Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s right-hand man, leaves his building in New York this morning.
Seth Wenig/AP
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Seth Wenig/AP
Michael Cohen, former President Donald Trump’s right-hand man, leaves his building in New York this morning.
Seth Wenig/AP
Attorney Michael Cohen is back on the stand for a second day of testimony against former President Donald Trump. Once a loyal “protector” of Trump as a former “fixer,” the now staunch critic testified that prosecutors claimed the payments received were false business records.
After several weeks of testimony, jurors on Monday heard Cohen confirm two key details on the stand: Trump knew about settlement negotiations with former adult actor Stormy Daniel to keep his affair allegations out of the press ahead of the election. 2016 and that Trump ordered Cohen to pay him $130,000 due to the election. During his cross-examination, Trump’s lawyers will likely attempt to refute Cohen’s testimony and point to his own convictions for lying under oath.
On the stand Tuesday, Cohen explained how he was reimbursed for that payment to Daniels, noting that these were not legal services rendered. Prosecutors explained to Cohen several of the bills at the center of the trial. One of Trump’s main arguments is that he was simply paying his lawyer.
Time and time again, Cohen said he lied and did damage control in order to protect his then-boss, including after news broke that a settlement had been reached with Daniels.
And Cohen reread statements originally made in trying to quash media reports about the payment — which included what he now says were false claims that Trump was unaware of the deals.
Cohen testified that Trump knew about the payments
During Monday’s testimony, Cohen testified about purported conversations with Trump intended to show that not only was Trump aware, but he was influencing the negotiations with Daniels. He testified that he directly negotiated Daniels’ payment, but kept Trump informed every step of the way.
Cohen testified about various conversations he allegedly had with the former president regarding these agreements. And he also testified about how Trump and other Trump Organization executives promised to pay him $420,000, which covered reimbursement for the payment to Daniels, $50,000 for some technology services, a $60,000 bonus $, plus extra to cover taxes, paid over a 15-year period. year. Cohen says Trump approved it, then says the former president said, “This is going to be one heck of a trip to Washington.”
The jury has already heard a lot about it. Cohen’s testimony comes just days after Daniels took a stand against the former president.
Jurors also heard from former National investigator editor Pecker, who was the first to testify about the details of agreements made to report potentially damaging stories about Cohen and Trump. And jurors heard from Keith Davidson, the lawyer who negotiated the nondisclosure agreements and settlement payments for Daniels and former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal. McDougal should not be called to testify.
Davidson also said he believed Cohen was slowing down the payment, a suspicion Cohen confirmed on the stand.
“I was asked to delay it until after the election,” Cohen said of Trump. “I was following instructions.”
Several former and current Trump employees, both from his flagship company and his administration, testified about the process by which Trump received personal invoices and paid personal checks — including those used to reimburse Cohen.
Trump faces 34 counts alleging that reimbursements to Cohen for paying Daniels violated campaign finance law. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied allegations of extramarital affairs.
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