Michael Cohenwho was one of Donald Trump’s most trusted legal advisers before his election to the presidency in 2016, is expected to testify Monday against Trump, regarding the 34 alleged crimes the former president faces.
Cohen’s appearance represents the culmination of the prosecution’s case in a criminal trial unprecedented in U.S. history, with a former president sitting at the defense table. Over the past three weeks, Trump has seen 19 witnesses testify, many of whom were his employees.
Cohen is expected to testify that Trump knew about and authorized an alleged scheme to represent a year’s worth of checks from Trump to Cohen as payment for ongoing legal work. Prosecutors say they were actually reimbursements of $130,000 that Cohen paid to an adult film star. Stormy Danielsjust before the 2016 election, to buy her silence about a sexual relationship she says she had with Trump, which Trump denies.
The first prosecution witness, former David Pecker, publisher of the National Enquirerdescribed Trump and Cohen’s desperation to keep stories like Daniels’ secret — believing voters might reject Trump if they knew.
Defense lawyers are expected to fiercely attack Cohen’s credibility. He pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges related to paying Daniels, as well as perjury for lying to Congress. Defense lawyers are expected to talk about that, as well as October testimony in a separate Trump civil case — in which Trump was found liable for fraud — when Cohen admitted to other instances of lying under oath.
They are also expected to attack his motives, as they did when Daniels was on the stand. Trump’s lawyers have accused Daniels of profiting from the affair, and they have indicated they will make the same allegation against Cohen — who, in his books, podcasts, social media and television appearances, has criticized Trump and encouraged the prosecution of him. .
When Daniels took the stand, lawyers confronted her about tweets she wrote that described Trump crudely. They are also expected to challenge Cohen, who has for years used foul language when referring to Trump.
On Friday, they indicated they were closely monitoring Cohen’s social media, lifting up a TikTok video Cohen posted Wednesday — and asking Judge Juan Merchan to bar Cohen from speaking about the case. Merchan asked prosecutors to tell Cohen not to talk about the case in the days leading up to his testimony.
Trump is barred from speaking about Cohen during the trial, under a gag order the judge ruled he violated 10 times.
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