aim of undermining his credibility as a witness. Prosecutors must show the jury that Cohen can be trusted despite his criminal convictions. — Ella Lee
10:48 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Cohen tells jury he pressured Daniels into denying affair Cohen admitted he helped coordinate two of Stormy Daniels’s denials of an affair with Trump. He testified that he knew the denials were “false” but wanted to get the matter “taken care of.” He also said he pushed for the second denial because “persistent reporters” continued to investigate the matter, and he believed that another official statement “would be helpful in putting an end to it.” — Ella Lee
10:29 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Cohen lied for Trump ‘out of loyalty’ Cohen testified that he spread false information on Trump’s behalf in order to shield him. The lies he told were “out of loyalty and in order to protect him,” he testified, referencing the former president. Hoffinger raised Cohen’s testimony before Congress over Russian connections to the former president’s campaign. “Did you make false statements to Congress in 2017?” Hoffinger asked. “I did,” Cohen replied. The prosecutor also pressed Cohen over whether he pressured others involved in the hush money deal, such as attorney Keith Davidson, to lie about the payoffs. Cohen replied affirmatively. “Why?” Hoffinger asked. “In order to protect Mr. Trump,” he said. — Ella Lee
10:24 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Cohen says he did ‘minimal’ work for Trump in 2017 Despite the $35,000 checks he received each month from Trump, Cohen said he did “minimal” work for his then-boss and wife Melania Trump in 2017, Trump’s first year as president. He said he assisted with a matter involving former “The Apprentice” star Summer Zervos, who accused Trump of sexual assault, and believed he helped Melania Trump with trademark work or “Madame Tussauds agreements,” a reference to the wax museum in New York City. He said he did not ask for compensation because he “didn’t expect to be paid.” “It was very minimal work,” Cohen said. The testimony cuts at the $35,000 monthly checks Cohen received that were documented as a legal retainer. Prosecutors — and Cohen — say the checks were reimbursements for the Daniels payment. — Ella Lee
09:56 AM MAY 14, 2024 - RRAHMAN Michael Cohen testifies invoices were false Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger is again showing jurors the invoices Cohen submitted each month to be repaid. “Was this invoice a false record?” Hoffinger asked. “Yes ma’am,” Cohen replied. — Zach Schonfeld